(IRVINGTON, Ala.) — Grant Enfinger used a rocket re-start with fewer than 30 laps remaining and held off a late challenge from Kyle Benjamin Saturday afternoon to win the ARCA Mobile 200.
Enfinger, a local crowd favorite, took the lead on lap 172 when he ducked under 15-year-old Kyle Benjamin, then used another re-start with nine laps to go to stretch his lead and win his first-ever ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards event.
“I knew we were going to get here, I just didn’t think it would take this long,” Enfinger said in Victory Lane. “I started knocking on the door in 2009 and I don’t know how many second and third-place finishes I had.”
After Enfinger drove the Triple K Construction Ford into victory lane, a throng of family and friends surrounded him. Some of the loudest cheers came when he donned a University of Alabama Crimson Tide ball cap.
Anderson Bowen finished third, Menards Pole Award presented by Ansell winner Mason Mingus fourth and Frank Kimmel fifth.
Enfinger is from nearby Fairhope, Ala. and considers Mobile International Speedway a home track.
“I’ve wanted to win for so long,” he said. “To do it in front of the home crowd is something special. A lot of these people, family and friends, can’t come up north when we race. This is something special.”
Enfinger started second but took the lead by turn two of the first lap. He stayed out front much of the day, although Benjamin put a big challenge into him. During one of the longest green flag runs of the day, Benjamin was able to pass Enfinger. He pitted and still came out in front as his pit crew cheered him on. But, with 29 laps to go, Enfinger was stronger on the re-start and stayed in front the rest of the way.
“He was a little better than us on new tires,” Benjamin said. “I hated that the caution came out right there. We did all we could today.”
Benjamin, the SCOTT Rookie Challenge winner for the ARCA Mobile 200, was driving the same Venturini car that went to victory lane at Daytona International Speedway with John Wes Townley. He became the youngest driver in ARCA Racing Series history.
“I’m happy with my team and my crew chief,” Benjamin said. “They did an awesome job and Kevin made great calls. We had an almost flawless day.”
Bowen was another driver that stayed up front all race. He was driving in his first ARCA race.
“I feel like I accomplished my goals,” he said. “We kept our car in one piece and had a nice top five finish.”
There were a few on-track incidents. Spencer Gallagher and James Hylton were involved in one mishap. The cars of Cody Lane and Bo LeMastus also sustained damage during the day.
Michigan teenager Taylor Ferns started fifth and was running up front for much of the day when her got was damaged with 12 laps to go.
“It was so much fun,” she said. “It’s too bad what happened at the end, but I learned a lot. I like the longer races, it feels like it’s more of a team effort.”
Race promoter Tommy Praytor was pleased with the crowd and the race.
“Everyone here saw some great racing today,” he said. “There was a lot of two and three-wide racing in the corners. It’s not an easy track to get around, but I think it was a hometown guy using some of his hometown experience to get around the track and picking up his first win.”
2013 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards Event #2
Mobile International Speedway, Mobile Alabama, 3-9-13
Mobile-ARCA 200
March 9, 2013 / 5:05 PM
FIN STR NO DRIVER/HOMETOWN LAPS STATUS
1 2 90 Grant Enfinger/Fairhope AL
200 Running
2 4 15 Kyle Benjamin/Easley SC
200 Running
3 3 22 Anderson Bowen/Suwanee GA
200 Running
4 1 32 Mason Mingus/Brentwood TN
200 Running
5 6 44 Frank Kimmel/Clarksville IN
200 Running
6 9 25 Justin Boston/Hickory NC
200 Running
7 13 40 Nick Tucker/Bremerton WA
200 Running
8 7 02 Josh Williams/Port Charlotte FL
200 Running
9 14 99 Mason Mitchell/W. Des Moines IA
200 Running
10 5 55 Taylor Ferns/Shelby Township MI
199 Running
11 15 80 Brian Finney/Merritt Island FL
199 Running
12 8 77 Tom Hessert/Cherry Hill NJ
198 Running
13 11 09 Charles Evans Jr./Pasadena TX
198 Running
14 17 35 Milka Duno/Caracas Venezuela
198 Running
15 24 69 Korbin Forrister/Cedartown GA
197 Running
16 20 97 Roger Carter/Sunfield MI
196 Running
17 23 2 Thomas Praytor/Mobile AL
195 Running
18 22 10 Darin Matthews/Pascagoula MS
195 Running
19 21 06 James Swanson/Clarksboro NJ
190 Running
20 19 34 Tyler Speer/Woodstock GA
179 Running
21 16 91 Robert Bujdoso/Canfield OH
173 Running
22 27 42 Bo LeMastus/Louisville KY
102 Accident
23 10 23 Spencer Gallagher/Las Vegas NV
57 Accident
24 25 48 James Hylton/Inman SC
51 Accident
25 18 3 Cody Lane/Port Richey FL
21 Accident
26 26 17 Zach Ralston/Springville IA
2 Handling
68 Will Kimmel/Sellersburg IN
DNS
Menards Pole Award Presented by Ansell: Mason Mingus 17.634 (102.076 mph)
Margin of Victory: 2.419 seconds
Time of Race: 1:46:56
Lap Leaders: Enfinger 1-60, 80-153, 155-157, 173-200 (165); Benjamin 61-74, 154, 158-161, 166-172 (26);
Kimmel 75-79 (5); Williams 162-165 (4)