PIT BOX: Connor Zilisch and William Sawalich will settle the ARCA Menards Series East title fight at Bristol

Two drivers will enter the Last Great Coliseum of Bristol Motor Speedway with a shot at the ARCA Menards Series East title. One will leave as a champion.

Many intense battles have been fought inside Bristol’s hallowed grounds since the facility first opened for motorsports back in 1961. From the famous duels between Dale Earnhardt and Terry Labonte in the 1990s to Chase Elliott disrupting Kevin Harvick’s chance of a victory in 2021, Bristol is the site of numerous iconic moments in NASCAR history.

In recent years, Bristol has become a staple on the ARCA Menards Series calendar, serving as the East Series finale for most of the 2020s. Toyota has reigned supreme at Bristol during that time span with their drivers William Sawalich and Sammy Smith hoisting the champion’s trophy, the latter of whom won the East Series title in both 2021 and 2022.

It will be a challenge for Toyota to earn a fourth consecutive East Series title in Thursday’s Bush’ Beans 200, as Sawalich faces a 16-point deficit to Connor Zilisch ahead of what is expected to be a frantic and competitive event alongside the regulars of the national ARCA Menards Series.

Tickets to the Bush’s Beans 200 can be purchased here. Below is everything to know ahead of the 2024 ARCA Menards Series East finale.

Bush’s Beans 100

William Sawalich has enjoyed a stellar campaign on the ARCA Menards Series platform in 2024, amassing nine victories across 17 starts.

Despite this, a couple of crucial factors have prevented Sawalich from holding the ARCA Menards Series East points leading heading into Bristol Motor Speedway. He only has two victories with the East Series this year, while a late crash at Dover Motor Speedway caused Sawalich to lose valuable ground.

Connor Zilisch has been nearly as strong as Sawalich with the ARCA Menards Series this year, but the efficiency he displayed in the East Series races, specifically, shifted the championship in his favor. Of the seven East Series events contested thus far, Zilisch visited Victory Lane in four of them, all while not recording a single finish outside the top five.

Fresh off a victory in his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Watkins Glen International, Zilisch will have momentum and reinforcements on his side at Bristol. Pinnacle Racing Group is deploying a second car for dirt standout Corey Day, who looks to improve upon a disappointing 15^th in his ARCA Menards Series debut at Salem Speedway.

Thursday’s Bush’s Beans 200 also has representation from the ARCA Menards Series West. Current points leader Tyler Reif is heading to Bristol behind the wheel of the No. 23 Chevrolet for Sigma Performance Services, a West Coast operation fresh off a fifth-place run with Connor Mosack at Watkins Glen.

Other notable names set to compete at Bristol include Marco Andretti, Gio Ruggiero, Dean Thompson, Landen Lewis, Andy Jankowiak, Jake Finch and Greg Van Alst, among others.

The complete entry list for the Bush’s Beans 200 can be viewed here.

RACING REFERENCE

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

RACE FACTS

CREW CHIEF HANDOUT: The starting field for the Bush’s Beans 200 is limited to 28 starters plus provisionals. This event will be run under the 2024 ARCA Menards Seires rules, procedures, regulations and specifications.

QUALIFYING: Starting lineup is set by a timed session. All cars must make a qualifying attempt and all drivers must practice before they qualify.

RACE PIT STOP: Break pit stop procedure. Break at or near lap 100. No adding or moving tires to or from pit box once race has started. 

TIRE ALLOTMENT: The maximum tire us 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 eight.