ARCA: Jeff Smith finishes last again as Fast Track partnership continues
by Ben Schneider / LASTCAR.info Staff Writer
Jeff Smith finished last in Saturday’s Berlin ARCA 200 at Berlin Raceway when his No. 01 Gary’s Speed Shop Ford pulled behind the wall after 2 of 200 laps.
The finish came in Smith’s fourth career start in the national ARCA Menards Series and his sixth overall ARCA-sanctioned start.
As he did at Flat Rock last month, Jeff Smith used the Brad Smith Motorsports team’s second car in a gentleman’s agreement with Andy Hillenburg’s Fast Track Racing. Brad piloted his usual No. 48, while Jeff’s entry was again rebadged to No. 01 with Michelle Hillenburg as the listed owner. By starting the race and completing two laps, Hillenburg’s No. 01 team was credited with a 24th-place finish and 20 points for their Owners’ Championship entry.
In total, 24 cars appeared on the entry list. The Smith brothers locked out the last row in qualifying, though it was Jeff who got the upper hand over Brad, running a lap of 21.453 seconds to Brad’s 22.715. While Jeff performed his start-and-park obligations as expected, Brad once again was able to go the distance, managing a 15th-place finish despite being plagued with electrical gremlins during the race break.
Following Jeff Smith up the running order were two drivers making their first ARCA national starts of their careers. Trevor Ward, who finished 14th in the ARCA East race at Flat Rock, pulled his own Fast Track Racing car behind the wall after he spun and brought out the first caution, retiring his entry with seven laps completed. Michael Clayton made his ARCA-sanctioned debut, but his night was also short-lived, as he brought his car to the garage after just 12 laps. Finally, longtime ARCA veterans Don Thompson and Dale Shearer returned to the track, pulling off after 24 and 26 laps respectively to round out the Bottom Five. Thompson’s result left Fast Track with three of final four finishing positions. Their other two drivers, Matt Kemp and Tony Cosentino, finished ninth and 16th respectively, with Cosentino’s entry being the ninth and final DNF in a race of high attrition.
Up front, 2023 NASCAR Canada Series champion Treyten Lapcevich led every lap from pole position for Nitro Motorsports, driving the team’s renumbered No. 70 entry to Victory Lane ahead of Max Reaves and Lawless Alan. Lapcevich’s win comes less than a week after it was announced Thad Moffitt would be scaling back to a part-time schedule, vacating his No. 46 following a “partner withdrawal.”
THE BOTTOM FIVE
24) #01-Jeff Smith / 2 laps / quit (mechanical)
23) #12-Trevor Ward / 7 laps / spun off
22) #5-Michael Clayton / 12 laps / quit (mechanical)
21) #9-Don Thompson / 24 laps / mechanical
20) #98-Dale Shearer / 26 laps / mechanical
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 7 of 20)
1st) Fast Track Racing (2)
2nd) CCM Racing, Brad Smith Motorsports, Wayne Peterson Racing, Kimmel Racing, Clubb Racing Inc. (1)
2025 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES MANUFACTURERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP (After Race 7 of 20)
1st) Ford (5)
2nd) Toyota (2)
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 7 of 20)
