WINCHESTER, IN – 59-year-old veteran racer Ken Schrader seemed to have the dominant car for most of Sunday’s ARCA Racing Series Herr’s Chase the Taste 200 at Winchester Speedway.  Schrader led 88 of the 200 laps, but at the end of the day, when it mattered most, it was two young talents battling it out on the final lap to decide the winner of the event at the legendary Indiana high-banked track.

19-year-old Mason Mitchell had a fast car all day and seemed to be well on his way to eliminating the “second-place blues” that he has been haunted with.  That was, until 17-year-old Brandon Jones, who was making his ARCA Racing Series debut, made contact with Mitchell on the last lap to steal the victory at the high-banked half-mile oval.

Mason Mitchell (98) and Brandon Jones (4) battle at Winchester. (Speed51.com photo)

“The 98 (Mitchell) was real fast and got away from us in turns one and two a little bit,” Jones told Speed51.com powered by JEGS.  “I drove the car in as hard as I could in turn three and ran him up the hill a little bit.  It’s just how we had to win that one, unfortunately.”

For Mitchell, Sunday’s runner-up finish was his fourth of the 2014 ARCA Racing Series season.  It was also the second straight race in which he lost the lead late in the race to a driver making their ARCA debut.

Mitchell was clearly frustrated about the last lap move made by Jones.

“We finished second again,” said a dejected Mitchell after the race.  “Everybody says we should have won, but we didn’t and it is what it is.

“It’s just one of those deals where you’ve got a kid that has a lot of money and he comes into the series and wins the race.  You’ve got to expect that, but I didn’t.  It’s a little bit of my fault, but I can’t think about it too much.  We’ll move onto Chicago and go get a win there.”

Mitchell, Jones and Schrader all swapped the lead several times over the course of the 200-lap event.

Schrader held the lead until the caution flag flew on lap 182.  At that time, all the top competitors went to pit road.  It was a fast pit stop by Jones crew that put him in position to take the win.

“Hats off to those guys for hitting it head on during the final stop,” Jones said, praising his crew.

When all was said and done, the legend of Winchester Speedway lived up to its billing of providing excitement all the way around the “world’s fastest half-mile asphalt oval”.

Perhaps Jones summed it up best reflecting on his first visit to the track, “I don’t think there’s anything that mimics it, honestly.”

The ARCA Racing Series returns to action on Saturday, July 19 at Chicagoland Speedway (IL).

By Brandon Paul (Northeast Editor for speed51.com) & Mark Keeler (speed51.com correspondent) – Speed51.com photos

Last Lap Bump Puts Jones in ARCA Victory Lane at Winchester