Eric Jr. Scores Thrilling 3rd Place Finish at Madera Speedway

MADERA, CA – In one of the most intense races of the season, Eric Jr. delivered another solid performance in the NASCAR ARCA Menards Series West, capturing a dramatic 3rd-place finish at Madera Speedway. The result marks Eric’s 6th Top-5 and 8th Top-10 finish of 2025, further cementing his reputation in the series as a serious contender.

From Strategy to Survival

Starting from 6th on the grid, Eric managed his race early while working through handling issues, dropping back to a low of 8th place before methodically working his way forward. Taking advantage of a few well-timed restarts, Eric climbed as high as 2nd place by the midway mark, showing patience and racecraft in the heat of the moment.

With no pit stops for adjustments in the 150-lap race, Eric and the team had no choice but to switch into conservation mode, knowing he’d have to fight off challengers for nearly 60 laps straight.

Holding Off the Heavyweights

For the remainder of the race, Eric found himself under fire from two formidable opponents: last race’s winner Robbie Kennelly and series veteran and prior winner Joey Iest. Lap after lap, Eric absorbed contact to the rear bumper, traded paint, and ran door-to-door with the challengers as they attempted to get by. With the tight, one-groove nature of the track, Eric used every inch of space to his advantage while refusing to give up his spot, even under heavy pressure.

“Again, Eric Johnson Jr. is just fast enough to keep these guys behind him,” the announcer noted on the broadcast.

After the race, Eric explained:

“Early in the race I could see from 8th that the 3rd-place car was holding us all up on the bottom. I could tell with everyone stacking up in front of me that as long as the 3rd-place car stayed on the bottom, it was going to be nearly impossible to get by. It wasn’t until we had a restart that I even had the opportunity to go forward.”

It’s safe to assume Eric used this information to his advantage once he got into 3rd place.

The drama peaked on the final lap. Heading into the last corner, contact between Eric and Kennelly’s No. 1 car sent Eric up the track in front of Iest’s No. 88, who was to the right of the No. 1. Iest gave Eric a push from behind, turning him sideways and sending him back into the side of Kennelly as the three thundered to the checkered flag.

“I honestly thought it was the 1 car that knocked me sideways. It wasn’t until I saw a replay that I realized the 88 was even there, let alone made any contact with us. Just glad no one wrecked and we brought home another podium finish.” – Eric

In a tight photo finish, Eric edged both drivers at the line by a razor-thin 0.016 seconds, securing 3rd place in one of the most thrilling battles of the season so far.

Post-Race Interview

In a post-race interview, Eric Jr. shared his thoughts:

“I gotta give credit to Robbie there for not clearing me out and keeping it pretty clean… That’s the definition of making the most with what you’ve got. Sometimes at these short tracks you just have to get up on the wheel and fight for it.”

Jr. went on to credit his team for this year’s step up in performance:

“This is just a testament to this Jerry Pitts Racing Team. These guys have stuck it out with me both on and off the track, especially Dustin Ash (Crew Chief) and Logan Jewell (Spotter).”

Eric finished by adding:

“We came out here this year wanting to make progress, and that’s exactly what we did here. I couldn’t be happier to see our Pacific Office Automation Toyota up here on the podium.”

Eric Jr would like to thank all of his partners who make these sorts of moments possible. We couldn't do this without Pacific Office Automation, Sherwin Williams, Valleyscapes, Paul Davis Restoration, Key Property Services, Product41, and everyone else who supports us on this journey. Follow along on Eric's social media channels for more updates throughout the season!