ARCA WEST: Ray Bolinger’s oval debut shortened by mechanical trouble
by Ben Schneider / LASTCAR.info Staff Writer
PHOTO: @ofoxu48, X/Twitter
Ray Bolinger finished last for the 1st time in his ARCA Menards Series West career in Saturday’s NAPA Auto Parts 150 at All American Speedway when his No. 38 Grit at the Mill Toyota fell out with mechanical and suspension issues after 27 of 150 laps.
The finish came in Bolinger’s second career ARCA West start.
Bolinger is an Idaho native who has competed in weekly series at local tracks in the state, including Meridian Speedway, which hosted the West Series from 2015 to 2019. Now at 63 years old, the veteran driver has partnered with Kart Idaho Racing to run the second half of the ARCA West schedule in preparation for the 2027 season. His debut came last month at Portland International Raceway, where he was the second retirement from the race following Josiah Reaume.
On Saturday, Bolinger ran many more laps than he was able to complete in Portland, but still found himself behind the wall 27 laps into the race. A fan in attendance noted Bolinger’s engine “sounded strange while downshifting” along with an apparent suspension issue.
In total, 19 cars appeared on the entry list. Of these 19, only 17 recorded a qualifying time, with Bolinger’s lap of 15.474 seconds putting him 17th in the starting lineup. Ian Wood, Bolinger’s Kart Idaho Racing teammate, and Mia Lovell lined up 18th and 19th respectively after not running a lap during the session.
Lovell’s race was also short-lived, as she was the next driver behind the wall, parking her Nitro Motorsports Toyota after an accident damaged her car’s radiator. Mason Massey made it 87 laps before the engine let go on his Bill McAnally Racing Chevrolet, while Joey Iest parked his entry after 104 laps due to mechanical issues of his own. Rounding out the Bottom Five was Kenna Mitchell, who saw her bid for a Top Five in the ARCA race ended with brake failure, but highlighted her weekend with an All American Speedway track championship in the weekly NASCAR Local Racing Series.
Ethan Nascimento scored an upset victory at the front of the field, passing defending series champion Trevor Huddleston on the final lap to take his first career win in a photo finish. Hailie Deegan followed close behind Nascimento and Huddleston to place third, equalling her best finish of the 2026 season.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
19) #38-Ray Bolinger / 27 laps / mechanical/suspension
18) #15-Mia Lovell / 28 laps / crash/radiator
17) #19-Mason Massey / 87 laps / mechanical/engine
16) #88-Joey Iest / 104 laps / mechanical
15) #13-Kenna Mitchell / 119 laps / mechanical/brakes
2026 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES WEST OWNERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP (After Race 9 of 13)
1st) Strike Mamba Racing (3)
2nd) Rise Racing with Earnhardt-Shearer Racing, Central Coast Racing, Shockwave Motorsports, Performance P-1 Motorsports, Nascimento Motorsports, Kart Idaho Racing (1)
2026 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES WEST MANUFACTURERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP (After Race 9 of 13)
1st) Toyota (5)
2nd) Chevrolet (4)
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 WEST DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP (After Race 9 of 13)
