Jake Finch put on a commanding performance at Talladega Superspeedway, leading every lap of the General Tire 200 to score his first career ARCA Menards Series victory. The 18-year-old from Florida controlled the race from the start and was never seriously challenged over the 76-lap event at the 2.66-mile superspeedway.

After coming agonizingly close to his first ARCA win at Daytona in February, Finch left no doubt at Talladega. He grabbed the lead at the green flag and worked with his Venturini Motorsports teammates to maintain control of the top spot throughout the race.

“I was a nervous wreck before this race, but my crew chief Shannon (Rursch) told me if I did what I was supposed to do, we’d kick their butts. I think that’s what we did,” said an elated Finch after climbing from his No. 20 Toyota in victory lane.

Venturini’s Kris Wright worked with Finch over the closing laps, settling for the runner-up position rather than attempting a risky pass for the win on his teammate. Behind them, Christian Rose looked to have the strongest run going over the final 10 laps.

Rose had charged up to third place as the white flag waved. He made an aggressive move on the backstretch to pull out of line and attempt to swipe the lead from Finch. However, no other cars went with Rose, and he quickly found himself hung out without drafting help.

With no drafting partners behind him, Rose’s momentum stalled on the backstretch. Both Gus Dean and Tanner Gray powered past, dropping Rose back to a fifth-place finish after looking like the only driver with a shot at chasing down the dominant Finch.

For the winner, it capped off a perfect day where he achieved a milestone first ARCA Menards Series triumph by leading flag-to-flag at the iconic Talladega.

The ARCA Menards Series now heads to Dover Motor Speedway this Friday for the General Tire 150, where Finch will look to keep his hot streak rolling following his breakthrough performance in Alabama.