PIT BOX: West Series returns to Phoenix with a loaded entry list for the penultimate race of the 2026 season

For the penultimate race of the season, the ARCA Menards Series West this week makes another trip to Phoenix Raceway, the largest oval on the schedule.

This time around will be a standalone event unlike the March outing, but there are still a plethora of teams and drivers from the national ARCA Menards Series scheduled to race at Phoenix this weekend. An influx of competition creates an immense challenge for the West Series regulars looking to finish 2026 on a high note.

Phoenix has long been a proving ground for West Coast competitors, having been a regular stop on the West Series schedule since the late 1970s. The facility has undergone several reconfigurations over the past several decades, with the current layout featuring a dogleg on the frontstretch that creates ample passing opportunities, especially on restarts.

With the West Series also sharing the track alongside all three of NASCAR’s top divisions, more attention will be on not only the regulars but those arriving from the East Coast. Combined with the fact there are just two races left on the ARCA Menards Series platform this year, drivers will have plenty of motivation to find Victory Lane on Saturday evening.

Tickets to the Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 100 can be purchased here. Below is everything to know ahead of the 12^th race on the ARCA Menards Series West calendar.

Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 100 at Phoenix Raceway

Saturday marks the end of an era for the ARCA Menards Series, as it will be Joe Gibbs Racing’s final start on the platform.

Ever since establishing a dedicated ARCA Menards Series program in 2017, JGR has put together a dominant legacy that includes copious victories and four combined driver’s championships between the national series and ARCA Menards Series East.

For JGR’s final outing in the Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 100, Max Reaves will pilot the No. 18 Cook Out Toyota. Reaves is one of many drivers JGR helped develop in a decade on the ARCA Menards Series platform, having visited Victory Lane with them 12 times during the past two years.

Pinnacle Racing Group will do battle with JGR one last time this weekend at Phoenix Raceway. The last time the ARCA Menards Series platform visited Phoenix, PRG put together a stellar 1-2 performance, with Carson Brown leading all 157 laps from the pole over his teammate Tristan McKee.

Piloting the same No. 28 for PRG that Brown won with in March is Helio Meza, who is fresh off a pole in his ARCA Menards Series West debut at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Joining Meza on the PRG roster this weekend is Taylor Reimer, who has three top-five finishes with the organization in 2026.

Taylor Mayhew is back with the West Series after scoring his first victory in a photo finish over Robbie Kennealy nearly two weeks ago at The Bullring. Mayhew was among the West Series drivers who competed at Phoenix earlier this year; he kept his car in one piece to score an eighth-place finish.

West Series points leader Trevor Huddleston saw another dominant performance come up short of a victory at The Bullring following a late spin, but he still holds a comfortable advantage over Kennealy. Huddleston’s most recent trip to Phoenix in March saw him score his career-best finish at the track with a fourth.

Other drivers set to compete at Phoenix this weekend include Isabella Robusto, Gavan Boschele, Jade Avedisian, Kasey Kleyn, Sam Corry and Esteban Rodriguez.

The complete entry list for the Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 100 will be released later this week.

RACING REFERENCE:

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

RACE FACTS:

CREW CHIEF HANDOUT: Field limited to 32 starters, plus provisionals (EIRI). This event will be run under the 2026 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. No adjustments or repairs may be made on the car after entering pit road to qualify. All cars must make a qualifying attempt; all drivers must practice before they car qualify (EIRI).

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 for the entire race day event.