SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Max Reaves (No. 18 Cook Out Toyota) scored his third ARCA Menards Series win of the season in Sunday afternoon’s Calypso 100 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.
Reaves started from the Sioux Chief PowerPEX Pole and led 98 of the race’s 100 laps to earn his first career win on dirt.
Reaves traded the lead with Isaac Kitzmiller (No. 79 A.L.L. Construction / Carter CAT Chevrolet) through lapped traffic, with Kitzmiller leading for a lap before Reaves was able to return the favor in turn three the very next lap. Kiztmiller held on to finish second, his career best ARCA Menards Series finish.
Gavan Boschele (No. 25 American Land Toyota) was the third driver to lead, snatching the lead from Reaves at lap 97.
Reaves made contact with the rear bumper of Boschele’s car entering turn one and Boschele slid out of control into the inside retaining wall, but his half spin did not draw a caution flag. Despite the damage, Boschele would hold on to finish fifth.
Thomas Annunziata (No. 70 JBL Toyota) finished third and unofficially chopped three points off Jake Bollman’s lead in the ARCA Menards Series championship standings. Bollman (No. 20 Nitro Motorsports Toyota) finished sixth; his unofficial lead is four points with five races remaining. It was the first career race of any kind on dirt for both drivers.
Taylor Reimer (No. 77 Buzzballz Chevrolet) ran as high as second but was penalized for a restart violation following the third caution flag of the day, necessitating a drive-thru penalty. After the race’s midway break, she restarted 13th and patiently worked her way through the field to finish fourth.
Springfield native Kelly Kovski (No. 16 Brandt Ag / Schluckebeir Farm Chevrolet) finished seventh in his 20th career start at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. It was his 14th career top-ten finish at his home track, which accounts for half of his 28 career top-ten finishes.
Isabella Robusto (No. 55 Mobil 1 Toyota) raced in and among the top five throughout the first half of the race, but two consecutive restarts in the outside lane cost her valuable track position over the second half of the race, leaving her eighth at the finish.
Tim Monroe (No. 10 Mark Rumbold Farms / Illinois Deer Hunters Ford) finished ninth, his third career top-10 result at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.
Jason Kitzmiller (No. 97 A.L.L. Construction / Carter CAT Chevrolet) in tenth and Shawn Allen, Jr. (No. 91 Sandlan Iron & Metal / Maples Motorsports Chevrolet) in eleventh, in his ARCA Menards Series debut, were the final cars on the lead lap.
Nineteen of the race’s 24 starters were running at the finish.
There were four lead changes among three drivers.
There were five cautions for 23 laps. The first caution was for a turn one crash involving Trenton Masters (No. 06 Jake’s Lettering Toyota) on lap 8; the second at lap 32 was for a crash on the front stretch involving Alex Clubb (No. 03 CRI0386.com Ford) and Brad Smith (No. 48 Hillman Family of Companies Ford); the third was for a turn four spin by Tony Cosentino (No. 11 Fast Track Racing / Universal Technical Institute Chevrolet) and the final caution for cause was at lap 82 for a turn two spin by Sean Corr (No. 8 Nesco Bus Sales / The Trans Group / It’s a Boy Chevrolet).
The finish:
Max Reaves, Isaac Kitzmiller, Thomas Annunziata, Taylor Reimer, Gavan Boschele, Jake Bollman, Kelly Kovski, Isabella Robusto, Tim Monroe, Jason Kitzmiller, Shawn Allen Jr., Sean Corr, Carson Brown, Tony Cosentino, Takuma Koga, Dale Shearer, Jeff Marconi, Brad Smith, Alex Clubb, Michael Maples, Trenton Masters, Kenna Long, Kevin Campbell, Brayton Laster.
