TALLADEGA, Ala. — Lawless Alan was in the right place at the right time to win Saturday’s General Tire 200 ARCA Mendards Series race at Talladega Superspeedway.
The Venturini Motorsports Toyota driver was in the lead when a multi-car crash brought the race to a premature ending on the final lap.
“First thing I’ve got to say is God is so good,” said Alan, who won his first race in only his 10th ARCA start. “I didn’t have any sort of plan after Phoenix last year. Then Toyota called me, and we put this deal together with Venturini and AUTOParkIt and I am so thankful to them.”
Alan started second and led early and often but constantly found himself under attack by Joe Gibbs Racing’s William Sawalich.
The two traded the lead multiple times throughout the race, but Alan had an advantage that Sawalich didn’t.
Alan had teammates.
With 18 laps left Alan got a push from his teammate Isabella Robusto that allowed him to go three-wide with Jason Kitzmiller and Sawalich for the lead. The move shuffled Sawalich out of the lead group and gave Alan command of the race.
Alan remained in command when caution flag waved with five laps left when Michael Maples crashed after contact in the middle of the pack.
That incident set up a one-lap dash to the finish with Alan leading Thad Moffitt, the grandson of seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Richard Petty.
When racing resumed Alan had help behind him from Robusto, who was able to push Alan out just far enough that when a multi-car crash behind the leaders ended the race, it was Alan who was declared the winner ahead of Moffitt.
Moffitt, whose runner-up finish is the best of his ARCA career, believed that had the caution flag not waved he would have beaten Alan on the final lap.
“It sucks, but it’s good at the same time. I’m just dejected,” said Moffitt, driver of the No. 46 Toyota for Nitro Motorsports. “I thought I won that race. I thought I got through the (restart) box better. I thought I got down to Turn 1 better. He just had his teammate behind him to push him down into (Turn) 1.
“It sucks. Nitro is going to win races this year though.”
Robusto finished third to give Venturini Motorsports two cars in the top three. Andy Jankowiak was fourth, followed by Kitzmiller in fifth.
Lavar Scott, Jake Finch, Bryce Haugeberg, Sawalich and YouTube sensation Cleetus McFarland were sixth through 10th, respectively.
