<<<I AM SPEED>>>
<<<I AM SPEED>>>
How many laps are you doing?
<<<I AM SPEED>>>
Logan McQueen III storms to the pole and his first ARCA win at Rockingham
ARCA MENARDS SERIES RACE RECAP: Rockingham ARCA 125 — The Rock
The return to Rockingham Speedway delivered a classic afternoon of speed, grit, and redemption as the ARCA Menards Series took on the high banks for the Rockingham ARCA 125. Under cloudless Carolina skies, fans were treated to a showcase of raw talent, none more impressive than 19-year-old Logan “Lightning” McQueen III.
After blistering the field in qualifying with a 25.769-second lap to earn his first career pole position, McQueen’s No. 33 Peak Motorsports Chevrolet looked untouchable for much of the day. The Tennessee native launched off the start cleanly and quickly established control of the race, leading several laps before a pair of mid-race cautions bunched the field.
William Sawalich and Tyler Reif both took turns at the front during the middle of the race, trading paint with McQueen through Turns 1 and 2 in a tense three-way battle that defined the race. The trio distanced themselves from the pack, with Brenden Queen and Lawless Alan lurking just behind as the final 25 laps approached.
When the green flew after the last restart, McQueen found another gear. Using the high line to perfection, he powered around Reif with a few laps to go and managed to hold him off, just barely, crossing the line 0.535 seconds ahead of Reif and 0.879 seconds clear of Sawalich.
The victory marked not only McQueen’s first ARCA win but also the first victory in Peak Motorsports history, a milestone moment for the small independent team that builds its cars out of a converted machine shop a stone's throw from Bristol Motor Speedway.
“This one’s for my guys,” McQueen said on pit road, helmet still in hand. “We came here with something to prove, just heart and hard work. To sit on the pole and finish it off with a win, man, that’s everything we’ve dreamed about since we started this deal.”
The win capped a perfect weekend. Behind him, Reif and Sawalich each posted strong top-three finishes, while Queen, Alan, and Scott rounded out the top six. Further back, drivers such as Patrick Staropoli and Isabella Robusto continued their consistent runs as the series championship battle began to take shape.
For McQueen, the victory at The Rock was more than just his first ARCA win, it was a full-circle moment. It was here, at Rockingham Speedway, where he first turned heads in the ARCA Discovery Race last fall, charging from last on the grid to finish eighth in his ARCA car debut. That performance caught the attention of Peak Motorsports owner Darren Holt, who offered him a seat for the season shortly after. To return to the same track and dominate from the pole to the checkered flag wasn’t just poetic, it was proof of how far both driver and team had come in such a short time.
Official Results — Rockingham ARCA 125
| Pos | Car # | Driver | Manufacturer | Interval |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 33 | Logan McQueen III | Chevrolet | ---- |
| 2 | 23 | Tyler Reif | Chevrolet | +0.535s |
| 3 | 18 | William Sawalich | Toyota | +0.879s |
| 4 | 28 | Brenden Queen | Chevrolet | +4.372s |
| 5 | 20 | Lawless Alan | Toyota | +5.793s |
| 6 | 6 | Lavar Scott | Chevrolet | +9.863s |
| 7 | 15 | Patrick Staropoli | Toyota | +12.458s |
| 8 | 55 | Isabella Robusto | Toyota | +13.143s |
| 9 | 73 | Andy Jankowiak | Ford | +17.863s |
| 10 | 77 | Kyle Keller | Ford | +18.928s |
| 11 | 76 | Kole Raz | Ford | +20.798s |
| 12 | 79 | Isaac Kitzmiller | Chevrolet | +23.478s |
| 13 | 25 | Jake Finch | Toyota | +25.737s |
| 14 | 13 | Tanner Reif | Toyota | +1 Lap |
| 15 | 2 | Lanie Buice | Chevrolet | +1 Lap |
| 16 | 50 | Trevor Huddleston | Ford | +1 Lap |
| 17 | 97 | Jason Kitzmiller | Chevrolet | +1 Lap |
| 18 | 35 | Greg Van Alst | Ford | +1 Lap |
| 19 | 11 | Zachary Tinkle | Toyota | +1 Lap |
| 20 | 03 | Alex Clubb | Ford | +1 Lap |
| 21 | 5 | Eric Johnson Jr. | Toyota | +2 Laps |
| 22 | 9 | Cody Dennison | Toyota | +2 Laps |
| 23 | 39 | D.L. Wilson | Chevrolet | +2 Laps |
| 24 | 99 | Michael Maples | Chevrolet | +2 Laps |
| 25 | 48 | Brad Smith | Ford | +2 Laps |
| 26 | 12 | Takuma Koga | Toyota | +2 Laps |
| 27 | 05 | David Smith | Toyota | +2 Laps |
| 28 | 22 | Amber Balcaen | Toyota | +2 Laps |
| 29 | 31 | Rita Goulet | Toyota | +2 Laps |
| 30 | 06 | Brayton Laster | Toyota | +2 Laps |
| 31 | 19 | Jake Bollman | Chevrolet | +3 Laps |
| 32 | 95 | Hunter Wright | Toyota | +3 Laps |
| 33 | 93 | Caleb Costner | Chevrolet | +3 Laps |
| 34 | 86 | Brian Clubb | Ford | +3 Laps |
