Bristol, Tenn. – Brent Crews secured a commanding win at Bristol Motor Speedway during the ARCA Menards Series race held on Saturday, September 13, 2025, setting a new track record as he led all 204 laps of the 205-lap event. This victory continued Joe Gibbs Racing’s impressive streak at Bristol, marking their fifth consecutive triumph at the venue and reinforcing Crews’ prominence in the series.
The race served as the final combination event of the season for both the ARCA Menards Series and the ARCA Menards Series East, where Isaac Kitzmiller clinched the East driver’s championship while Joe Gibbs Racing took home the East owners’ title. Despite Brenden Queen leading the national series point standings, the East division saw a thrilling title battle with Kitzmiller edging out Tyler Reif and Zachary Tinkle at Bristol. With three races remaining in the national series—Salem Speedway, Kansas Speedway, and Toledo Speedway—the spotlight remains on Crews and Queen as their owner points battle intensifies heading into the season’s final stretch.
Brent Crews’ Unstoppable Performance Seals Bristol Win and Championship Momentum
Brent Crews delivered a flawless performance at Bristol, dominating from start to finish by recording the fastest lap in practice, winning the pole position, and leading every single lap of the race. His sweep of the weekend underscored his status as a top contender across ARCA’s three different series platforms. With this victory, Crews extended his tally to four wins in the primary ARCA Menards Series and three in the East Series for 2025, making him the only driver to have won races in all three ARCA categories this season.
Crews’ success also cemented the East owners’ championship for Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 team, which has now celebrated seven total wins at Bristol, including two consecutive seasons running under the Kyle Busch Motorsports banner in 2022. In the national owner standings, the No. 18 team trails closely behind Brenden Queen’s No. 28 Chevrolet by just one point, setting the scene for a likely final showdown at Toledo Speedway. Despite competing part-time at age 17, Crews boasts remarkable stats: four wins—including one with Nitro Motorsports—five top-five finishes, seven top-10s, three pole awards, and 542 laps led in only nine starts. Currently ranked tenth in driver points, his performances have earned him the number one spot in the power rankings this season.
Brenden Queen’s Strong Championship Lead after Bristol
Brenden Queen further solidified his lead in the national points standings by finishing third at Bristol, extending his advantage over Lavar Scott by 50 points. Given the limited number of races left and the projected car counts at upcoming events, Scott would likely need several poor finishes to close the gap. Queen leads the championship in several key statistics, including wins, top fives, laps led, and pole awards.
Queen’s resilience was on full display, especially with his skillful handling of his No. 28 Chevrolet near the race’s conclusion—a maneuver that earned him the Reese’s Sweet Move of the Race award. He reflected on the challenging finish, stating,
“Yeah … she was a little handful tonight,”
“We were just a little off of what … our standards are. Still a solid day, but definitely doing everything I could to hold on there at the end. Just really trying to be smart with the lapped cars. I mean, some of these people don’t have anything to lose, so they’re really aggressive where our season’s on the line. This was a really big race that we just needed to survive. I hate doing that because I want to win obviously, but all in all, I mean, an OK night.”
Queen, Driver
Despite describing the day as “OK,” Queen’s third-place finish behind Crews and fellow PRG teammate Tristan McKee kept him firmly in championship contention. PRG team owner Shane Huffman emphasized the importance of the owner’s championship in a pre-race discussion, highlighting that the title offers significant rewards. For Queen to lead PRG to the owners’ crown, he’ll need to outperform Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 team, but his performance indicated the No. 28 team remains a formidable contender.
Isaac Kitzmiller Secures ARCA East Driver Championship
Isaac Kitzmiller’s consistency throughout the eight-race East schedule paid off with a championship win that capped off the 2025 season. Although he was not available for post-race comments, Kitzmiller’s strong season included three top-five finishes and consistent placements within the top 10. His final race at Bristol saw him place well ahead of his title rivals, securing the driver’s crown while his CR7 Motorsports team finished runner-up in East owners’ points behind Joe Gibbs Racing.
Kitzmiller also competed in four combination races within the broader national ARCA Menards Series, achieving one top five (fourth at Dover) and four top-10 finishes. Impressively, he outperformed his father, Jason Kitzmiller, a full-time national division driver. At just 16 years old, Kitzmiller’s championship marks a significant milestone, although his plans for the 2026 season have yet to be announced.
