EAST VS WEST; HUDDLESTON HOLDS HALL AT BAY FOR VEGAS VICTORY

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Trevor Huddleston fended off Connor Hall in ARCA Menards Series West competition at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring to extend his championship points lead.

Huddleston, the driver from Agoura Hills, California, battled Hall on several late race restarts, pulling away after each contest. It was Huddleston’s series-leading fourth win of the season and contributed to a sturdy advantage in the hunt for his first series title after finishing third twice.

“Just want to thank my crew first,” Huddleston said after unloading with twelfth place speed on Friday practice. “They stuck to it, learned in our program, and they made it happen.”

Las Vegas native Kyler Keller started the race third and on the right note, taking the lead from Huddleston on lap 3. But music quickly became discord when contact with Huddleston flattened Keller’s left-rear tire, causing him to pit and lose four laps, effectively ending Keller’s title bid.

“The biggest bummer of it all, we had some transmission issues,” Huddleston said. “I lost it into neutral, hit the rumble strips into Kyle (Keller).”

Rain canceled qualifying, so the line up was set based on Saturday afternoon practice times. Points leader Trevor Huddleston and Roseville winner Robbie Kennealy led the field to green.

“This is one of the craziest races of my life,” Kennealy said. “From lap one, I think I got hit three times, and I fell all the way back outside the top 10, but that long run there, we muscled through.

“We drove all the way up to fifth or sixth. And then there was a couple restarts there, and then we got hit again and got driven outside the top 10 again. But we muscled through.”

After the checkered flag flew, Venturini Motorsports closed the chapter on a 43-year tenure in racing. The team’s assets will move over to Nick Tucker’s Nitro Motorsports effective Oct. 16.

Dirt racing star Jade Avedisian made her first pavement start in ARCA for Venturini. She brought her No. 20 Mobil 1 Toyota across the line in # place after starting sixth. 

Thomas Annunziata, a regular in the Trans Am Series, led the Venturini fleet during the 150-lap race. Annunziata finished fourth, recovering from contact with Andrew Chapman on lap 119. 

The final stop on the ARCA West schedule takes place at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday Nov. 1. The green flag is set to wave in the championship finale at 12:30 p.m. ET.

SPEARS CARS Tour West Series

Rain also plagued the weekend for the SPEARS CARS Tour West Series, cutting practice and qualifying short. With lineups set by points, points leader Jace Hale started from the pole.

Hale improved from a 10th place result at the Bullring in April, dominating the Pro Late main event. Hale led wire-to-wire, but had to fend off several attacks on late race restarts.

“The final few restarts were crazy,” Hale said. “Outside pole jumped the start. I got schooled a little bit, they called it back and I got my spot back and we had another good restart and drove away.”

One such attack came in the form of Kevin Harvick. The 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion started outside the top-five and worked his way into second by lap 60. A yellow for incident between Keelan Harvick and Hans Beeler on lap 95 reset the field for a restart.

“I got the first two restarts right,” Kevin Harvick said. “Got under the leader there, moved him one time and got under him one time and the caution just came out both times.

“I knew (Hale) was better than me, I just needed  to get him up off the bottom to get myself a chance. And I didn’t get there the last time.”

Jeffery Peterson held Vito Cancilla at bay in the Limited Pro race. The No. 92 of Dylan Zampa picked up a third place result and stretched his points lead over Redland’s native Parker Malone.

In the MMI Legends West Tour, Bakersfield, California’s Taylor Mayhew continued to impress ahead of his INEX National race on Oct. 23-25. Mayhew wrestled the lead away from Brenden Ruzbarsky within the first five laps and drove away for his 11th Legend win of the 2025 season.