ARCA: Brad Smith becomes first repeat last-place finisher of 2025
by Ben Schneider / LASTCAR.info Staff Writer
Brad Smith finished last for the 23rd time in his ARCA Menards Series career in Saturday’s Lime Rock Park 100 when his No. 48 Gary’s Speed Shop Ford pulled behind the wall after 6 of 68 laps.
The finish came in Smith’s 451st career start.
Smith’s first last-place finish this season came in the ARCA / ARCA West combination race at Phoenix, where severe handling issues forced him behind the wall eight laps into the event. Smith then picked up another last-place finish at the ARCA East standalone race at Five Flags Speedway in what appeared to be a true “start-and-park” with virtually no explanation given for his DNF.
While Saturday’s race marked Smith’s third overall last-place finish of the 2025 season, it was only his second in the national ARCA Menards Series, which had previously seen eight different last-place finishers through the first eight races of the year. Smith’s team posted on Facebook that they currently do not have a road course specific car, making handling an issue once again and explaining why the team, in their words, “dropped out early.” The result gives Smith sole possession of the LASTCAR ARCA Menards Series Drivers’ Championship standings with a full race in hand as he holds the Bottom Ten tiebreaker over Nate Moeller and Trevor Ward.
In all, 24 cars appeared on the entry list. Smith anchored the field in qualifying, posting a lap time of 1:15.235. Moeller joined him on the last row of the grid - both drivers were beaten to 22nd by Clubb Racing’s Jeff Maconi, who fought through overheating issues in practice to pick up six seconds on his qualifying lap. Maconi would go on to run 28 laps in the race and finish 17th.
Following Smith up the running order was his closest competition for the LASTCAR championship lead - Moeller and Ward completed eight and nine laps respectively before parking their Fast Track Racing entries. Glen Reen then pulled behind the wall after 15 laps, right around the time a third Fast Track car, Ed Pompa, was caught up in an accident with Jason Kitzmiller that took both drivers out of the race. Pompa was left with 16 laps completed to Kitzmiller’s 17, giving him the final spot in the Bottom Five.
Eventual race winner Thomas Annunziata’s car sits in the grass after spinning from pole position at the start of the race. (SCREENSHOT: FS2)
Up front, Thomas Annunziata took his first ARCA victory in Nitro Motorsports’ No. 70 entry, though his win from pole position was hardly straightforward. An opening lap spin with Brent Crews after contact with Lawless Alan sent him to the back of the field, but the Nitro Motorsports driver was able to recover, reclaiming the lead on Lap 37 and never looking back. Israeli driver Alon Day looked to be in prime contention for the race win before a pit road penalty necessitated his own recovery drive through the field. Day eventually made it back to second place, while Alan rounded out the top three finishers.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
24) #48-Brad Smith / 6 laps / handling
23) #9-Nate Moeller / 8 laps / mechanical
22) #12-Trevor Ward / 9 laps / mechanical
21) #73-Glen Reen / 15 laps / mechanical
20) #10-Ed Pompa / 16 laps / accident
AUTHOR’S NOTE: While the collaborative effort from Jeff Smith’s Berlin last-place finish used Fast Track Racing owner points, it was primarily a Brad Smith Motorsports entry. For the sake of consistency with ARCA’s standings, Fast Track has been credited with the last-place finish in our standings below.
2025 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES OWNERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP (After Race 9 of 20)
1st) Fast Track Racing (3)
2nd) Brad Smith Motorsports (2)
3rd) CCM Racing, Wayne Peterson Racing, Kimmel Racing, Clubb Racing Inc. (1)
2025 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES MANUFACTURERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP (After Race 9 of 20)
1st) Ford (6)
2nd) Toyota (3)
AUTHOR’S NOTE: Click HERE throughout the 2025 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.
2025 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP (After Race 9 of 20)
