Ethan Nascimento Claims 1st ARCA West Victory at All American

For the first time in his ARCA Menards Series West career, 19-year-old Ethan Nascimento has found victory lane, taking the win in a photo finish at All American Speedway.

Nascimento had a mid-race surge through the field after starting from the rear, finding himself in the top three for the first time all race with under 50 laps to go. After a few late-race cautions, including one with under 15 laps to go, restarts defined the finish. 

“I’m sorry to have to move Trevor, but it’s my first ever win after not being in the car for two years,” Nascimento told FloRacing. “We knew we were going to be fast, and we busted our butts to bring a great race car.”

Trevor Huddleston held the lead as the field restarted with five laps to go, and after a very aggressive few laps between the two, Nascimento nudged Huddleston at the start-finish line for the win. For Nascimento, not only was it his first start of 2026, but he was able to record his first win in his first start since late 2024. 

“It was an epic race; we led the most laps and were dominant, but you can’t win them all,” Huddleston told FloRacing. “It’s racing, once or twice maybe, but after the fourth time I got a little upset.”

Hailie Deegan was just behind the lead duo, finishing third after running inside of the top three for much of the race. 

“I feel like we’ve made big strides over the last couple of weeks,” Deegan told FloRacing. “We’re 10 minutes from Bill’s [McAnally] shop, so it was great to see everyone out here tonight.” 

Robbie Kennealy crossed the line in fourth, with Will Robinson rounding out the top five finishers in fifth. 

Cole Denton finished sixth after starting on the pole, with Eric Johnson Jr in seventh. Andrew Chapman, Josiah Reuame and Donald Witkowski rounded out the remainder of the top 10.

Despite starting on the outside of the front row, it was Johnson who led the first lap of the race after being side by side with Denton for the duration of the circuit. It never seemed like Johnson’s No. 5 could wrap the bottom effectively, though, with Denton nearly getting around him as the field worked the 10th lap. However, that battle was ended prematurely as the first caution of the evening fell for a Joey Iest spin. 

The bullring-style racing kept up for the first restart of the race. Unlike the initial start, Denton was able to capitalize on the bottom lane for the lead, with Deegan, Huddleston and Johnson following tightly in suit. Deegan eventually got around Johnson for second, but her pursuit of Denton and the lead had to wait, as Gavin Ray spun on lap 28 to bring out the second caution of the evening. 

Unlike the first two trips up through the gears, Denton was able to gain control of the lead into the first set of turns, with Deegan slotting in behind him in second. The field was able to set into a green-flag run for the first time all race, allowing Huddleston to work his way around Deegan, positioning himself behind Denton. 

Huddleston didn’t waste much time after getting around Deegan, as he was able to catch Denton less than five laps later. He put the bumper to the No. 71 a few laps later, passing him for the lead with just under 100 laps to go in the race. 

With nearly 20 cars entered on such a short track, lapped traffic was bound to become a factor. As the green-flag run trudged on and Huddleston lapped into the top 10, that’s exactly what happened. Huddleston got caught up behind two lapped cars battling side by side, allowing Denton to close to the bumper. Just like earlier in the event, though, the battle was cut short by a spin forcing a caution, this time by Chapman. 

Denton spun his tires on the subsequent restart, not only allowing Huddleston to get away, but teammate Kennealy to sneak by to second, though a ways back. Denton continued to free fall, nearly falling out of the top five less than 10 laps into the run. Unlike the previous run, though, the green-flag period would not last long, as a Tyler Tomassi spin brought out yet another caution.

Huddleston continued to look like the car to beat, though it was Nascimento who was on the run. The driver of the No. 4 was able to work his way into the top five and into the second position with under 40 laps to go. Lapped traffic continued to be a defining storyline as the laps wound down, with Nascimento closing to the bumper of Huddleston with under 20 laps to go. However, a few laps later, the caution would fly once again as Ian Wood went for a spin in turn 1. 

With five laps to go in the race, the field took the green for the final restart of the night. Huddleston captured the lead, but Nascimento used the bumper a few times in the closing laps. Nascimento got to the inside of Huddleston in turns 1 and 2 on the final lap, and ran him up the track in turns 3 and 4 to set up for a drag race to the line for the win. Nascimento nudged Huddleston, with Deegan not all that far behind in third.

It won’t be a long wait until the next stops for the ARCA platform, as the national division takes on the dirt at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds tomorrow evening. The West series returns in three weeks, on the evening of Sept. 26 at Madera Speedway.