PIT BOX: East Series champion will be crowned inside The Last Great Coliseum

A lot is on the line for ARCA Menards Series and ARCA Menards Series East competitors as they brace for a midweek showdown at Bristol Motor Speedway this Thursday with the running of the Bush’s Beans 200 (5:30 p.m. ET on FS1)

Known as ‘The Last Great Coliseum,’ Bristol’s fast, high-banked layout has produced plenty of hurt feelings and iconic moments in motorsports history since opening its doors in 1961. The ARCA Menards Series East began competing at Bristol back in 2012, with the national series joining the track’s busy schedule at the turn of the decade.

While Thursday’s Bush’s Beans 200 serves as a crucial late-season event for national ARCA Menards Series competitors, it will also determine who will be crowned champion in the East Series. Isaac Kitzmiller currently sits atop the East Series standings with a 19-point lead over Tyler Reif heading into the final race.

Last year’s trip to Bristol proved no championship lead is secure, as Connor Zilisch’s sizable advantage in the East Series standings was erased after he was involved in a mid-race crash. Exercising patience and respect will be imperative for competitors if they wish to emerge as a victorious gladiator after 200 grueling laps.

Tickets to the Bush’s Beans 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway can be purchased here. Below is everything to know ahead of Thursday’s race.

Bush’s Beans 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway

Consistency through seven ARCA Menards Series East events has allowed Isaac Kitzmiller to build a comfortable, but not infallible advantage over Tyler Reif heading into the season finale this Thursday at Bristol.

Kitzmiller has been stalwart in the East Series’ three combination events with the national ARCA Menards Series to close out 2025. He earned an impressive fourth place finish at Dover Motor Speedway in July before backing that performance up with a seventh-place effort at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park and a sixth-place result at Iowa Speedway.

Despite his deficit, one advantage Reif has over Kitzmiller is that he possesses previous experience at Bristol, as he finished sixth there last season. Reif returns to The Last Great Coliseum with a full season in Sigma Performance Services’ No. 23 under his belt and a shot at a championship.

Also mathematically eligible to win the East Series championship is third-place Zachary Tinkle, driver of Andy Hillenburg’s No. 11 Toyota. With one top-five and four top-10 finishes under his belt this season, Tinkle will need a lot of help to win the East Series championship Thursday. But as the saying goes, you’ve got to be in it to win it.

The two East Series championship contenders have plenty of competition to deal with at Bristol on Thursday evening. Joe Gibbs Racing, which won last season’s East Series driver’s title with William Sawalich, is set to formally wrap up the owner’s championship with Brent Crews, who is in search of his fifth platform victory in 2025.

One year removed from missing out on an East Series title with Connor Zilisch due to a crash outside of his control, Pinnacle Racing Group enters Bristol this week facing minimal concerns about the national series championship. Joining national points leader Brenden Queen for PRG at Bristol is Tristan McKee, who is making his second appearance in the team’s No. 82.

Garrett Mitchell, better known as Cleetus McFarland, returns to the ARCA Menards Series for his first start since finishing ninth at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May. Having recorded two top 10s in three ARCA Menards Series starts this year, McFarland looks to survive Bristol on Thursday and record his best performance on the platform to date.

Other names competing at Bristol on Thursday include Jake Finch, Patrick Staropoli, Lanie Buice, Andy Jankowiak, Thomas Annunziata, Timmy Hill, Carson Ware and Bobby Dale Earnhardt, grandson of seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt.

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: Field limited to 28 starters plus provisionals. This event will be run under the 2025 ARCA Menards Series rules, procedures, regulations and specifications.

QUALIFYING: Starting position will be set by each car’s fastest recorded lap per the Timed Session Qualifying Procedure, plus provisionals.

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 use at track (total, ‘from home’ plus purchased at track) for the event is 14.