# 2023 Menards 250

The 2023 Menards 250 was the 7th stock car race of the 2023 ARCA Menards Series season, and the 8th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, June 24, 2023, in Elko New Market, Minnesota at Elko Speedway, a 0.375 mile (0.604 km) permanent oval shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 250 laps to complete. In a wild and controversial race that had an exciting battle between Jesse Love and William Sawalich, Jesse Love, driving for Venturini Motorsports, would hold off a fast-charging Sawalich in the final 20 laps of the race to earn his sixth career ARCA Menards Series win, and his fourth of the season. Love dominated the entire race as well, leading 235 of the 250 laps. Sawalich, who started on pole, led 15 laps of the race until getting spun by Sean Hingorani on lap 150. To fill out the podium, Sawalich, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, and Hingorani, driving for Venturini Motorsports, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.

## Background

Elko Speedway, is a 3/8 mile asphalt oval NASCAR-sanctioned race track located in Elko New Market, Minnesota. Elko Speedway is a track in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series. The track is located in the former Elko portion of the merged city.

### Entry list

* (R) denotes rookie driver.
| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
| 01 | Davey Callihan | Fast Track Racing | Toyota | CW Metals |
| 2 | Andrés Pérez de Lara (R) | Rev Racing | Chevrolet | Max Siegel Inc. |
| 03 | Casey Carden | Clubb Racing Inc. | Ford | Clubb Racing Inc. |
| 06 | A. J. Moyer | Wayne Peterson Racing | Toyota | River's Edge Cottages & Park |
| 10 | Willie Mullins | Fast Track Racing | Ford | CW Metals |
| 11 | Bryce Haugeberg | Fast Track Racing | Ford | Haugeberg Farms, UTI |
| 12 | Ryan Roulette | Fast Track Racing | Ford | VFW, Bellator Recruiting Academy |
| 15 | Sean Hingorani | Venturini Motorsports | Toyota | Yahoo!, Mobil 1 |
| 18 | William Sawalich | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | Starkey, SoundGear |
| 20 | Jesse Love | Venturini Motorsports | Toyota | JBL |
| 25 | Conner Jones | Venturini Motorsports | Toyota | Jones Utilities |
| 30 | Frankie Muniz (R) | Rette Jones Racing | Ford | ReSkills |
| 31 | Rita Goulet | Rise Motorsports | Chevrolet | DNA Collision & Repair |
| 32 | Christian Rose (R) | AM Racing | Ford | West Virginia Tourism |
| 43 | Jalen Mack | Tamayo Cosentino Racing | Chevrolet | Tamayo Cosentino Racing |
| 45 | Tony Cosentino | Tamayo Cosentino Racing | Ford | Tamayo Cosentino Racing |
| 48 | Brad Smith | Brad Smith Motorsports | Chevrolet | Copraya.com |
| 55 | Toni Breidinger | Venturini Motorsports | Toyota | Venturini Motorsports |
| 66 | Jon Garrett (R) | Veer Motorsports | Chevrolet | Venture Foods |
| Official entry list |||||

