ARCA: Bobby Dale Earnhardt’s late start hands Watkins Glen’s last-place finish to Brad Smith
by Ben Schneider / LASTCAR.info Staff Writer
Despite missing the start, Bobby Dale Earnhardt’s No. 89 Chevrolet completed 15 laps on Friday, handing the last-place finish to Brad Smith’s No. 48. (PHOTO: Nick Seiter)
Brad Smith finished last for the 26th time in his ARCA Menards Series career in Friday’s General Tire 100 at Watkins Glen International when his No. 48 Gary’s Speed Shop Ford fell out with mechanical issues after 3 of 41 laps.
The finish came in Smith’s 467th career ARCA national start.
Smith’s last appearance on this site came at the last ARCA race at Watkins Glen, which was held just last August. That race marked Smith’s fourth last-place finish of the 2025 season, enough to clinch the LASTCAR ARCA Menards Series Drivers’ Championship for the second consecutive year. His 2025 season did end on a positive note, however, as Smith and his team went the distance at the season finale at Toledo, running the full race and bringing their car home in 18th place.
This year at The Glen, 33 cars in total appeared on the entry list. At the beginning of the race, it appeared only 32 would take the green flag, as Bobby Dale Earnhardt crashed in practice, leaving his start in question. When the green flag was waved shortly after 1:45 p.m. EDT, Earnhardt had not joined the grid for the race start. Shortly after 2:00 p.m., however, his No. 89 emerged from the garage and reentered the track, though the driver’s struggles were not over as his hood flew up, blocking his windshield and forcing him back into the pits. Despite this, Earnhardt carried on.
With Smith not planning to run the full race because his team lacked a car with a road-course setup, the No. 48 pulled behind the wall after just three laps. Earnhardt eventually passed Smith by completing four laps, then continued to move up the results sheet in the closing laps. By completing his 15th lap as the leaders finished their final one, Earnhardt passed Dystany Spurlock, clinching 28th place and keeping the Rise Racing team outside of the Bottom Five. Earnhardt’s 15 laps were the fewest completed so far this season by a car listed as running at the finish.
Following Smith up the running order was Craig Pellegrini Jr., who joined Smith in the garage shortly after the start of the race. Nate Moeller also had a short afternoon, only running nine laps, though he and Pellegrini were both in good spirits in their Facebook posts following the race. A faulty oil pump forced Isaac Kitzmiller into the garage after 10 laps, just one more than Moeller was able to run. Rounding out the Bottom Five was Spurlock, who ran in the top 15 before a rear axle seal failure ended her afternoon.
Up front, Kaden Honeycutt took his first of two victories at the Glen this past weekend, leading 29 laps on his way to his first national ARCA victory just hours before he’d score his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
33) #48-Brad Smith / 3 laps / quit (mechanical)
32) #01-Craig Pellegrini Jr. / 5 laps / quit (mechanical)
31) #06-Nate Moeller / 9 laps / mechanical
30) #79-Isaac Kitzmiller / 10 laps / mechanical
29) #66-Dystany Spurlock / 14 laps / rear axle seal (mechanical)
2026 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES OWNERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP (After Race 5 of 20)
1st) Ryan Huff Motorsports, Rise Racing with Earnhardt-Shearer Racing, Maples Motorsports, Costner Motorsports, Brad Smith Motorsports (1)
2026 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES MANUFACTURERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP (After Race 5 of 20)
1st) Chevrolet (3)
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 5 of 20)
