WINCHESTER, IN :: Dalton Armstrong entered Sunday looking to claim a Winchester 400 victory and a surprising ARCA/CRA Super Series title to cap off his rookie season. At one point, both accomplishments seemed feasible, too.

However, in the end Armstrong was left empty and angry with a fourth-place finish.

Armstrong survived various issues during the attrition filled 400-lap CRA finale, running inside of the top 10 and rising as high as second while championship rival Cody Coughlin struggled.

Armstrong’s championship hopes proved fleeting when Coughlin surged comfortably into the top 10 amid multiple late-race crashes, but the rookie found himself in contention for a victory as the laps wound down.

“We had a fuel issue at the beginning of the race, cut two tires down and we still put ourselves in a good position,” Armstrong said. “We stayed up front for most of the day.”

Armstrong’s strong day culminated on the race’s final restart when the rookie found himself running alongside leader Eddie VanMeter. Looking for a surprise win, VanMeter held Armstrong’s No. 4 at bay on the initial start, but Armstrong quickly closed the gap.

Armstrong briefly peeked under VanMeter for the lead, but his move came undone when a hard-charging Travis Braden battled his way past the rookie amid some contact.

Braden would go on to top VanMeter in a controversial finish for the win. Armstrong, on the other hand, was left slamming the top of his car in frustration after confronting Braden on the frontstretch.

“That last restart, we had a good spot, tried to go under the [No.] 23, and I don’t even know,” Armstrong said. “The No. 26 that was just ridiculous. He doesn’t really deserve to win.

“It was good hard racing. I felt like I had a run on the (No. 23). Braden, I don’t even know where he came from. He just didn’t even lift. He was going to hit the wall if he hit one of us.”

Armstrong is uncertain of his future plans, but one thing’s certain for the rookie – he’ll be glad to step up from super late models.

“I can’t wait until I can move up so I don’t have to race with all of these assholes,” Armstrong said of his plans. “That’s about it.”