The 2023 Menards 250 was the 7th stock car race of the 2023 ARCA Menards Series season, and the 8th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, June 24, 2023, in Elko New Market, Minnesota at Elko Speedway, a 0.375 mile (0.604 km) permanent oval shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 250 laps to complete. In a wild and controversial race that had an exciting battle between Jesse Love and William Sawalich, Jesse Love, driving for Venturini Motorsports, would hold off a fast-charging Sawalich in the final 20 laps of the race to earn his sixth career ARCA Menards Series win, and his fourth of the season. Love dominated the entire race as well, leading 235 of the 250 laps. Sawalich, who started on pole, led 15 laps of the race until getting spun by Sean Hingorani on lap 150. To fill out the podium, Sawalich, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, and Hingorani, driving for Venturini Motorsports, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
Background Elko Speedway, is a 3/8 mile asphalt oval NASCAR-sanctioned race track located in Elko New Market, Minnesota. Elko Speedway is a track in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series. The track is located in the former Elko portion of the merged city.
Entry list
(R) denotes rookie driver.
#DriverTeamMakeSponsor01Davey CallihanFast Track RacingToyotaCW Metals2Andrés Pérez de Lara (R)Rev RacingChevroletMax Siegel Inc.03Casey CardenClubb Racing Inc.FordClubb Racing Inc.06A. J. MoyerWayne Peterson RacingToyotaRiver's Edge Cottages & Park10Willie MullinsFast Track RacingFordCW Metals11Bryce HaugebergFast Track RacingFordHaugeberg Farms, UTI12Ryan RouletteFast Track RacingFordVFW, Bellator Recruiting Academy15Sean HingoraniVenturini MotorsportsToyotaYahoo!, Mobil 118William SawalichJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaStarkey, SoundGear20Jesse LoveVenturini MotorsportsToyotaJBL25Conner JonesVenturini MotorsportsToyotaJones Utilities30Frankie Muniz (R)Rette Jones RacingFordReSkills31Rita GouletRise MotorsportsChevroletDNA Collision & Repair32Christian Rose (R)AM RacingFordWest Virginia Tourism43Jalen MackTamayo Cosentino RacingChevroletTamayo Cosentino Racing45Tony CosentinoTamayo Cosentino RacingFordTamayo Cosentino Racing48Brad SmithBrad Smith MotorsportsChevroletCopraya.com55Toni BreidingerVenturini MotorsportsToyotaVenturini Motorsports66Jon Garrett (R)Veer MotorsportsChevroletVenture FoodsOfficial entry list
Practice The first and only practice session was held on Saturday, June 24, at 3:40 PM CST, and would last for 20 minutes. William Sawalich, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 14.439, and an average speed of . A second session was scheduled to be held at 4:10 PM CST, but was cancelled due to inclement weather. Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed118William SawalichJoe Gibbs RacingToyota14.43993.497220Jesse LoveVenturini MotorsportsToyota14.69091.899325Conner JonesVenturini MotorsportsToyota14.70791.793Full practice results
Qualifying Qualifying was scheduled to be held on Saturday, June 24, at 5:20 PM CST. The qualifying system used is a single-car, two-lap system with only one round. Whoever sets the fastest time in that round wins the pole. Qualifying was cancelled due to inclement weather. The starting lineup would be determined by practice speeds. As a result, William Sawalich, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would earn the pole. Pos.#DriverTeamMake118William SawalichJoe Gibbs RacingToyota220Jesse LoveVenturini MotorsportsToyota325Conner JonesVenturini MotorsportsToyota415Sean HingoraniVenturini MotorsportsToyota530Frankie Muniz (R)Rette Jones RacingFord610Willie MullinsFast Track RacingFord755Toni BreidingerVenturini MotorsportsToyota801Davey CallihanFast Track RacingToyota92Andrés Pérez de Lara (R)Rev RacingChevrolet1032Christian Rose (R)AM RacingFord1166Jon Garrett (R)Veer MotorsportsChevrolet1206A. J. MoyerWayne Peterson RacingToyota1311Bryce HaugebergFast Track RacingFord1403Casey CardenClubb Racing Inc.Ford1512Ryan RouletteFast Track RacingFord1631Rita GouletRise MotorsportsChevrolet1748Brad SmithBrad Smith MotorsportsChevrolet1843Jalen MackTamayo Cosentino RacingChevrolet1945Tony CosentinoTamayo Cosentino RacingFordOfficial starting lineup
Race results FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPts1220Jesse LoveVenturini MotorsportsToyota250235Running482118William SawalichJoe Gibbs RacingToyota25015Running443415Sean HingoraniVenturini MotorsportsToyota2500Running414325Conner JonesVenturini MotorsportsToyota2500Running40592Andrés Pérez de Lara (R)Rev RacingChevrolet2500Running396801Davey CallihanFast Track RacingToyota2500Running3871845Tony CosentinoTamayo Cosentino RacingFord2490Running378610Willie MullinsFast Track RacingFord2490Running369755Toni BreidingerVenturini MotorsportsToyota2480Running35101032Christian Rose (R)AM RacingFord2460Running34111166Jon Garrett (R)Veer MotorsportsChevrolet2420Running33121512Ryan RouletteFast Track RacingFord2400Running32131311Bryce HaugebergFast Track RacingFord2330Running31141631Rita GouletRise MotorsportsChevrolet2170Running30151206A. J. MoyerWayne Peterson RacingToyota2160Running2916530Frankie Muniz (R)Rette Jones RacingFord1990Accident28171403Casey CardenClubb Racing Inc.Ford1130Valve27181748Brad SmithBrad Smith MotorsportsChevrolet30Throttle26191943Jalen MackTamayo Cosentino RacingChevrolet00Fuel Pump25Official race results
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 Jesse Love 340 2 Frankie Muniz 296 (-44) 3 Andrés Pérez de Lara 288 (-52) 1 4 Tony Cosentino 276 (-64) 1 5 Christian Rose 273 (-67) 6 Toni Breidinger 264 (-76) 1 7 Jon Garrett 238 (-102) 1 8 Jack Wood 214 (-126) 1 9 A. J. Moyer 213 (-127) 1 10 Brad Smith 202 (-138) Note: Only the first 10 positions are included for the driver standings.
References