The ARCA Menards Series West championship in 2024 once again will be decided at Phoenix Raceway. And once again, defending champion Sean Hingorani is among the drivers eligible to end Friday’s Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 100 with a title.
This year, though, Hingorani does not have as comfortable a lead entering the finale. The 18-year-old carries a 14-point advantage in the standings over 17-year-old Tyler Reif compared to the 30-point edge he held over Trevor Huddleston leading into last year’s November Phoenix race.
Yet Hingorani has a simple scenario to clinch his second consecutive West Series title. If he finishes ninth or better Friday, he will win the championship no matter what Reif does. That number would change should either contender win the General Tire Pole Award on Thursday evening.
Hingorani is the points leader for the West Series driver’s championship despite his splitting the season among four rides. He’s raced Shigeaki Hattori’s No. 61 Toyota (one event), Joe Farre’s No. 24 Chevy (one event), Jerry Pitts’ No. 5 Toyota (six events) and Venturini Motorsports’ No. 15 Toyota (three events).
All three of Hingorani’s wins thus far in 2024 have come in the No. 15, which is the ride he’ll pilot at Phoenix. He swept the July 4 weekend races at California’s Irwindale Speedway, and he led all 150 laps at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway in Bakersfield, California, on Oct. 26.
Reif has spent his entire season racing Todd and Kelly Souza’s No. 13 Central Coast Cabinets Toyota. He scored back-to-back West Series wins on July 27 and Aug. 10 at California’s Shasta Speedway and Washington’s Tri-City Raceway, respectively.
Hingorani has scored top-five finishes in all but one West Series race to date this season. Reif has been almost as consistent with nine top fives over the same 11-race span.
Hingorani has a pair of top fives in four previous West Series race at Phoenix with an average finish of 11.8. Reif also has made four starts at Phoenix, but his resume at the track includes a win in last year’s spring race. Reif’s average finish at Phoenix is 7.3.
With three victories to Reif’s two, Hingorani holds all tiebreakers entering Phoenix — that is, unless, Reif wins Friday to alter the tiebreaker scenario.
Below are all of the points scenarios for Hingorani and Reif entering the West Series season-finale at Phoenix. Included below the table are the tiebreaker scenarios.
The race winner is awarded three bonus points. Additionally, a bonus point is awarded for the General Tire Pole Award winner, to any driver who leads a lap and to the driver who leads the most laps.
Sean Hingorani vs. Tyler Reif: West Series championship scenarios for Phoenix
ARCA Menards Series points tiebreaker procedure
In the event two or more drivers have the same number of points, the tiebreaker in points shall be determined based on current season events in the respective series in the following order:
- Events entered and competed in
- Most victories
- Most top five-five finishes
- Most top-10 finishes
- Most poles
- Average finishing position
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