ARCA: Brian Clubb takes last at Springfield while women of Venturini Motorsports shine
by Ben Schneider / LASTCAR.info Staff Writer
PHOTO: Clubb Racing, Inc. / @ClubbRacingInc
Brian Clubb finished last for the 1st time in his ARCA Menards Series career in Sunday’s Springfield ARCA 100 at Illinois State Fairgrounds when his No. 86 Race Parts Liquidators Ford fell out with mechanical issues after completing 1 of 105 laps.
The finish came in Clubb’s 2nd career ARCA start.
The father of Alex Clubb, Brian made his first appearance behind the wheel of the Clubb team’s second entry at Elko earlier this month, finishing 17th in his series debut. In a Facebook post, Alex shared why he was looking forward to sharing the track with his father, saying, “Dad's bucket list item when he was running super late model was to race at the Milwaukee Mile. He was never able to do that over the years. I don't have a super late for him to race at Milwaukee but I've got my ducks in a row to have 2 ARCA cars race ready.”
Unfortunately, Brian’s second start ended at the very beginning of the race. After dropping to the rear of the field on the start, the No. 86 spun out and came to a stop on the backstretch, forcing the first caution of the event. Alex’s No. 03, meanwhile, also encountered trouble while he was running in ninth place on the lead lap, spinning and hitting the wall after contact with another driver. While he did not mention the driver by name, Alex was noticeably upset in a Facebook post recapping the race weekend, the comments on which indicate he was likely referring to Kris Wright.
While 21 cars appeared on the entry list, Dale Quarterley’s team withdrew from the event, leaving only 20 to start the race. Of these, five belonged to Venturini Motorsports - with Wright’s No. 15 entry being the exception, the other four were run by female drivers. Full-timers Amber Balcaen and Toni Breidinger returned to their Nos. 22 and 25 Toyotas respectively, while Isabella Robusto drove the team’s No. 20 and Taylor Reimer made her series return in the No. 55. Unfortunately, both Robusto and Breidinger were unable to set a qualifying time, forcing them to start 19th and 20th on the back row of the grid. Brayton Laster anchored timing and scoring by technically setting a time of 2:19.504, obviously not indicative of pace as his No. 31 entry spun during his lap, forcing him to start 18th.
Following Brian Clubb up the running order was Brad Smith, Nate Moeller, and Bryce Haugeberg. Alex Clubb’s crash damage forced him to retire from the race, leaving him in 16th as he rounded out the Bottom Five. The Clubb team’s Facebook page also put out a call to potential sponsors on Tuesday - while Alex and Brian’s planned start at Milwaukee this coming weekend was not mentioned, the post indicates that the team’s status for the subsequent races at Watkins Glen and Kansas is now up in the air due to setbacks following the Springfield accident.
Up front, William Sawalich led 104 of 105 laps to win his sixth race of the season. Despite starting from the back row of the grid, Robusto drove through the field to finish second, while Reimer converted her third-place starting spot into a podium finish. Breidinger also made up her disadvantage at the start, placing sixth after running as high as fourth in the race, while Balcaen finished eighth. When it was all over, all four of Venturini’s female drivers earned top-ten finishes.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
20) #86-Brian Clubb / 1 lap / mechanical
19) #48-Brad Smith / 13 laps / mechanical
18) #06-Nate Moeller / 22 laps / mechanical
17) #10-Bryce Haugeberg / 33 laps / mechanical
16) #03-Alex Clubb / 58 laps / crash
2024 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES OWNERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP (After Race 14 of 20)
1st) Fast Track Racing, Brad Smith Motorsports, Clubb Racing Inc. (3)
2nd) Peterson Motorsports (2)
3rd) Kennealy Keller Motorsports, Rise Motorsports, Shearer Speed Racing (1)
2024 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES MANUFACTURERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP (After Race 14 of 20)
1st) Ford (8)
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 14 of 20)
