ARCA / ARCA EAST: No reprieve for Clubb Racing as Brian credited with last again
by Ben Schneider / LASTCAR.info Staff Writer
PHOTO: Clubb Racing Inc./Facebook
Brian Clubb finished last for the 2nd time in his ARCA Menards Series career - and 1st time in his ARCA Menards Series East career - in Sunday’s Sprecher 150 at the Milwaukee Mile when his No. 86 Race Parts Liquidators Ford fell out with mechanical issues after completing 0 of 105 laps.
The finish came in Clubb’s 3rd career ARCA start and ARCA Menards Series East debut.
In last week’s article, it was noted that Brian’s son, Alex Clubb, was looking forward to ARCA’s return to the Milwaukee Mile in particular. Alex revealed that his father had always dreamed of running at the historic Wisconsin track during his super late model career, but never got the opportunity to do so.
Unfortunately for Brian, this past weekend yielded little, if any, opportunity for him to take to the track. The No. 86 car did not run a qualifying lap, as a Facebook post from the team noted that the Clubbs “had too much to do to get the 03 better.” Alex’s No. 03 car had to be hastily repaired from an incident with Kris Wright at Springfield, and the car initially included a reference to this incident with a decal that stated: “If you or a loved one have been wrecked by Kris Wright, call: 1-800-STOPWRIGHT.” NASCAR officials were not impressed, and the team later posted a TikTok video of Alex removing the decals from his car, admitting “the fun police got us” and clarifying in the comments that NASCAR did not approve of the decals.
While Alex was ultimately able to bring his car home 19th, Brian did not complete a lap during the race either. It appears he did at least attempt to start the race, as Frontstretch’s Josh Calloni tweeted that his car was getting a push start from the pits. Despite this, the FS1 broadcast showed only 23 of the 24 cars listed on the starting grid taking the green flag to begin Lap 1. As of this writing, it is unknown what exactly prevented the No. 86 from starting the race - Clubb Racing Inc.’s Facebook page simply notes their cars finished P19 and P24. The Third Turn lists Brian’s entry as a “Did Not Start,” with Rita Goulet classified “last” in 23rd with one lap completed and a “clutch” issue. However, Racing-Reference.info credits him with a start and “mechanical” as the reason out. While this instance has many similarities to previous ARCA “DNS” rulings, for consistency purposes, we at LASTCAR.info will continue to use Racing-Reference for at least the remainder of the season in logging official LASTCAR ARCA statistics.
Following Clubb and Goulet up the order were Brad Smith and Nate Moeller, who are currently in a tie for the LASTCAR ARCA East championship lead with each scoring two last-place finishes, five Bottom Fives, and five Bottom Tens. Rounding out both the Bottom Five and Top 20 at Milwaukee was Venturini Motorsports’ Amber Balcaen, whose up-and-down season continued with more misfortune as mechanical trouble forced her behind the wall after 87 laps.
At the front of the field, William Sawalich and Connor Zilisch continued their dominance, finishing 1-2 with Sawalich nearly 30 seconds ahead of third-place Lavar Scott. The defending series champion, Sawalich enters the ARCA East finale at Bristol 16 points behind Zilisch, meaning Zilisch will likely just need to bring the car home in one piece to clinch the ARCA East championship.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
24) #86-Brian Clubb / 0 laps / mechanical
23) #31-Rita Goulet / 1 lap / mechanical
22) #48-Brad Smith / 13 laps / mechanical
21) #06-Nate Moeller / 52 laps / mechanical
20) #22-Amber Balcaen / 87 laps / mechanical
2024 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES OWNERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP (After Race 15 of 20)
1st) Clubb Racing Inc. (4)
2nd) Fast Track Racing, Brad Smith Motorsports (3)
3rd) Peterson Motorsports (2)
4th) Kennealy Keller Motorsports, Rise Motorsports, Shearer Speed Racing (1)
2024 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES MANUFACTURERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP (After Race 15 of 20)
1st) Ford (9)
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 15 of 20)
2024 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES EAST OWNERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP (After Race 7 of 8)
1st) Fast Track Racing, Peterson Motorsports, Brad Smith Motorsports (2)
2nd) Clubb Racing Inc. (1)
2024 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES EAST MANUFACTURERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP (After Race 7 of 8)
1st) Ford (5)
2nd) Toyota (2)
3rd) Chevrolet (0)
2024 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES EAST DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP (After Race 7 of 8)