Steady Performances See Jason Kitzmiller Holding Strong in ARCA
Jason Kitzmiller’s first full-time national season has been marked by consistency, sitting fourth in driver points with two top-five finishes and twelve top-10s. He ranks ahead of Venturini Motorsports’ Isabella Robusto in the standings and is poised to rise to third following the recent departure of Lawless Alan from Venturini. At Bristol, Jason started 12th—above his season average starting position—and finished ninth, a performance that reflected his solid form throughout the year.
Jason’s focus during the race’s closing moments was capturing the ARCA East title for his son Isaac, who ran directly ahead of him. Describing the tension of the final lap, Jason shared,
“You couldn’t put it into words how [the] last lap, I was watching the … white flag … and I was like, ‘Please God, don’t let there be another caution. Please God, don’t let there be another caution,’’’
”
I just, seeing him in front of me, it makes, as a father, you couldn’t be more. I could’ve won the race today but it would not have mattered. I could not be more proud than I am right now.”
Jason Kitzmiller, Driver
While Jason left Bristol proud of Isaac’s accomplishment, his own consistent performance throughout the season earned him a respectable position in the rankings.
Tyler Reif Finishes Runner-Up in ARCA East Points Battle
Tyler Reif narrowly missed out on the ARCA Menards Series East championship for the second year straight, finishing second in points behind Isaac Kitzmiller. Reif concluded the Bristol race in sixth place in his No. 23 Chevrolet, a finish that ultimately was not enough to challenge Kitzmiller’s title clinch. Reflecting on the race, Reif expressed his team’s disappointment but maintained a positive outlook for future growth. He said,
“Obviously, this whole team wanted more. We missed it today. We had good short-run speed. We probably picked up two to three spots every restart. That last one, we went from eighth to sixth, almost had fifth there on the last lap. If we would’ve had a couple more laps, we would’ve been fifth, I think. We just missed the long-run speed, too tight, and just plowing through the right front on the long run. So, we did it here last year also, so … I got second in driver points last year also, so it’s kind of disappointing, but you can’t really complain. Still running up front and getting seat time for next year.”
Tyler Reif, Driver
This season under the ARCA umbrella, Reif has made 17 starts, collected seven top-five finishes, ten top-10s, and led 13 laps. Although his stats reflect a slight decline from his 2024 West Series season, Reif’s continued development keeps him fifth in the year-end power rankings.
Timmy Hill’s Bristol Run Ends in Disappointment but Earns Recognition
Timmy Hill demonstrated competitive speed throughout his 2025 ARCA starts, highlighted by three top-10 finishes and a notable sixth place at Dover Motor Speedway. At Bristol, Hill appeared on track for his first top-five finish before a tire failure caused a crash late in the race, relegating him to a 19th-place finish. Despite the setback, Hill’s No. 56 Toyota stood out among 34 competitors, earning the Bristol Paint Scheme of the Race Award. Reflecting on the crash, Hill posted,
“Heartbreaker at Bristol. Running solidly inside the top 5 with 10 laps to go when a tire failure sent us into the wall. Huge credit to this team for bringing a fast car & fighting up front all race long. A tough finish, but there’s plenty to be proud of & even more to build on.”
Timmy Hill, Driver
Looking Ahead: Salem Speedway to Host ARCA’s Next Challenge
The ARCA Menards Series heads to Salem Speedway for its next 200-lap race on Saturday, September 20, departing from the high-intensity environment of Bristol to tackle a new challenge. The event is scheduled to air live on FOX Sports 2 at 8 p.m. ET, as drivers continue their pursuit of championship glory in the closing rounds of the season. With the owner points battle between Joe Gibbs Racing and PRG tightening and drivers like Crews and Queen displaying fierce competitiveness, the upcoming races promise gripping competition and dramatic finishes.
👀 @03Butterbean’s unbelievable save at @itsbristolbaby has been selected as the @reeses Sweet Move of the Race! pic.twitter.com/ce05tlxWD3
— ARCA Menards Series (@ARCA_Racing) September 15, 2025
Heartbreaker at Bristol. Running solidly inside the top 5 with 10 laps to go when a tire failure sent us into the wall. Huge credit to this team for bringing a fast car & fighting up front all race long. A tough finish, but there’s plenty to be proud of & even more to build on. pic.twitter.com/w1vc5dkgyz
— Timmy Hill (@TimmyHillRacer) September 12, 2025
