Two drivers entered the season finale at Kansas Speedway on Friday with an opportunity to claim the 2020 ARCA Menards Series championship. Entering the season finale event at the 1.5-mile Kansas oval, Bret Holmes led the driver standings by eight points over Michael Self.
Bret Holmes started the evening second on the starting grid and took the lead from pole sitter Ty Gibbs on the opening lap. The Alabama native went on to lead the first 18 circuits of the event before Corey Heim took the top spot.
Despite losing the lead, Holmes stayed inside the top three all race long to finish second and claim the 2020 ARCA Menards Series title.
“The two things I’ve ever wanted was for my friends and family to be proud of me in racing and for my team to have the same respect as the others,” said Holmes celebrating the championship. “We’ve worked a long time for this. There’s been many times I’ve thought about quitting.”
How will Bret Holmes celebrate winning the championship later Friday night?
“I think I’m gonna go back to the hotel for a little bit and go to the casino,” Holmes joked to the media afterwards. “I may lose all my money, I may gain some, but I’m gonna have fun either way!”
Michael Self battled an intermittent fuel pick-up issue early and slid a lap down in his No. 25 Toyota. Self stayed out as the issue subsided on it’s own and received the free pass under the first of two scheduled breaks at lap 30.
Self, from Salt Lake City, Utah, went on to finish fifth.
While Bret Holmes claimed the championship, Corey Heim scored his first career ARCA Menards Series victory at Kansas Speedway. Heim started ninth on the leaderboard in his No. 10 Craftsman Toyota.
“Just really surreal right now,” Heim told FS1 after the race. “Kevin Jr. did an awesome job of dialing me in. We were a little loose throughout the race but I couldn’t have asked for more on that last run.”
Heim, in his 15th career ARCA start, scored his 10th top five and 15th top 10 finish.
Derek Griffith rounded out the top three finishers on Friday at Kansas Speedway, piloting the No. 22 Original Gourmet Lollipops Ford. The driver from New Hampshire scored his second top five and seventh top 10 finish through eight starts.
Dylan Lupton sat fourth at the checkered flag.
Rounding out the top 10 included Hailie Deegan, Kris Wright, Drew Dollar, Scott Melton and Eric Caudell.
Ty Gibbs spent 40 laps in the garage area to repair a mechanical issue surrounding the right rear of the No. 18 Toyota. Gibbs, winner of six races in 2020, finished 14th on the leaderboard.
The ARCA Menards Series will take an offseason hiatus before returning in February at Daytona. Check SpeedwayDigest.com periodically throughout the offseason for the latest updates.
About Me: Brett has been following the sport of NASCAR since the beginning of the 2006 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. Since Brett was 13, he has had a passion of chasing a job in sports that not many get the opportunity of doing. He has been in the NASCAR media since the middle of the 2010 season. Since then, he has been a part of many racing podcast shows to improve his talents. He has written for racingonfuel.com and theracingwheel.com. Currently, Brett writes for motorsportsnat.com and TracksideChatter.com. You can find him on twitter @NASCAR_Brett.
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