ARCA / ARCA EAST: Crew chief Kenna Long earns first opportunity as a driver at Toledo
by Ben Schneider / LASTCAR.info Staff Writer
PHOTO: Maples Motorsports / Facebook
Kenna Long finished last for the 1st time in her ARCA Menards Series career in Saturday’s Owens Corning 200 at Toledo Speedway when her #1 Maples Motorsports Chevrolet fell out with mechanical issues after 9 of 200 laps.
The finish came in Long’s ARCA debut.
Long is currently a student at the University of Northwestern Ohio (UNOH), who initially joined the Maples Motorsports team as a tire specialist. She has since worked her way up to the positions of car chief and crew chief, and on Saturday, Long was given the opportunity to add “driver” to her stock car racing résumé. While her entry was a planned “start-and-park,” Frontstretch’s Mark Kristl reported before the race, “Maples Motorsports personnel attest she has earned this opportunity, even if she’s only running a few laps.”
This was also the second time this season that a part-time crew chief has taken the green flag as driver of the No. 1 Maples Motorsports Chevrolet which also resulted in a last-place finish. Nate Moeller previously drove the entry at Kansas, though on that occasion, his crew chiefing duties were for Wayne Peterson Racing and Brayton Laster rather than another Maples Motorsports entry. Although John Szulczewski was listed as Austin Vaughn’s crew chief for Toledo, Long had previously been in that role for the previous three races, and the FS1 broadcast appeared to indicate that Long would be joining Vaughn’s pit box once she pulled behind the wall.
While a Toledo Speedway Facebook post advertised a field of 30 cars, only 28 appeared on the final entry list, with Kevin Campbell’s No. 81 and Toby Blanton’s No. 00 absent. Of those 28, 27 made a qualifying attempt. Long’s qualifying time placed her on the final row of the starting grid alongside Isabella Robusto, whose Nitro Motorsports Toyota suffered an engine failure in practice. The time required to make the engine change prevented Robusto from participating in the qualifying session, forcing her to start 28th. Despite this challenge, she quickly worked her way through the field and into the Top Ten, ultimately finishing sixth.
Joining Long behind the wall was Matt Kemp, who pulled off track after 20 laps. Long’s Maples Motorsports teammates, Michael Maples and Austin Vaughn, lost brakes and oil pressure, respectively, leaving them 26th and 24th. Splitting the pair in 25th was Jackson McLerran, whose car lost pace at least twice and went behind the wall after 63 laps.
At the front of the field, Tristan McKee led all but the first six laps to take the win, his third in four East Series races this season and the second national ARCA win of his career. Polesitter Max Reaves led the first six laps, but spun on Lap 8 after cutting a tire while battling for the lead. He worked his way back to the front of the field before fading again in the closing laps, finishing two laps down in 11th place.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
28) #1-Kenna Long / 9 laps / mechanical
27) #11-Matt Kemp / 20 laps / mechanical
26) #99-Michael Maples / 50 laps / mechanical
25) #95-Jackson McLerran / 63 laps / mechanical
24) #19-Austin Vaughn / 74 laps / mechanical
2026 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES OWNERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP (After Race 6 of 20)
1st) Maples Motorsports (2)
2nd) Ryan Huff Motorsports, Rise Racing with Earnhardt-Shearer Racing, Costner Motorsports, Brad Smith Motorsports (1)
2026 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES MANUFACTURERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP (After Race 6 of 20)
1st) Chevrolet (4)
2nd) Ford (2)
AUTHOR’S NOTE: Click HERE throughout the 2026 ARCA season to view the full drivers’ standings for both the ARCA Menards Series and its East and West divisions. You can also find the manufacturers’ and owners’ standings for all three series HERE.
2026 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP (After Race 6 of 20)
2026 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES EAST OWNERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP (After Race 4 of 8)
1st) Tim Monroe Racing, Fast Track Racing, Wayne Peterson Racing, Maples Motorsports (1)
2026 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES EAST MANUFACTURERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP (After Race 4 of 8)
1st) Ford (2)
2nd) Toyota, Chevrolet (1)
2026 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES EAST DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP (After Race 4 of 8)
