Crowning a Champion: Previewing the ARCA/ARCA East Bush’s Beans 200 at Bristol

The ARCA Menards Series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway on Thursday afternoon for the Bush’s Beans 200, a combination event for the ARCA Menards Series, and ARCA Menards Series East. For the East Series, this race will mark the season finale, and at the end of the grueling short-track affair, one of the two dominant drivers in the series will be crowned the champion.

Heading into the race, Pinnacle Racing Group’s Connor Zilisch leads Joe Gibbs Racing’s William Sawalich by just 16 points, and with 34 cars on the entry list, a lot of points can be gained or lost by both drivers on Thursday night.

While the 0.533-mile high-banked concrete Bristol Motor Speedway is a tough animal, Zilisch is in control of his ARCA Menards Series East championship destiny.

If Zilisch fails to lead a lap and finishes 11th, and Sawalich scores maximum points on the day by winning the pole, leading the most laps, and winning the race, the two drivers will finish the season with the exact same point total. However, Zilisch would win the tie-breaker by having four wins this season. Sawalich can only bring his total to three with a win on Thursday night.

What this means is if the Zilisch can finish 11th or better he’ll supplant Sawalich as the East Series champion. If he finishes 12th or worse, he opens up the possibility of Sawalich repeating as champion in back-to-back seasons.

The question is, will Zilisch play it safe, or will he go for another win to close out his championship run? Trouble lurks around the corner under either scenario, so you’d imagine Zilisch will be full-on press for the win and championship. But he’s had several run-ins with his championship competitor Sawalich. Can the two teenagers coexist on Thursday night? We’ll see.

The Bristol race will also mark the 18th of 20 races in the 2024 ARCA Menards Series season. Heading into the race, a pair of Rev Racing teammates lead the championship standings.

Andres Perez de Lara leads Lavar Scott by 54 points for the championship. While neither driver has won yet this season, both drivers have displayed really good consistency. But as mentioned above, Thursday night’s race will be critical to both driver’s championship aspirations. With a 34-car entry list, there is a chance that Perez de Lara’s championship point lead either doubles or nearly evaporates by the end of the Bush’s Beans 200.

If both drivers slip up, there’s a chance that Venturini Motorsports’ Kris Wright, who is currently 75 points behind Perez de Lara in third, could creep back into the championship picture.

ARCA Menards Series Bush’s Beans 200 Entry List