Thomas Annunziata Claims First ARCA Menards Victory at Lime Rock Park
Thomas Annunziata has finally notched his first win in the ARCA Menards with Nitro Motorsports, but this didn’t come without its challenges. Though he started from the General Tire Pole, Annunziata knew he had his work cut out for him ahead of the first road course of the season at Connecticut’s notorious Lime Rock Park. The 1.4-mile, 7-turn short track is renowned for its compactness and down-and-dirty racing, due to the proximity of cars to one another.
Drivers must be hypervigilant, especially when navigating the Sam Posey Straight and unpredictable uphill and downhill areas of the track. However, this would ultimately be the least of Annunziata’s worries after the green flag dropped, signaling the beginning of the Lime Rock Park 100.
First Lap Blunders
At the Lap 1 start, the Nitro Motorsports Driver spun his No. 70 Toyota after fighting with No. 18 Brent Crews for the lead. After this minor hiccup, Thomas Annunziata would go on to lead 32 of the race’s 68 laps and claim victory 4.139 seconds over Venturini Motorsports’ newcomer Alon Day, but the road there wasn’t easy.
Initially, Lawless Alan, who has a leg up in road course racing across ARCA West, ARCA Sioux Chief, Legends Winter Road Racing, Late Model Racing, and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, led the charge in stage 1. Yet, it wouldn’t be long before NEMCO Motorsports driver Ray Gemmell would test his luck and come in fast behind an unrelenting Alan, setting him at P3.
Series points leader Brenden “Butterbean” Queen, who was also vying to move to the top quickly, fell to P6 until caution was dropped at lap 18 due to an impact between Jason Kitzmiller and Ed Pompa. At the restart, the tension could’ve been cut with a knife as Lawless Alan reclaimed the lead and Day worked his way back, eventually stealing the top spot.
Thomas Annunziata Dominates at the Lap 35 Restart
With all eyes on Alan and Day, Queen seized the opportunity to creep back up to P3. This would continue until lap 31, when Day began leading, relegating Lawless Alan to P2. Alon Day would continue this bid into the half-time restart at lap 35, but it wouldn’t be long before it would become a Thomas Annunziata show.
Annunziata impressively knocked Day back early into the restart, and from then on, he led the pack into the entire second half of the Lime Rock Park 100. Brenden Queen, Lawless, and Alon Day stood no chance because no matter how hard they pushed, Thomas Annunziata was relentless. Alon Day found himself in the throes of P2, followed by Lawless Alan in P3.
Queen ran into trouble when he took a corner too hard during the final laps of the Lime Rock Park 100, pushing him to P4. After overcoming some of the series’ toughest competition, the No. 70 Nitro Motorsports driver proudly cruised to victory lane to claim his first ARCA National win. Post-race, Thomas Annunziata spoke to the media about his win at Lime Rock Park in the ARCA Series.
Additionally, he talked briefly about his uneventful run on Saturday in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series LiUNA! 150.He mentioned that the win meant a lot to him, especially after being dropped from the Truck Series race early. Annunziata admitted he was on edge, but his team kept his nerves at bay throughout the race. He also thanked Toyota and Venturini Motorsports for the impact they have had on his career.
“It means a lot, especially after what happened in the [NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series] race,” Thomas Annunziata said of his Lime Park 100 win. “We got taken out at the beginning of this race, too. I wasn’t very cool, and (my team) helped me stay calm.”
“I can’t thank Toyota, Nitro Motorsports, and Venturini enough for taking the chance on me. This is the first time I’m in real winning equipment, and I get to showcase my talent. There was no better way to win than to go back to last and have to make a comeback,” He added.
Final Thoughts
Thomas Annunziata is, without question, an experienced road course driver, and Nitro Motorsports owner Nick Tucker had no qualms about his capabilities at Lime Rock Park. Ahead of the Lime Rock Park 100, Tucker knew Annunziata would turn on the dominance due to his extensive knowledge of the track’s layout, and there’s no argument there. The No. 70 Toyota driver more than dominated to earn his first ARCA National win, and perhaps he can pull off another when the series returns after a brief hiatus on July 25.
