Landen Lewis Contends, Nearly Steals Bristol ARCA Win

Landen Lewis (97) chases William Sawalich Thursday at Bristol Motor Speedway. (Scotte Sprinkle photo)

BRISTOL, Tenn. – For a moment, Thursday’s nail-biting finish to the ARCA Menards Series Bush’s Best 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway looked like it might just swing Landen Lewis’ way.

After Lewis led 81 laps through the middle section of the race and battled tooth-and-nail with eventual winner and ARCA East champion William Sawalich, a flat tire on the No. 95 of Andrew Patterson coming to four laps to go generated a late caution and put Lewis on Sawalich’s outside for an overtime finish.

After losing a little ground on the final restart, Lewis came up just .397 seconds short to Sawalich, whose win gave him his second straight ARCA Menards Series East title in a surprising turnaround.

It was a near-spoiler moment for the 18-year-old from Ocean Isle Beach, N.C., after Sawalich had won six of the last 10 ARCA Menards Series races entering Bristol.

“I just needed a little bit more short run speed,” said Lewis, who drives the No. 97 Grant County Mulch Chevrolet for CR7 Motorsports. “I was a little too free once we got going, [but] once he evened out with me I was a little bit better. I couldn’t go for it because of lapped cars; every time I’d get in a rhythm, I’d catch one and we’d kind of even out at a 10-car-length gap. That's where it lied until that [last] restart.

“On the restart I feel like I mistimed it just a little bit. I blame that one on me,” Lewis added. “I was perfect on all the [re]starts except for the one that counted. I just have to come back and be better.”

Lewis, who won with the ARCA Menards Series in 2021 at the DuQuoin (Ill.) State Fairgrounds, has competed in select zMAX CARS Late Model Stock Tour events for Kevin Harvick Inc. this year, where he has also been successful. He actually won the CARS Tour stop at Wake County Speedway on Aug. 24.

His ARCA return was nearly as successful, but featured many different qualities compared to his recent CARS Tour appearances.

“It’s a big difference,” said Lewis in comparing late model stock racing to the style seen with the heavier ARCA cars. “The biggest difference being the racetrack – we don't go to a place like this; you don’t go somewhere [in late models] where you are full throttle in the center of the corner and holding on just to make sure you’re going to make it to the end. It’s just a big difference.

“The pace is a lot slower in the CARS Tour. It’s just fun, whereas you come out here, drive the crap out of it, hold on tight and just get after it.”

Notably, Thursday marked Lewis’ first ARCA Menards Series race since Bristol a year ago, and he also had 10-time ARCA national champion Frank Kimmel on top of the pit box as his crew chief.

Asked if his strong showing might open doors for a potential full-time opportunity in the future, Lewis was hopeful and optimistic.

“I hope it leads to something,” Lewis noted. “I [want to] continue being able to do this and be able to do this for a long time. We’ll see what comes from this and just keep racing in the meantime.”