by Ben Schneider / LASTCAR.info Staff Writer

Chris Golden finished last for the 1st time in his ARCA Menards Series career in Saturday’s Salem ARCA 200 at Salem Speedway when his No. 86 Race Parts Liquidators Ford fell out with mechanical issues after completing 1 of 200 laps.

The finish came in Golden’s 3rd career ARCA start.

Golden first appeared in the ARCA Menards Series in last year’s dirt race at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds, practicing and qualifying the No. 03 car for team owner Alex Clubb. His first official ARCA attempt came in the team’s second car, the No. 86, earlier this year at Mid-Ohio. Unfortunately, Golden’s race ended before it could really even begin as his car came to a stop on the final pace lap. His second start came at the following race at Berlin, running only five laps before rev limiter issues ended his night.

Saturday night’s race at Salem, meanwhile, appeared to be a planned start-and-park, as Golden anchored both the practice and qualifying sessions, lining up 25th on the grid with a lap time of 21.431 seconds. This was nearly a second slower than Dale Shearer’s 24th-place time of 20.438. Golden then pulled behind the wall after just one lap, giving him the first last-place finish of his ARCA career. Clubb, meanwhile, completed 182 of 200 laps, though he still finished 12th as nearly half the field - 12 of 25 starters - failed to finish.

Following Golden up the order was Amber Balcaen, whose crash damage proved terminal after contact with Greg Van Alst sent her spinning into the inside wall on Lap 2. Mike Basham completed three laps before mechanical issues forced him behind the wall as well. Andrew Patterson brought out the second caution on Lap 26 after hitting the wall in Turns 1 and 2 (though Racing-Reference lists “mechanical” as his “reason out”). Rounding out the Bottom Five was LASTCAR ARCA Drivers’ Championship leader Brad Smith, who completed 34 laps before pulling behind the wall.

Later in the evening, the race was briefly red-flagged as the next retirement from the race, Dale Shearer, was transported to the hospital due to fatigue. In a positive update Monday evening, Shearer confirmed on Facebook that he was not suffering from heat stroke, saying he “just got baked” and adding, “I am fine, [I] just feel beat up.” 

Up front, William Sawalich led all 200 laps in another win for Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 Toyota, while Rev Racing teammates Andres Perez and Lavar Scott placed second and third. Sawalich, Perez, and Scott were the only three still on the lead lap at the finish.

THE BOTTOM FIVE

25) #86-Chris Golden / 1 laps / mechanical

24) #22-Amber Balcaen / 2 laps / crash

23) #68-Mike Basham / 3 laps / mechanical

22) #95-Andrew Patterson / 25 laps / mechanical

21) #48-Brad Smith / 34 laps / mechanical

2024 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES OWNERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP (After Race 11 of 20)

1st) Fast Track Racing (3)

2nd) Brad Smith Motorsports, Clubb Racing Inc. (2)

3rd) Kennealy Keller Motorsports, Peterson Motorsports, Rise Motorsports, Shearer Speed Racing (1)

2024 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES MANUFACTURERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP (After Race 11 of 20)

1st) Ford (5)

2nd) Chevrolet, Toyota (3) 

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Click HERE throughout the 2024 ARCA season to view the full drivers’ standings for both the ARCA Menards Series and its East and West divisions. You can also find the manufacturers’ and owners’ standings for all three series HERE.

2024 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP (After Race 11 of 20)