CLERMONT, Ind. — Chandler Smith may have lucked into his win last year at Lucas Oil Raceway, but there were no reservations about the way he made it back-to-back.
The recently turned 18-year-old from Talking Rock, Ga., drove away from the field en route to his ninth win in 23 career ARCA Menards Series starts with a completely dominating performance in Friday night’s Calypso Lemonade 200.
Smith took the checkered flag at Lucas Oil Raceway last fall in a weather-shortened race, in which he led the final seven laps before the rains came on lap 167 of 200.
After finishing second to Gibbs last week at Pocono Raceway, Smith — who won the General Tire Pole Award earlier in the day — retook the lead in the No. 20 JBL Audio Toyota from Gibbs on lap 39 and never relinquished it.
Sam Mayer closed on his back bumper with less than 10 laps remaining, but after they cleared the car of seventh-place Bret Holmes, Smith was able to stretch the lead back out again and win by .899 seconds on the .686-mile oval.
The race also served as the second of the Sioux Chief Showdown, both having been won by Smith. He took the opener at Phoenix Raceway in March.
Mayer settled for second, followed by Hailie Deegan. Taylor Gray, 15, finished fourth in his ARCA Menards Series debut, and Thad Moffitt was fifth.
The finish:
Chandler Smith, Sam Mayer, Hailie Deegan, Taylor Gray, Thad Moffitt, Max McLaughlin, Bret Holmes, Michael Self, Howie DiSavino III, Kyle Sieg, Brian Finney, Derek Griffith, Justin S. Carroll, Drew Dollar, Ty Gibbs, Ryan Huff, Brad Smith, Dick Doheny, Mike Basham, Tim Richmond.