Mechanical Issue Slows Reif’s Run at Madera

Tanner Reif, driving the No. 16 NAPA Auto Care Chevrolet SS, appeared to be headed for a third-straight podium finish in ARCA Menards Series West competition before mechanical trouble sidelined him Saturday night at Madera Speedway just past the midway point of the 51FIFTY Jr. Homecoming ARCA 150 presented by the West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame.

Not to be deterred, his Bill McAnally Racing team went to work to make repairs and get him back on track to gain a couple spots before the checkered flag waved.

The 18-year-old from Las Vegas, Nevada, started from the seventh spot on the grid. He charged forward at the drop of the green flag and was up to fifth in the first 10 laps and dashed into third by lap 26. Action was tight on the 0.33-mile oval, as positions were shuffled back and forth in the lead pack.

Reif was running strong in fourth place at the midway point of the race, but his hopes of nabbing another podium finish went away a couple laps later when his car came to a stop. He was towed to the pits and his team went to work. Determined to return to action, the NAPA Auto Care crew got Reif back on track with 22 laps remaining, and he was able to gain two positions to finish 17th. Reif heads to the season finale in Phoenix on Nov. 3, with five top-five and six top-10 finishes in 11 starts this season.

“It’s unfortunate to not get the result to match our speed,” Reif said. “We had a fast NAPA Auto Care Chevrolet. We were hanging around the top three and top five most of the night. We had a real good chance to get another good finish, but we’ll regroup and head to Phoenix in a couple weeks to try to finish the year the right way.”

Start / Finish: 7 / 17
Points Standing / Total: 4th / 454 pts. (-41)

Next Race: Friday, Nov. 3, Phoenix Raceway
How to Watch or Listen: 1:30 p.m. ET on FloRacing (live) or CNBC (Nov. 11)

Tanner Reif: @Tanner_Reif
NAPA Racing: @NAPARacing
Bill McAnally Racing: @BMR_NASCAR