LUEBBERS CLAIMS VICTORY AT ECHOPARK IN RBRL INAUGURAL RACE

Every league has a beginning, and for the RBRL ARCA Series, it started the right way—side-by-side, nose-to-tail, and settled on track. The EchoPark 115 didn’t need wrecks or cautions to tell its story. It needed 75 green-flag laps and two drivers willing to race each other the hard way. When it was over, Sam Luebbers etched his name into history as the league’s first winner.

EchoPark Speedway’s worn surface immediately put the focus on tire management and discipline. With multiple grooves available but none forgiving, drivers had to balance aggression with patience. There were no resets, no second chances—just one long run to figure it out.

Morgan Anadell led the field to green from the pole and looked every bit in control early, pacing the opening laps and setting the tone for what looked like a measured drive. But the race didn’t stay in one set of hands for long.

Benjamin Myrick took over on Lap 25 and turned the race into his kind of fight. He wasn’t just leading—he was dictating. Running the high line with confidence, he built momentum and showed the kind of speed that suggested he might drive away from the field.

That speed was undeniable. Myrick set the fastest lap of the race on Lap 48 with a time of 0:31.245 and led a race-high 30 laps, firmly establishing himself as the driver to beat through the middle portion of the race. But EchoPark has a way of rewarding patience just as much as pace.

Luebbers never let him get too far. Running just close enough to stay in contention, he managed his tires and waited for the race to come back to him. When it did, it came quickly.

The defining moment unfolded late, when the lead changed hands three times in just a few laps. Myrick and Luebbers traded control in a back-and-forth sequence that felt more like a chess match than a sprint. Each move had an answer—until it didn’t.

On Lap 56, Luebbers made the pass that would decide it, clearing Myrick and settling into clean air. From there, he didn’t miss. No slip, no mistake, just steady laps all the way to the checkered flag.

“I figured if I could just stay close enough, he’d give me one shot,” Luebbers said. “When it came, I had to take it.” Myrick, for his part, knew how close he’d been. “The #24 ARCA Ford Mustang was about as fast as we’ve had,” he said. “Just needed a little more there at the end. He timed it better than we did.”

Behind them, Anadell settled into third after leading early, while David McSorley quietly put together a steady fourth-place finish with only two incident points on the night. It was the kind of clean, consistent run that often gets overlooked—but not forgotten.

Tom Smith had the toughest outing of the group, recording 14 incident points in a race where most drivers stayed clean. “The #1 ARCA Ford Mustang was a handful,” Smith said. “We’d get it goin’ and then it’d just step out on me. Felt like I was chasin’ it more than racin’ it.”

If there was any surprise, it was how clean the entire event stayed. Zero cautions, minimal contact, and just four lead changes told the story of a field that came ready to race, not wreck. It was a strong opening statement for a brand-new league.

And with that, the first chapter is written. Luebbers leaves EchoPark with the early points lead and the first trophy in league history, but if the finish was any indication, Myrick and Anadell won’t be far behind for long.

Next up is the Las Vegas 115, where speed will take center stage and the margin for error might shrink even further. If EchoPark was any indication, this league isn’t easing into anything—it’s already hitting its stride.