Max Reaves Charges to First ARCA East Win on Debut at Five Flags

Max Reaves has officially begun his career in the ARCA Menards Series East, getting behind the wheel of the No. 18 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing at Five Flags Speedway.

With the organization having won each of the last four championships in the ARCA Menards Series East, the expectations were pretty high for Reaves, but the 15-year-old driver lived up to all the pressure.

“I’m speechless right now,” Reaves said post-race. “I felt like Superman when I passed the leader right here, and passed lapped cars, it was awesome, the car was awesome, this is awesome.”

“You just drive your heart out, I learned a lot from Bobby, my little brother we play iRacing, I’d say I learned a lot from that and just growing up, I just love it, driving is just me, it’s all I do.”

A native of Trinity, North Carolina, Reaves was able to make the final pass for the lead on Kole Raz late in Saturday’s 150-lap event, after a bobble earlier in the second half of the race cost him the lead against the driver of the No. 76.

Kole Raz, who is scheduled to compete in events across all three divisions of the ARCA Menards Series in 2025, finished runner-up to Reaves after putting up a valiant fight.

Tyler Reif brought his Sigma Performance Services entry home in third-place, leaving Five Flags Speedway is the highest finisher of the drivers that have declared a full-time ARCA East campaign for 2025.

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series regular Connor Mosack joined Pinnacle Racing Group for the season-opener for the ARCA East Series, finishing fourth after rebounding from going a lap down early in the event.

Mosack was locked into a battle against Reaves for the race, when contact between the two drivers cut down a tire on the No. 28 Pinnacle Racing Group Chevrolet SS, sending him spinning in Turn 1.

Isaac Kitzmiller, the 15-year-old son of ARCA Menards Series full-timer Jason Kitzmiller, rounded out the top five in his first event driving an ARCA Menards Series racecar.

Carson Brown, Timmy Hill, London McKenzie, Hunter Wright, and Zachary Tinkle completed the top-10 in the 150-lap contest from Five Flags Speedway.

As the series takes some time off before its next standalone race at Rockingham Speedway, Max Reaves holds the series points lead by six points over Kole Raz.

Reaves is scheduled to run 10 events across the ARCA Menards Series platform, but as of this moment, is not scheduled to compete for the East Series championship.

Rockingham Speedway will be next on the ARCA East schedule with the event happening on April 19 at 1:00 PM. Coverage of the event will be on FloRacing.

Pensacola 150 Race Results: