Annunziata hits back at Bollman after bitter ARCA title showdown: "He's not innocent"

Friday's ARCA Menard's Series finale at Kansas Speedway was rife with drama, as title rival Thomas Annunziata hit back at teammate and former 16-point leader Jake Bollman. Earlier, Bollman had collided with Annunziata, sending him into a spin during the race. Annunziata then struck Bollman again a few laps later, sparking intense animosity between the two.

While the incidents appeared to be a form of payback, Annunziata insisted he merely "misjudged it" and called it an "eye for an eye," pointing to past clashes where Bollman had hit him. The two ended the season deadlocked for the championship, with Annunziata emerging victorious in the tiebreaker. This traumatic defeat for Bollman, who had dominated the season, left him fuming.

After the race, Bollman admitted, "We should have been more patient, but I wanted to really get that last win. I don't feel like I put myself in any bad situation except that lapped car deal, and cost us a little bit there. But getting flat out dumped for that? I apologized right as it happened on the radio... It just hurts real bad..."

The incident involving the lapped car proved especially incendiary, with Bollman later declaring he won't speak to Annunziata again. Annunziata commented on the remarks, acknowledging Bollman's animosity, but stating he is not innocent. He recounted an incident from Duquoin, where Bollman floored it near the finish line to push Annunziata ahead, resulting in Annunziata spinning him out.

Annunziata was clear that he would have gone around Bollman's outside to avoid the collision. Annunziata emphasized the imbalance in their qualifying record, having out-qualified Bollman for 13 consecutive weeks. He expressed disappointment over Bollman's dismissal, stating, "I didn't take the championship away from him today."