Alon Day led laps and finished second in the ARCA Menards Series at Lime Rock Park, losing a potential victory to a miscommunication. Meanwhile, in his second NASCAR Canada start, fellow Euro Series alumnus Ryan Vargas finished third at Riverside International Raceway.
- Four-time European NASCAR champion Alon Day almost won his first ARCA race
- The Israeli led 19 laps and almost claimed the win at Lime Rock Park
- Ryan Vargas claimed his first top-3 result in the NASCAR Canada Series, as well as the ‘Move of The Race’ award.
Four-time NASCAR Euro Series PRO Champion Alon Day made a successful debut in the ARCA Menards Series, securing a well-deserved second place and leading 19 laps at Lime Rock Park. Day made the first of three scheduled appearances with Venturini Motorsports in ARCA competition, joining the field for the Lime Rock 100 at the famed 1.530-mile (2.462km) venue in Lakeville, Connecticut.
Day qualified fourth in the #25 JSSI Toyota Camry on Friday, highlighting the fact that he had a competitive package to challenge at the front of the 24-car field for Saturday’s 68-lap race.
As the race began, pole-sitting Thomas Annunziata and fellow front-row starter Brent Crews collided and spun at the first corner, after Annunziata received a push from Lawless Alan in the braking zone. Day avoided the incident, and was running third at the conclusion of the first lap, behind Alan and Brenden ‘Butterbean’ Queen.
The race’s first caution occurred on lap three, and as the field approached the restart, Day was on the inside of the second row alongside Dale Quarterley. Quarterley was too late on the brakes into the first turn, having to take evasive action by diving to the inside of Alan and Queen on the first row. Queen opened up his steering and ran wide, allowing the #25 to move up to second place.
After several laps lurking in the mirrors of race leader Lawless Alan, Day found his way to the inside on the run to the first corner at the start of lap 16. Day moved into first, and became the head of a six-car leading snake, slithering its way around Lime Rock. Three laps later, a second caution was declared owing to a two-car collision at the final corner.
The second restart of the race was smooth for Day, holding off Lawless Alan to retain the lead after a 2-by-2 rolling start. Day set about building an advantage, and was the fastest driver on the circuit as the scheduled mid-race break neared. At the end of lap 34 – as the mid-race break began – the four-time NASCAR Euro Series PRO champion had built a four-second lead.
All signs pointed in a positive direction for Day. During the mid-race break, ARCA teams have the opportunity to change tyres and make adjustments to the cars in a non-competitive environment, and must visit pit road. Unfortunately, a miscommunication saw Day complete an extra lap of the course under red flag conditions. Race officials penalised Day and sent the #25 Camry to the rear of the field, placing the car in 11th as the race restarted.
Crew chief Jamie Jones told Fox Sports: “It was just a language thing; a miscommunication. Just a mistake.”
Thomas Annunziata took the lead as the race restarted, while Day moved into tenth place during the first green flag lap at the expense of Mike Basham. Day continued his forward momentum, and soon found himself up to sixth place, before the caution flew once more in lap 48.
Thanks to a committed run through turn one, Day was up to fifth as the race sprang into life once more on lap 52. He would soon inherit another position, as Brent Crews launched too early on the front row, and served a drive-through penalty. Soon, Day began threatening Lawless Alan for third. A strong run out of the final corner allowed Day to claim the inside into turn one, and cleanly pass his Venturini teammate.
Now in clean air, Day was the fastest driver on-track, and was quickly reeling in second-placed Brenden Queen going into the final 10 laps. By the start of lap 66, Day was challenging for the position. Under pressure, Queen was too late on the brakes heading into turn one, and his car wheel-hopped wide onto the grass. Therefore, Day inherited second, where he would ultimately finish behind race winner Thomas Annunziata.
Referring to the miscommunication that cost him the race lead and a potential victory, Day told Fox Sports: “I need better English I guess! It’s hard to swallow. I really wanted that victory today, I felt it in my hands. I’m so sorry for everybody, I did what I could. It was a hard journey [to America], and I wanted to get a win. The JSSI car was so quick, and I’m thankful for the opportunity they gave me to compete here on American soil; I love racing in America. The Venturini guys did an amazing job!”
Day will rejoin the Venturini Motorsports team on July 11th, as the ARCA Menards West Series will compete at Sonoma Raceway ahead of NASCAR’s Xfinity and Cup Series races. Day’s final scheduled appearance in the #25 JSSI Toyota will be yet another chance to turn heads in front of NASCAR’s biggest paddocks, as the ARCA Menards Series races at Watkins Glen on August 8th.
Vargas finishes third on sophomore NASCAR Canada Appearance
After a long wait owing to a pair of cancelled events, 2024 NASCAR Euro Series regular Ryan Vargas made his second start in the NASCAR Canada Series for DJK Racing.
After debuting in the season-opening encounter at Canadian Tyre Motorsport Park’s road course, Saturday evening’s NASCAR Canada 300 at Riverside International Raceway was his first chance to join the field in oval competition.
Vargas started the 300 lap race at the 0.333-mile (0.536km) track from ninth position, but felt positive that his #28 Critical Path Security/Leargas Dodge Challenger could do more, as team boss and teammate D.J. Kennington started from pole.
The race was caution-heavy, and often defined by the strategy calls coming from the pit stall. However, the California native also had to make places on-track, and he did just that; he even earned the Gulf Race Fuels Move of The Race award for his overtaking efforts.
Ultimately, Vargas used his significant short Oval experience to show what he was capable of in the NASCAR Canada Series. He finished third, while teammate Kennington took the victory, and Will Larue claimed second place. Three-time series champion Andrew Ranger finished behind Vargas in fourth.
Vargas told NASCAR Canada: “It’s unbelievable. This is my first podium in the NASCAR Canada Series, and it means so much. D.J. Kennington’s team brought two great cars. I had a lot of learning to do, but once I got into a rhythm, my lap times were strong. It feels great to unload with a top-tier team and fight at the front.”
Vargas now sits sixth in the standings, and will be looking for more solid results at Edmonton International Raceway on July 12. Further NASCAR Euro Series representation will be seen in the series at the Trois-Rivières street circuit, as reigning NASCAR Euro Series PRO champion Vittorio Ghirelli joins the fray at GP3R on August 10th, in collaboration with Festidrag.tv and Rousseau Metal.
Strong results from NASCAR Europe competitors in North America are becoming ever-more commonplace. This serves as further proof of the strong connection between NASCAR’s global family of series, as well as the quality of the grid in Europe’s Pure Racing category, which returns on 30-31 August with the NASCAR GP Czech Republic at Autodrom Most.
Featured image by NASCAR Euro Series / Nina Weinbrenner
