The ARCA national tour ended its season at Toledo a month ago, but there was still an ARCA West Series race for Sammy Smith to go out and win on Friday of NASCAR’s championship weekend.
The Johnston, Iowa native came from a lap down to earn the victory and was effectively the fastest car on the race track.
“We had a good car all day,” Smith said on the FloRacing broadcast. It’s a shame what happened (with the penalty). I feel like we had the best car today and it sucks what happened, but thanks to (my team) for a fast car.”
Sammy Smith was penalized 1 lap for "rough driving" in today's #ARCAWest season finale.
Do you agree with the call?
🎥 @ARCA_Racing / @FloRacing pic.twitter.com/jTwZqYhKJV
— Always Race Day (@AlwaysRaceDay) November 4, 2022
“I feel like he was running me tight and putting it on my door,” Smith said on the broadcast. “I got a little bit free and kind of washed up into him and then I felt like I was still there and he kind of came down. I wasn’t going to get used up by him. I feel like I’ve been used up by him a couple of times this year. It wasn’t going to happen again.”
Smith will make his ninth NASCAR Xfinity Series start on Saturday in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Toyota in the car he is expected to race full-time in for the 2023 Xfinity Series season.
Jake Drew captured the ARCA West points championship coming home with four wins and a perfect 11-for-11 mark in top 10 finishes over the season, with all but one coming as top 5’s.