## Practice

The first and only practice session was held on Saturday, June 24, at 3:40 PM CST, and would last for 20 minutes. William Sawalich, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 14.439, and an average speed of 93.497 mph (150.469 km/h). A second session was scheduled to be held at 4:10 PM CST, but was cancelled due to inclement weather.
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 18 | William Sawalich | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 14.439 | 93.497 |
| 2 | 20 | Jesse Love | Venturini Motorsports | Toyota | 14.690 | 91.899 |
| 3 | 25 | Conner Jones | Venturini Motorsports | Toyota | 14.707 | 91.793 |
| Full practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying was scheduled to be held on Saturday, June 24, at 5:20 PM CST. The qualifying system used is a single-car, two-lap system with only one round. Whoever sets the fastest time in that round wins the pole. Qualifying was cancelled due to inclement weather. The starting lineup would be determined by practice speeds. As a result, William Sawalich, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would earn the pole.
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make |
| 1 | 18 | William Sawalich | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota |
| 2 | 20 | Jesse Love | Venturini Motorsports | Toyota |
| 3 | 25 | Conner Jones | Venturini Motorsports | Toyota |
| 4 | 15 | Sean Hingorani | Venturini Motorsports | Toyota |
| 5 | 30 | Frankie Muniz (R) | Rette Jones Racing | Ford |
| 6 | 10 | Willie Mullins | Fast Track Racing | Ford |
| 7 | 55 | Toni Breidinger | Venturini Motorsports | Toyota |
| 8 | 01 | Davey Callihan | Fast Track Racing | Toyota |
| 9 | 2 | Andrés Pérez de Lara (R) | Rev Racing | Chevrolet |
| 10 | 32 | Christian Rose (R) | AM Racing | Ford |
| 11 | 66 | Jon Garrett (R) | Veer Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 12 | 06 | A. J. Moyer | Wayne Peterson Racing | Toyota |
| 13 | 11 | Bryce Haugeberg | Fast Track Racing | Ford |
| 14 | 03 | Casey Carden | Clubb Racing Inc. | Ford |
| 15 | 12 | Ryan Roulette | Fast Track Racing | Ford |
| 16 | 31 | Rita Goulet | Rise Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 17 | 48 | Brad Smith | Brad Smith Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 18 | 43 | Jalen Mack | Tamayo Cosentino Racing | Chevrolet |
| 19 | 45 | Tony Cosentino | Tamayo Cosentino Racing | Ford |
| Official starting lineup |||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts |
| 1 | 2 | 20 | Jesse Love | Venturini Motorsports | Toyota | 250 | 235 | Running | 48 |
| 2 | 1 | 18 | William Sawalich | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 250 | 15 | Running | 44 |
| 3 | 4 | 15 | Sean Hingorani | Venturini Motorsports | Toyota | 250 | 0 | Running | 41 |
| 4 | 3 | 25 | Conner Jones | Venturini Motorsports | Toyota | 250 | 0 | Running | 40 |
| 5 | 9 | 2 | Andrés Pérez de Lara (R) | Rev Racing | Chevrolet | 250 | 0 | Running | 39 |
| 6 | 8 | 01 | Davey Callihan | Fast Track Racing | Toyota | 250 | 0 | Running | 38 |
| 7 | 18 | 45 | Tony Cosentino | Tamayo Cosentino Racing | Ford | 249 | 0 | Running | 37 |
| 8 | 6 | 10 | Willie Mullins | Fast Track Racing | Ford | 249 | 0 | Running | 36 |
| 9 | 7 | 55 | Toni Breidinger | Venturini Motorsports | Toyota | 248 | 0 | Running | 35 |
| 10 | 10 | 32 | Christian Rose (R) | AM Racing | Ford | 246 | 0 | Running | 34 |
| 11 | 11 | 66 | Jon Garrett (R) | Veer Motorsports | Chevrolet | 242 | 0 | Running | 33 |
| 12 | 15 | 12 | Ryan Roulette | Fast Track Racing | Ford | 240 | 0 | Running | 32 |
| 13 | 13 | 11 | Bryce Haugeberg | Fast Track Racing | Ford | 233 | 0 | Running | 31 |
| 14 | 16 | 31 | Rita Goulet | Rise Motorsports | Chevrolet | 217 | 0 | Running | 30 |
| 15 | 12 | 06 | A. J. Moyer | Wayne Peterson Racing | Toyota | 216 | 0 | Running | 29 |
| 16 | 5 | 30 | Frankie Muniz (R) | Rette Jones Racing | Ford | 199 | 0 | Accident | 28 |
| 17 | 14 | 03 | Casey Carden | Clubb Racing Inc. | Ford | 113 | 0 | Valve | 27 |
| 18 | 17 | 48 | Brad Smith | Brad Smith Motorsports | Chevrolet | 3 | 0 | Throttle | 26 |
| 19 | 19 | 43 | Jalen Mack | Tamayo Cosentino Racing | Chevrolet | 0 | 0 | Fuel Pump | 25 |
| Official race results ||||||||||

## Standings after the race

| | Pos | Driver | Points |
| | 1 | Jesse Love | 340 |
| | 2 | Frankie Muniz | 296 (-44) |
| | 3 | Andrés Pérez de Lara | 288 (-52) |
| 1 | 4 | Tony Cosentino | 276 (-64) |
| 1 | 5 | Christian Rose | 273 (-67) |
| | 6 | Toni Breidinger | 264 (-76) |
| 1 | 7 | Jon Garrett | 238 (-102) |
| 1 | 8 | Jack Wood | 214 (-126) |
| 1 | 9 | A. J. Moyer | 213 (-127) |
| 1 | 10 | Brad Smith | 202 (-138) |