ARCA: Brake failure hands Dystany Spurlock an early DNF at Pocono
by Ben Schneider / LASTCAR.info Staff Writer
Dystany Spurlock finished last for the 1st time in her ARCA Menards Series career in Friday’s Sunset Hill Shooting Range 150 at Pocono Raceway when her No. 66 Foxxtecca Ford fell out with crash damage after 3 of 60 laps.
The finish came in Spurlock’s fourth career national ARCA Menards Series start and her sixth ARCA-sanctioned start overall.
Spurlock’s story was first chronicled on this site last month at Dover Motor Speedway, when she made her NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut with Carl Long’s Motorsports Business Management team. The one-mile concrete oval lived up to its reputation as one of the toughest tracks on the schedule for any driver, let alone one making their national NASCAR series debut, and Spurlock’s race unfortunately came to an end after 36 laps due to a crash on the backstretch.
Spurlock’s ARCA career, however, has already seen its share of highlights. Continuing with MBM Motorsports following an impressive seventh-place run at the ARCA East season-opener at Hickory, she then made her national ARCA debut with Long’s team, finishing 10th at Kansas and 13th at Michigan. On Friday, Spurlock qualified 12th, right in the middle of the 24-car field, with an updated Foxxtecca paint scheme commemorating Juneteenth. Unfortunately, her race would be even shorter-lived than her Truck Series debut. While Spurlock reported in an interview with FS1’s Amanda Busick that her car had no brakes going into Turn 1, Racing-Reference listed “crash” as the official reason for her DNF.
Spurlock’s No. 66 limps back to pit road, passing Bobby Dale Earnhardt’s damaged No. 89 in turn 3. (SCREENSHOT: FS1)
Joining Spurlock behind the wall was Bobby Dale Earnhardt, whose own accident in Turn 3 was the cause of the first caution flag of the day. ARCA journeyman Brad Smith brought his trademark No. 48 Ford home in 22nd, pulling off after seven laps due to “minor transmission issues.” Following in 21st was Michigan last-place finisher Nick White, while rounding out the Bottom Five was Fast Track Racing’s Dustin Hillenburg in an apparent “start-and-park.”
At the front of the field, Gio Ruggiero won yet again in Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 Toyota, taking the lead on Lap 8 and only briefly surrendering it to Ryan Vargas for two laps under caution. Ruggerio’s margin of victory over Gavan Boschele was 14.342 seconds. Carson Brown followed Boschele home in third, while Jake Bollman and polesitter Lanie Buice rounded out the Top Five.
Ryan Vargas withdraws full-season ARCA effort
The biggest mover of the race was Ryan Vargas, who finished 10th after starting 21st. Despite currently sitting third in ARCA drivers’ point standings, Vargas announced Monday on social media that he will be suspending his pursuit of an ARCA championship with Maples Motorsports. Vargas explained that this was a business decision that came down to funding, though he also confirmed that he will continue to make sporadic starts throughout the rest of the 2026 season.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
24) #66-Dystany Spurlock / 3 laps / accident
23) #89-Bobby Dale Earnhardt / 4 laps / accident
22) #48-Brad Smith / 7 laps / overheating
21) #22-Nick White / 12 laps / mechanical
20) #11-Dustin Hillenburg / 14 laps / quit (mechanical)
2026 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES OWNERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP (After Race 8 of 20)
1st) Maples Motorsports (2)
2nd) Ryan Huff Motorsports, Rise Racing with Earnhardt-Shearer Racing, Costner Motorsports, Brad Smith Motorsports, White Motorsports, MBM Motorsports (1)
2026 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES MANUFACTURERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP (After Race 8 of 20)
1st) Chevrolet (5)
2nd) Ford (3)
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 8 of 20)
