Homestead Miami Speedway

Seth Lacroix brought the #88 home first at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, collecting his fourth win of the season in Round 13 of the AERA series. Lacroix, who started from the second position, led 130 of 135 laps in a 16-car field that saw four cautions consume 12 laps. Three lead changes unfolded across the afternoon, with #67 Bryce Fountaine — who started from the pole — accounting for one lap of leadership before a race that largely belonged to Lacroix. #17 Joshua Edmonds led the other four laps before ultimately settling for fourth. Lacroix crossed the line ahead of #44 John Ross, who delivered a clean run from third on the grid, recording zero incidents across the distance.

The third position went to #92 Omar Rodriguez Jr., who earned his first podium finish in the AERA series after starting 11th and carving his way to third by the checkered flag. Rodriguez Jr. was also the race's Hard Charger, gaining eight positions across the 135-lap distance and joining Lacroix and Ross on the podium without a single incident to his name. The result adds 34 points to his account and has real implications for the title picture going forward.

Bryce Fountaine's afternoon told the opposite story. The #67 qualified on pole but ultimately crossed the line 15th, losing 14 positions from where he started — the steepest position loss of any driver in the field. Meanwhile, #02 Tristan Haynes dropped six spots from his P8 starting spot to finish 14th, and #16 Joseph Miller — who started 14th — charged to sixth with eight incidents along the way, one of the rougher runs of the afternoon despite the forward progress.

The standings after Round 13 show #24 Dawson Price holding the series lead with 2,306 points, but Lacroix's win tightens things considerably — the #88 now sits 26 points back in second. Joshua Edmonds is a further 20 points behind Lacroix in third at 2,260, while David Joiner and Rodriguez Jr. round out the top five at 2,237 and 2,228 respectively. With Lacroix now four wins deep this season and closing on Price, who finished seventh on Sunday, the battle at the front of the standings enters a critical phase with several rounds remaining.