PIT BOX: Sweet racing ahead as ARCA and East Series stars head to IRP for Reese’s 200

For the second time this season, the ARCA Menards Series and ARCA Menards Series East will unite for a night of short-track racing action. Friday’s Reese’s 200 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (6 p.m. ET on FS1) will serve as the 12th race of the ARCA Menards Series season and sixth race of the ARCA Menards Series East season.

The ARCA Menards Series has visited IRP 17 times dating back to the series’ first visit in 1971, which was won by Ramo Stott. After not visiting the track for 26 years, the ARCA Menards Series returned in 2011, with Ty Dillon scoring a victory.

Other ARCA winners at IRP through the years include Bob Schacht, Jimmy Hensley, Frank Kimmel, Brandon Jones, Travis Braden, Chase Briscoe, Christian Eckes and the winner of the last three ARCA events at the track, Chandler Smith.

Friday’s race will mark just the fifth time the ARCA Menards Series East has raced at IRP. The first visit to the track came in 1987, when the event was held as a combination race with the NASCAR Xfinity Series and won by Larry Pearson. Combination races were held each of the next three years with Xfinity and the East Series, with Morgan Shepherd, Michael Waltrip and Steve Grissom securing victories.

Tickets for Friday’s Reese’s can be purchased here. Below is everything to know about the event.

Reese’s 200 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park

WHAT TO WATCH FOR:

Jesse Love will look to add another feather to his cap Friday as he marches toward the ARCA Menards Series championship. He already has six victories in 11 events this year aboard the No. 20 Venturini Motorsports Toyota, with a seventh win very possible Friday at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

He’ll face a strong field of contenders in the Reese’s 200, including ARCA Menards Series East championship leader William Sawalich, who will pilot the No. 18 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. Sawalich’s title rival, Luke Fenhaus, will also be in action aboard the No. 28 Pinnacle Racing Group Chevrolet.

Venturini Motorsports will also field entries for Sean Hingorani, Conner Jones and Toni Breidinger on Friday. Rev Racing will have a pair of entries in the field driven by Andres Perez de Lara and Lavar Scott. Frankie Muniz, fresh off his first top-five finish of the year at Michigan International Speedway, will again pilot the No. 30 Ford for Rette Jones Racing.

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Daytona winner Greg Van Alst makes his return to ARCA competition Friday at IRP as part of a planned double-dip with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series later in the same evening. D.L. Wilson, who was injured in the ARCA event at Phoenix Raceway in March, also makes his return to competition aboard the No. 12 Toyota for Fast Track Racing.

Costner Weaver Motorsports will field the No. 93 Chevrolet for 23-year-old Isaac Johnson, who will make his ARCA platform debut. MAN Motorsports will field the No. 95 Toyota for Christopher Martin Jr., who will make his second series start after debuting last year at IRP.

Other notable entries include Jon Garrett, Zachary Tinkle and Christian Rose.

The full entry list for Friday’s Reese’s 200 is available here.

RACING REFERENCE:

• Previous ARCA races at IRP
• ARCA Menards Series drivers at IRP

RACE FACTS:

CREW CHIEF HANDOUT: The starting field for the Reese’s 200 is limited to 26 starters plus provisionals. This event will run under the 2023 ARCA Menards Series rules, procedures, regulations and specifications.

QUALIFYING: Starting position will be set by timed session, followed by impound. All cars must make an attempt, and all drivers must practice before they can qualify.

RACE PIT STOP: Break pit stop procedure. Break at or near the conclusion of lap 100. All cars will be required to make at least one pit stop prior to last 10 laps of race. No adding or moving tires to or from pit box once race has started. (Learn about all of ARCA’s pit stop procedures here.)

TIRE ALLOTMENT: The maximum tire use at track (total, “from home” plus purchased at track) for the event is 14. Per ARCA Rulebook, maximum number of tires allowed in pit box for use in race is six (6).