PIT BOX: Tight East Series championship battle heads to Flat Rock Speedway

After making its grand return to the ARCA Menards Series platform in 2023, the historic Flat Rock Speedway is back once again for the 2024 campaign as an East Series event.

When the facility first opened back in 1953, Flat Rock had NASCAR founder and president Bill France Sr. serve as its promoter, which helped bring in the sanctioning body’s Convertible Series. NASCAR Hall of Famer Curtis Turner won the inaugural Convertible Series event at 1956, with Allen Adkins taking the second and final NASCAR victory at Flat Rock the following year.

Even after France vacated his position as track promoter, Flat Rock continued to thrive over the next several decades as a staple on the ARCA Menards Series calendar. Among the drivers who have a Flat Rock victory on their resume include Ramo Stott, Bob Dotter, Bill Venturini, Bob Keselowski, Joe Ruttman, Tim Steele and Frank Kimmel.

Flat Rock has continued to thrive in the 21^st century with a vibrant weekly racing atmosphere that includes late models, street stocks and Figure 8s. That schedule now includes ARCA, which re-established a welcomed presence at Flat Rock last year after being away from the facility for over 20 years.

Tickets to the Dutch Boy 150 can be purchased here. Below is everything to know about the fourth race on the 2024 ARCA Menards Series East schedule.

Dutch Boy 150:

WHAT TO WATCH FOR:

Fresh off his first ARCA Menards Series East victory of 2024 at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, William Sawalich now looks to defend his Flat Rock Speedway win from the previous year.

The defending East Series champion had to battle Sean Hingorani all afternoon to earn a shot at the lead. A caution with just over 50 laps remaining gave Sawalich the opening he needed to overtake Hingorani and lead the final 48 laps for what was then his second East Series win.

Sawalich will have a different cast of characters to contend with in this year’s Dutch Boy 150, but there are still plenty of challenges for him to deal with. One of them comes in the form of East Series points leader Connor Zilisch, who claimed a victory at Dover Motor Speedway earlier this year following contact between him and Sawalich on a late restart.

Venturini Motorsports will also have representation at Flat Rock with two cars on the entry list. Gio Ruggiero is chasing his second career East Series victory, while Toni Breidinger will pilot the No. 55 in her first standalone East Series start since Dover last year.

The complete entry list for the Dutch Boy 150 will be available later this week.

RACING REFERENCE:

• Previous ARCA Menards Series races at Flat Rock
• ARCA Menards Series East drivers at Flat Rock

RACE FACTS:

CREW CHIEF HANDOUT: The starting field for the Dutch Boy 150 is limited to 22 drivers plus provisionals. This event wll run under the 2024 ARCA Menards Series East rules, procedures, regulations and specifications.

QUALIFYING: The starting lineup is set by two consecutive laps of qualifying. No adjustments or repairs may be made on the car after taking green flag at start/finish line.

RACE PIT STOP: Pitting during any caution period will be for making repairs and adjustments only, no tires can be changed unless approved by ARCA officials. Positions will not be gained or lost among those pitting on the same lap unless for penalty or going a lap down on pit road.

TIRE ALLOTMENT: Per ARCA Rulebook, the maximum tire usage for this event (purchased plus from-home tires) is 8. The maximum numver of tires allowed in pit box for use in race is 2 for emergency use only (EIRI).