PIT BOX: East Series season launches Saturday with annual trip to Five Flags Speedway

The 39th season of competition for the ARCA Menards Series East begins Saturday with the running of the Pensacola 150 at Five Flags Speedway (7:30 p.m. CT / 8:30 p.m. ET on FloRacing).

Saturday’s race marks the third consecutive year Five Flags will host the opening race of the East Series season and the eighth time overall the East Series has raced at the half-mile paved oval.

Ben Kennedy captured the inaugural East Series checkered flag at Five Flags in 2013. Additional East Series winners at Five Flags include two-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Ben Rhodes, Sam Mayer, Sammy Smith, William Sawalich and Gio Ruggiero.

Tickets for the Pensacola 150 can be purchased here. Below is everything you need to know for Saturday’s ARCA Menards Series East opener at Five Flags Speedway.

Pensacola 150 at Five Flags Speedway

A new ARCA Menards Series East season means a new group of contenders vying for wins and a championship in one of the most competitive divisions in motorsports.

With the departure of two-time East Series champion William Sawalich, who has graduated to the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Joe Gibbs Racing, a first-time champion is guaranteed to be crowned this year in the East Series.

Taking the wheel of the car vacated by Sawalich will be Max Reaves, who will be making his ARCA platform debut for Joe Gibbs Racing during Saturday’s race. He kicked off his season by competing in the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna Speedway, where he broke through for his first win at the track in the Pro Late Model class in February.

Sigma Performance Services will tackle the entire East Series season with West Series standout Tyler Reif at the wheel of the No. 23 Chevrolet. Another contender joining the fray this year is NASCAR veteran Timmy Hill, who is launching his own ARCA program and will contest the full East Series schedule this year for the first time.

Kole Raz, fresh off a pair top-10 finishes in ARCA Menards Series competition, will be in the field Saturday aboard the No. 76 Ford for AM Racing. MAN Motorsports will have two entries in the field for Hunter Wright and Jackson McLerran. Connor Mosack, an ARCA Menards Series winner last year at Kansas Speedway, will also be in the field in the No. 28 Chevrolet for Pinnacle Racing Group.

Another World Series winner last month, Carson Brown, will make his ARCA platform debut Saturday. The winner of two Super Late Model features last month at New Smyrna will pilot the No. 4 Chevrolet out of the Hettinger Racing stable. Additional ARCA platform debutants expected during Saturday’s race include Isaac Kitzmiller, London McKenzie and Corey Aiken.

Other notable entries include Zachary Tinkle, Takuma Koga, Andrew Patterson, Becca Monopoli, D.L. Wilson and Brad Smith, among others.

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

RACING REFERENCE:

• Previous ARCA Menards Series East races at Five Flags
• ARCA Menards Series East drivers at Five Flags

RACE FACTS:

CREW CHIEF HANDOUT: Field limited to 22 starters plus provisionals. This event will be run under the 2025 ARCA Menards Series East rules, procedures, regulations and specifications.

QUALIFYING: Two consecutive laps qualifying. No adjustments or repairs may be made on the car after taking green flag at Start/Finish line. All cars must make a qualifying attempt, all drivers must practice before they can qualify.

RACE PIT STOP: Break pitting procedure. Break at/or near the conclusion of Lap 75. 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 12. Maximum number of tires allowed in pit box for use in race is four (4).