Landen Lewis Dominates ARCA Menards Series Race at DuQuoin, Second First-Time Winner of 2021

In a race that featured championship implications, full-contact racing, and a poorly accounted for track surface, it was 15-year-old Landen Lewis that captured his first ARCA Menards Series victory at DuQuoin State Fairgrounds in his second start, piloting the No. 2 Toyota Camry as part of a partnership between REV Racing and Rette Jones Racing.

Lewis led all 100 laps of Sunday Night’s Southern Illinois 100 Presented by Lucas Oil, defeating the likes of Ty Gibbs, Ken Schrader, Ryan Unzicker and the mile-long dirt track itself, in order to become the series’ second first-time winner of the season and the second winner in an ARCA Menards Series dirt race not from Venturini Motorsports since 2017.

After running around the fourth spot all night long, Ty Gibbs was able to finish in the runner-up position, with Ken Schrader, Ryan Unzicker and Taylor Gray rounding out the top-five. Gray, driving the No. 46 this weekend in place of Thad Moffitt, was responsible for the final caution of the event on lap 100, when he spun around in turn two, right as the leader was about to take the checkered flag.

The one-lap shootout that followed wasn’t even a challenge for Lewis, who was able to fly away from the field over the course of the one mile, winning by over two seconds to Ty Gibbs.

With only Bristol, Salem and Kansas remaining on the 2021 ARCA Menards Series calendar, Ty Gibbs has once again been able to extend his points lead over Venturini Motorsports’ Corey Heim, whose No. 20 Toyota Camry went airborne in the early portion of the event, after hitting an enormous rut in turn two.

The resulting seventh-place finish – tied for the worst of the season for Heim — was enough to create a 16-point gap between the two cars, one that will essentially be insurmountable over the course of three races, unless Gibbs is to have major issues.

Video: Championship Contender Corey Heim’s No. 20 Goes Airborne After Hitting MASSIVE Rut at DuQuoin

Tim Monroe (sixth) and Zachary Tinkle (eighth) also earned a career-best finish Sunday Night at DuQuoin.

Results of the Southern Illinois 100 Presented by Lucas Oil at DuQuoin State Fairgrounds:

1. No. 2 – Landen Lewis
2. No. 18 – Ty Gibbs (-2.159 seconds)
3. No. 10 – Ken Schrader (-2.920 seconds)
4. No. 24 – Ryan Unzicker (-6.049 seconds)
5. No. 46 – Taylor Gray (-1 Lap)
6. No. 01 – Tim Monroe (-2 Laps)
7. No. 20 – Corey Heim (-9 Laps)
8. No. 27 – Zachary Tinkle (OUT)
9. No. 69 – Will Kimmel (OUT)
10. No. 15 – Jesse Love (OUT)
11. No. 12 – DL Wilson (OUT)
12. No. 25 – Toni Breidinger (OUT)
13. No. 11 – Owen Smith (OUT)
14. No. 48 – Brad Smith (OUT)
15. No. 06 – Wayne Peterson (DNS)
16. No. 16 – Kelly Kovski (DNS)

2021 ARCA Menards Series Point Standings After 17 of 20 Races:

1. Ty Gibbs
2. Corey Heim (-16)
3. Thad Moffitt (-257)
4. Nick Sanchez (-278)
5. Brad Smith (-384)
6. DL Wilson (-481)
7. Drew Dollar (-535)
8. Taylor Gray (-549)
9. Kyle Sieg (-577)
10. Jesse Love (-596)
11. Owen Smith (-630)
12. Tim Richmond (-650)
13. Gracie Trotter (-663)
14. Toni Breidinger (-673)
15. Jack Wood (-681)
16. Alex Clubb (-683)
17. Tony Cosentino (-694)
18. Daniel Dye (-703)
19. Greg Van Alst (-720)
20. Andy Jankowiak (-730)