PIT BOX: High banks of Daytona await ARCA Menards Series drivers for 2026 season-opener

Just like NASCAR’s three premier divisions, the ARCA Menards Series opens every season with a trip to the historic Daytona International Speedway.

Daytona has hosted events for the ARCA Menards Series since the 1964 season, with the first checkered flag belonging to Nelson Stacy. Since that day, numerous other notable names have visited Daytona’s Victory Lane in an ARCA Menards Series race, such as Iggy Katona, Jack Bowsher, Benny Parsons, Tim Richmond, Bobby Gerhart and Kyle Busch.

The racing at Daytona has changed in numerous regards over the past several decades. Following the introduction of restrictor plates, drafting is now a cornerstone of every ARCA Menards Series Daytona event, which requires drivers to be patient and time out their runs to move toward the front and avoid getting collected in a major accident.

Daytona’s prestige has once again attracted a large field of competitors for this year’s race, with 50 cars vying for 40 starting positions. Every driver entered has the same goal in mind: Keep the car in one piece and fight for an opportunity to be immortalized as a Daytona ARCA Menards Series winner.

Tickets to the General Tire 200 can be purchased here. Below is everything to know ahead of the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway.

General Tire 200 at Daytona International Speedway

For the past decade, Venturini Motorsports had established themselves as one of the most efficient ARCA Menards Series at Daytona International Speedway with drivers like Corey Heim, Harrison Burton and Michael Self all winning for the program.

Although Venturini ceased operations at the end of 2025, the organization’s spiritual successor Nitro Motorsports looks to carry on that prestigious legacy. Nitro is bringing a six-car armada to Daytona for the General Tire 200, which consists of Isabella Robusto, Thomas Annunziata, Jake Finch, Jake Bollman, Wesley Slimp and 2024 winner Gus Dean.

Pinnacle Racing Group will be among the teams Nitro will have to deal with to contend for a victory Saturday. One year removed from prevailing at Daytona with reigning series champion Brenden ‘Butterbean’ Queen, PRG will have two cars entered in the General Tire 200 driven by Jack Wood and Taylor Reimer.

Joe Gibbs Racing looks to earn its first Daytona ARCA Menards Series win this weekend with Gio Ruggiero piloting the No. 18 Toyota; he will make his NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debut with the team later Saturday. Ruggiero’s lone NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory to date came at another drafting track in Talladega Superspeedway last year.

Aside from Dean, the only other past General Tire 200 winner entered this weekend is Greg Van Alst, who pulled off the upset victory in 2023 with a last-lap pass on Jason White. Van Alst will chase another Daytona checkered flag in the No. 19 for Maples Motorsports, where he joined by teammates Michael Maples, Ryan Vargas and Tony Cosentino.

Garrett Mitchell, known by his internet persona “Cleetus McFarland,” is seeking a better result in Rette Jones Racing’s No. 30 Ford after two separate on-track accidents in last year’s General Tire 200 ended his ARCA Menards Series debut after 17 laps. Mitchell is also making his first Truck Series start Friday with Niece Motorsports in the No. 4 Chevrolet.

Other notable names making the trip to Daytona for the General Tire 200 on Saturday include RAM Race For the Seat winner Mini Tyrrell, Daniel Dye, Andy Jankowiak, Andrew Patterson, Kole Raz, Jason Kitzmiller, Willie Mullins, Alli Owens and Bobby Dale Earnhardt.

The complete entry list can be viewed here.

RACING REFERENCE:

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

RACE FACTS:

CREW CHIEF HANDOUT: Field limited to 32 starters plus provisionals (EIRI). Four (4) provisional positions will be reserved for car owners based on final 2025 ARCA Menards Series owner point standings, plus four (4) for a Golden A eligible team which competed in 100% of the races in 2025. If no Golden A eligible team(s), the respective provisional starting positions will revert to 2025 ARCA Menards Series car owner point standings. This event will be run under the 2026 ARCA Menards Series rules, procedures, regulations and specifications.

QUALIFYING: In timed sessions by group. Groups will be determined by random draw. No adjustments or repairs may be made on car after passing pre-qualifying inspection. All cars must make a qualifying attempt; all drivers must practice before they can qualify.

RACE PIT STOP: Modified Live Pit Stop procedure. There will be a scheduled caution at or near lap 40. No adding or moving tires to or from pit box once race has started.

TIRE ALLOTMENT: Per ARCA Rulebook, the maximum tire use at track (total ‘from home’ plus purchased at track) for the event is 16.