ROCKINGHAM — Brent Crews started in the pole position and drove straight to victory lane in the Rockingham ARCA 125 on Saturday.
Despite several cautions throughout the race, Crews remained dominant throughout, keeping a lead from the rest of the pack in the ARCA Menards Series East bout at Rockingham Speedway.
“We had an amazing race car all day,” Crews said in a post-race interview. “Felt like it was really, really dominant. It made my job really easy.”
Crews, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, led 121 laps in the No. 81 Toyota during the race, giving up four laps to runner-up William Sawalich.
“He did a really good job on the restarts and pressured me a lot,” Crews said about the challenge from Sawalich. “Thankfully, even though I made a mistake, I feel like our car was so good it would pull me out of the hole when I make an error.”
Brent Crews waves to the crowd after winning the Rockingham ARCA 125 on April 19.
William R. Toler - Richmond Observer
The 17-year-old from Davidson started racing go-karts and has worked his way up through the ranks in motorsports on dirt and asphalt, racking up several accolades along the way — including being named the 2024 CARS Late Model Stock Rookie of the Year with three wins and five other top 10 finishes.
Crews started racing in the ARCA Menards Series in 2023 and has seven top 10 finishes in nine starts, including three wins. Rockingham was his second race in the ARCA Menards Series East in two years.
This was Crews’ second win of the year, taking the checkered flag at Phoenix Raceway last month.
The race marks the first ARCA-related event at the Rock in 15 years, when the track was owned by former ARCA driver and ‘95 series champion Andy Hillenburg.
Driving for Hillenburg’s Fast Track Racing, Zachary Tinkle finished 11th, running 121 laps.
Of the 27 cars slated for the race, only 16 were still running at the end. London McKenzie did not start.
Brad Smith gets a nudge from a tow truck at the start of the Rockingham ARCA 125.
William R. Toler - Richmond Observer
Brad Smith had trouble with the No. 48 at the start, getting a push from an on-track wrecker. He only completed 16 laps before bowing out due to mechanical issues. Eight other drivers failed to finish the race because of mechanical problems.
The first caution came out in the second lap because of a Turn 4 crash involving Jake Finch and Nate Moeller. That wreck knocked Finch out of the running and Moeller continued for another 14 laps.
Veteran driver Timmy Hill — who placed 18th in the 2010 ARCA race at the Rock won by Ty Dillon — managed 43 laps before hitting the wall in Turn 2. Hill also finished 21st in the Black’s Tire 200 Craftsman Truck Series race the day before, his second start of the season.
Timmy Hill (No. 56) races down the frontstretch of Rockingham Speedway against Patrick Staropoli (No. 25).
William R. Toler - Richmond Observer
Rounding out the top five, behind Crews and Sawalich, were Mexico’s Eloy Falcon, Patrick Staropoli and Andy Jankowiak.
When asked if the national ARCA series should come to Rockingham, Crews agreed — preceding his answer by saying NASCAR’s Cup series should return.
“We go to some tracks that aren’t anywhere near as nice as this and we obviously have hungry race fans, if you can’t tell,” Crews said. “I think it would be a really good idea.
“Even if this week doesn’t produce the best racing we’ve seen, I know in four or five years it’ll be really freakin’ good,” he continued, describing the track’s surface that was repaved at the end of 2022.
“This is an amazing race track,” Crews added. “To tell you the truth, I had mixed feelings at the very beginning …wasn’t sure how the racing was going to produce and it impressed me that’s for sure.”
