It’s rare when a 1-2 finish can produce celebrations from two different drivers.
Ty Gibbs collected his sixth ARCA Menards Series win of the season in the Sioux Chief PowerPEX 200 at Memphis International Raceway, but it was runner-up Sam Mayer who was also in a joyous mood as he wrapped up the Sioux Chief Showdown championship.
Gibbs’ No. 18 Monster/Terrible Herbst/ORACLE Toyota finished .662 seconds ahead of Mayer.
Mayer, though, finished five points ahead of Gibbs in the Sioux Chief Showdown — a 10-race series designed to bring the best of the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East and West together.
Mayer, who became the youngest national or touring series champion in NASCAR history with his East title last year, added an ARCA trophy to his collection. He can make it two in October, as he holds a 26-point lead over Gibbs in the ARCA Menards Series East standings with one race remaining.
Gibbs holds the edge, 6-5, in wins in the ARCA Menards Series. For the second straight week, he was fastest in practice, won the General Tire Pole Award and then won the race. Gibbs has three wins, a second, a third and a fourth in his last six series’ starts.
The three races he didn’t win? Mayer did.
Bret Holmes finished third in a race he led a race-high 135 laps. However, he lost the lead to Gibbs on the restart following the Lap 150 break, and eventually second place to Mayer.
Holmes, however, does leave Memphis with the ARCA Menards Series championship points lead by two over Michael Self with two races remaining. Holmes’ bonus points for leading the most laps combined with his finish and Self’s sixth-place pushed him back in front.
Thad Moffitt and Chandler Smith finished fourth and fifth, right in front of Self, in a three-way battle on the final lap.
Hailie Deegan, Drew Dollar, Taylor Gray and Kris Wright completed the top 10.
The ARCA Menards Series heads to the Springfield Mile at the Illinois State Fairgrounds on Sunday, Oct. 4 for the Illinois Truck & Equipment Allen Crowe 100. The race will be at 3 p.m. and air live on MAVTV and stream live on TrackPass on NBC Gold.
— ARCA Racing —
