Jake Bollman narrowly missed the 2026 ARCA Menard’s Series title, with teammate Thomas Annunziata keeping the championship fight alive within 16 points after a single late‑race collision.
Championship clash thaws early
The 100‑lap opener started with an unexpected clash on Lap 16, when the leading pair met the back‑marker side by side. Bollman’s shallow entry sent him into the split corner, forcing the No. 20 and No. 69 cars into a side‑by‑side slide that left Annunziata spinning round the track.
Payback and team pressure
Just eight laps later, Annunziata capitalised on an opening, brushing Bollman’s bumper on the frontstretch and sending the other driver back into the spare lane. The team warned that further contact could jeopardise the No. 70’s future at the track.
Bollman’s wreck and repair scramble
When Will Kimmel spun, Bollman, already vulnerable, ramming the sliding No. 69 front‑end, smashed into the rear and crumpled the side of the car. Austin Vaughn hit the incident a second time, delivering a catastrophic door impact that left the No. 20 totaled. Bollman’s championship hopes were still alive, but it faded while the crew laboured to patch the wound.
Late‑race recovery and record‑sharing
Annunziata managed a seventh‑place finish that preserved the 16‑point advantage required to overtake Bollman. As the field regrouped after a caution with 25 laps to go, Bollman reclaimed position 22, and later climbed to 21 after knocking an off‑track competitor forward.
Final restart and title decider
With thirteen laps left, another caution prompted a restart where Annunziata, having pitted for setup work, surged from ninth to fifth, passing Andy Jankowiak. Both drivers concluded the race in the same points total, but Annunziata won the tiebreaker thanks to a July triumph at Lime Rock Park.
Carson Brown captured the overall victory, passing Gio Ruggiero with only a handful of laps remaining to finish the 2026 season with back‑to‑back wins.
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