Erik Jones Leads Final ARCA Racing Series Practice at Lucas Oil Raceway

After practice was able to start following a rain shower, it’d be 15-year-old Erik Jones topping the charts in final practice late in the session at Lucas Oil Raceway. The rookie Venturini Motorsports driver lapped the 0.686-mile oval in 22.217 seconds in his No. 55 Chevrolet. Jones became the youngest driver to start an ARCA race earlier this year after ARCA changed the minimum age from 16 to 15.

Jones’ Venturini Motorsports teammate Brennan Poole was second, 0.026 seconds behind. Poole is looking for a good run to get himself back in the points lead as he currently sits 35 points behind Chris Buescher.  Clay Rogers was third, followed by Matt Lofton and Venturini’s Kevin Swindell. Swindell was last week’s race winner at Chicagoland Speedway, adding to Venturini’s 30th Anniversary ceremonies that took place throughout the weekend.

Mason Mitchell was sixth, followed by Chad Hackenbracht. Hackenbracht had led the charts in the first sesssion earlier today and was leading the charts before the rain delay in the second session.

Rain cut the first practice short by 15 minutes and then cut the second practice short by half of the 45 minutes allowed. Whether it will have an effect on the race tonight is yet to be seen.

Nine-time ARCA champion Frank Kimmel was eighth ahead of ThorSport Racing teammate Matt Crafton. Mason Mingus rounded out the top 10. Points leader Chris Buescher was 16th.

It was Hackenbracht topping the charts in the first session earlier in the day at a lap of 22.655 seconds, followed by Jones, Kimmel, Poole and Rogers. Buescher was sixth in that session.

Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell will start at 6 p.m. and set the field for tonight’s Messina Wildlife Animal Stopper 200 presented by Federated Car Care. The race will air at 9 p.m. on SPEED.

Practice 2