ARCA: Two ‘DNS’ rulings hand Brad Smith last place among Lime Rock starters
by Ben Schneider / LASTCAR.info Staff Writer
ALL PHOTOS: @robbygordonfan7, X/Twitter
Brad Smith finished last for the 27th time in his ARCA Menards Series career in Friday’s Lime Rock Park ARCA 100 when his No. 48 Hillman Family of Companies Ford fell out with mechanical issues after 1 of 68 laps.
The finish came in Smith’s 474th career ARCA start.
Like Smith’s first appearance on this site in 2026 at Watkins Glen, his most recent last-place finish came on a road course. With limited resources and the lack of a road course-specific chassis, it has not been uncommon for Smith’s team to conserve their equipment and “start-and-park” such events on the ARCA schedule. As the team’s main objective is to maintain their full-time status for championship points bonuses, which in turn leads to a higher end-of-season payout, Smith again turned only one lap on Friday before pulling behind the wall, ruled out with a “mechanical” issue. The result also moves Smith into the lead of the 2026 LASTCAR ARCA Menards Series Drivers’ Championship on a Bottom Five tiebreaker, as Nate Moeller and John Clagett are the only other drivers to finish last in two races so far this season.
Jeff Maconi’s No. 86 remains in the garage while Ed Pompa’s No. 10 leaves pit road during practice.
A total of 29 cars appeared on the entry list - due to issues that left two entries unable to start the race, only 27 took the green flag. Clubb Racing Inc.’s stretch of issues with the car Jeff Maconi planned to race continued on Friday, as engine issues prevented him from joining the race grid. Ed Pompa’s Fast Track Racing entry also failed to start the event after stalling in practice. Maconi and Pompa were credited with 29th and 28th place points, respectively
Joining Smith behind the wall was Corey Aiken, whose car suffered a rear gear failure, bringing out the first caution on Lap 12. The final car running was Isabella Robusto, whose horrid luck in 2026 continued as she lost 18 total laps in the pits while her pit crew worked on a fuel pump issue. Rounding out the Bottom Five were Nate Moeller and Michael Maples, who completed 59 and 60 laps respectively.
Up front, Thomas Annunziata held off veteran driver Andrew Ranger to score his second career ARCA win, his first coming at last year’s Lime Rock race. Annunziata and Nitro Motorsports had originally planned on running a tribute throwback scheme to Kyle Busch’s M&M’s NASCAR Cup Series car, but the paint scheme was scrapped due to an approval timeline that “didn’t work out.” Annunziata also appeared to be a threat for the win in Saturday’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, but ended up in the Bottom Five due to an engine fire on his No. 1 TRICON Garage Toyota.
DID NOT START
29) #86-Jeff Maconi
28) #10-Ed Pompa
THE BOTTOM FIVE
27) #48-Brad Smith / 1 lap / quit/mechanical
26) #19-Corey Aiken / 10 laps / rear gear/mechanical
25) #55-Isabella Robusto / 50 laps / running
24) #06-Nate Moeller / 59 laps / running
23) #99-Michael Maples / 60 laps / running
2026 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES OWNERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP (After Race 12 of 20)
1st) Maples Motorsports, Fast Track Racing, Brad Smith Motorsports (2)
2nd) Ryan Huff Motorsports, Rise Racing with Earnhardt-Shearer Racing, Costner Motorsports, White Motorsports, MBM Motorsports, Clubb Racing Inc. (1)
2026 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES MANUFACTURERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP (After Race 12 of 20)
1st) Chevrolet, Ford (5)
2nd) Toyota (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 12 of 20)
