PIT BOX: Sean Hingorani, Tyler Reif to settle West Series championship at Phoenix

The ARCA Menards Series West season will come to a close Friday with the running of the Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 100 at Phoenix Raceway (11:30 a.m. MT / 1:30 p.m. ET on FloRacing).

Either Sean Hingorani or Tyler Reif will add his name to the list of West Series champions at the conclusion of Friday’s event. One season ago, it was Hingorani who clinched the championship, something he’ll attempt to do again Friday afternoon.

Phoenix has been a staple on the West Series schedule since 1977, when NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough visited Victory Lane. Countless other familiar names have won at Phoenix since then, including Richard Petty, Neil Bonnett, Bobby Allison, Alan Kulwicki, Bill Elliott, Dale Earnhardt, Davey Allison, Mark Martin, Terry Labonte, Ricky Rudd, Ken Schrader, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, Cole Custer, Ty Gibbs, Sammy Smith and the most recent winner, William Sawalich.

Tickets to Friday’s Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 100 are available here. Below is everything you need to know about the final ARCA platform event of 2024.

Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 100 at Phoenix Raceway

With only one race left in the 2024 West Series season, the battle for the championship has come down to Hingorani and Reif.

Hingorani enters as the championship leader with a 14-point advantage on Reif. Hingorani, who will be making his fourth start of the West Series campaign in Venturini Motorsports’ No. 15 Toyota, needs to finish ninth or better to win his second West Series title no matter what Reif does.

Reif, the driver of the No. 13 Toyota for Central Coast Racing, does have one thing going for him that Hingorani doesn’t: He is a former Phoenix winner, with his victory coming during the ARCA-West Series combo event in 2023.

Both competitors will have to contend with a strong field that will be looking to play spoiler, including Sawalich, who has won the last two West Series events at Phoenix dating back to this race one season ago. He’ll again pilot the No. 18 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing.

Also entered is Sawalich’s East Series title rival Connor Zilisch, who is back at the wheel of the No. 28 Chevrolet for the Pinnacle Racing Group.

Venturini Motorsports will bring five entries to Phoenix, with Marco Andretti set to pilot the No. 25 for the team for the first time. Joining Hingorani and Andretti in the Venturini stable will be Brent Crews, Jake Finch and Gio Ruggiero.

Kaden Honeycutt will make his first West Series start of the season in the No. 23 Chevrolet for Joe Farre, and Lavar Scott will pilot the No. 6 Chevrolet for Rev Racing.

Other notable entries include Trevor Huddleston, Sebastian Arias, Jack Wood, Eric Johnson Jr. and Kole Raz, among others.

The full entry list for Friday’s event will be available later this week.

RACING REFERENCE

• Previous ARCA Menards Series West races at Phoenix
• ARCA Menards Series West drivers at Phoenix

CREW CHIEF HANDOUT: The starting field for the Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 100 is limited to 30 starters plus provisionals. This event will be run under the 2024 ARCA Menards Series West rules, procedures, regulations and specifications.

QUALIFYING: Starting position will be set by the fastest lap recorded in qualifying per the Timed Session Qualifying Procedure, plus provisionals.

RACE PIT STOP: Break pitting procedure. Break at or near the conclusion of Lap 50. No adding or moving tires to or from pit box once race has started.

TIRE ALLOTMENT: Per ARCA Rulebook, maximum tire usage for this event (purchased plus from-home tires) is 10. Maximum number of tires allowed in pit box for use in race is four (4), two (2) for break and two (2) for emergency use; all emergency tire changes must be approved by ARCA official.