Bill McAnally Racing rookie drivers Lawless Alan and Gio Scelzi battled down to the wire on Friday to notch top-10 finishes in the ARCA Menards Series Sioux Chief Showdown event at Phoenix Raceway.
Alan finished ninth in the No. 12 AUTOParkit / NGK Toyota Camry, with Scelzi taking 10th in the No. 16 NAPA AUTO PARTS / Curb Records Toyota Camry.
Alan started 18th on the grid and steadily worked his way forward, getting to 12th by the midway point. He battled through much of the race to break into the top 10, before getting to ninth in the final 25 laps.
Scelzi came from the 17th starting spot and was moving up, but tangled with the wall in an incident in the first 50 laps. His crew made quick repairs and he began to battle back from 20th. He made steady progression through the field, getting into the top 10 in the final laps.
The race did not go as well for their BMR teammates, Jesse Love and Gracie Trotter, who are also rookies in the series. Love started seventh and was battling for a possible top-five finish when contact from another car put him into the wall, just six laps from the checkered flag. He ended up 16th.
Trotter saw a good performance come to an end early, with mechanical trouble on Lap 63. After starting 13th on the field, she had made her way to the top 10, before the engine erupted. She was credited with finishing 22nd.
The BMR drivers are set to run the full schedule this year in the ARCA Menards Series West. Friday’s event was aimed at providing them with experience at Phoenix in their preparation for the ARCA West championship race there in November
ARCA Menards Series Sioux Chief Showdown Event:
Race: General Tire 150, March 6, 2020
Location: Phoenix Raceway, Avondale, Ariz. (1-mile oval)
BMR Drivers:
Gio Scelzi
No. 16 NAPA AUTO PARTS / Curb Records Toyota Camry
Age: 18
Hometown: Fresno, Calif.
Practice: 17th
Qualified: 17th
Finished: 10th (Running, completed 150 of 150 laps)
Lawless Alan
No. 12 AUTOParkit / NGK Toyota Camry
Age: 20
Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
Practice: 16th
Qualified: 18th
Finished: 9th (Running, completed 150 of 150 laps)
Jesse Love
No. 19 NAPA Power Premium Plus Toyota Camry
Age: 15
Hometown: Menlo Park, Calif.
Practice: 6th
Qualified: 7th
Finished: 16th (Accident, completed 144 of 150 laps)
Laps led:
Gracie Trotter
No. 99 ENEOS Toyota Camry
Age: 18
Hometown: Denver, N.C.
Practice: 15th
Qualified: 13th
Finished: 2nd (Engine, completed 63 of 150 laps)
Race winner: Chandler Smith
Next Race:
ARCA Menards Series West – ENEOS 150 presented by NAPA AUTO PARTS, March 28, 2020, Irwindale Speedway, Irwindale, Calif. (half-mile oval).
Bill McAnally Racing PR