| 35 | 8 | Sean Corr | Chevrolet | +3 Laps |
| 36 | 66 | Presley Sorah | Ford | +3 Laps |
| 37 | 29 | Kyle Steckly | Ford | +3 Laps |
| 38 | 85 | Becca Monopoli | Toyota | +3 Laps |
| 39 | 10 | Ed Pompa | Ford | +3 Laps |
| 40 | 30 | Cleetus McFarland | Ford | +4 Laps |
Logan McQueen III — Rockingham ARCA 125
| Driver | Start | Finish | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Logan “Lightning” McQueen (#33) | 1 | 1 | 49 |
They Said It
Darren Holt, Owner – Peak Motorsports
“I’ve seen a lot of young drivers come and go, but Logan’s got something different. He listens, he learns fast, and he doesn’t back down when it matters. What he did today at The Rock wasn’t luck, it was heart, discipline, and belief in the people around him. If this team keeps building like we are, we won’t just be running up front, we’ll be setting the pace for the whole series.
Next Up: General Tire 200 at Talladega
<<<I AM SPEED>>>
ARCA MENARDS SERIES STANDINGS - Top 20
| Pos | Driver | Car # | Pts | Wins | Top 5s | Top 10s | Top 20s | Avg Start | Avg Finish | Laps Led | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | William Sawalich | 18 | 168 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2.8 | 3.8 | 19 | 2 |
| 2 | Brenden Queen | 28 | 162 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3.2 | 5.2 | 50 | 0 |
| 3 | Lavar Scott | 6 | 157 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 6.0 | 5.2 | 2 | 0 |
| 4 | Lawless Alan | 20 | 154 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 6.2 | 7.0 | 2 | 1 |
| 5 | Patrick Staropoli | 15 | 145 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 11.8 | 7.8 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Jake Finch | 25 | 143 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7.0 | 9.0 | 4 | 0 |
| 7 | Andy Jankowiak | 73 | 133 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 10.0 | 10.8 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Tyler Reif | 23 | 130 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 8.8 | 11.8 | 6 | 0 |
| 9 | Logan “Lightning” McQueen III | 33 | 128 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 20.8 | 14.0 | 31 | 1 |
| 10 | Isabella Robusto | 55 | 128 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 6.0 | 12.2 | 9 | 0 |
| 11 | Tanner Reif | 13 | 110 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 21.0 | 16.5 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Jason Kitzmiller | 97 | 110 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 11.5 | 16.8 | 1 | 0 |
| 13 | Zachary Tinkle | 11 | 108 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 18.8 | 17.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Greg Van Alst | 35 | 107 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 11.2 | 17.2 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Alex Clubb | 03 | 106 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 18.0 | 17.8 | 1 | 0 |
| 16 | Eric Johnson Jr. | 5 | 98 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 24.0 | 19.5 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Kole Raz | 76 | 91 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 17.5 | 21.2 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Rita Goulet | 31 | 89 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 26.8 | 21.8 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | D.L. Wilson | 39 | 85 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 25.0 | 22.8 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Kyle Keller | 77 | 81 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 23.0 | 23.8 | 0 | 0 |
<<<I AM SPEED>>>
how are we feeling about the update format?
<<<I AM SPEED>>>
I think it's perfect, what happened at Rockingham? Did it feel too easy?
<<<I AM SPEED>>>
Got that first win under your belt. Do it again.
I like the layout. It’s easy to follow.
Top 3 looked decently close but 4 & down stood no chance. 4 seconds behind
wtf Cletus shit the bed
I like the layout. It’s easy to follow.
Top 3 looked decently close but 4 & down stood no chance. 4 seconds behind
wtf Cletus shit the bed
<<<I AM SPEED>>>
Thanks.
It did seem a bit easy at Rockingham. I was surprised my time was good enough for the poll. Made some significant upgrades to the car, tried to offset with sliders but didn’t get it quite right. I do expect to run near the front now that the car is dialed. Assuming it will get more difficult in the higher series.
<<<I AM SPEED>>>
Always remember that first win.
Glad the layout is working.
Me, Reif and Sawalich traded 1st - 3rd a bunch in the closing minutes and I took it back near the end. They were both charging hard but I held them off.
Cletus hasn’t had a great season so far.