2024 Pensacola 150 Explained

Type:CUST
First Driver:Gio Ruggiero
Announcers:Charles Krall
Distance Mi:75
Year:2024
Race Name:Pensacola 150
Scheduled Mi:75
Course Mi:0.5
Distance Laps:150
Scheduled Laps:150
Distance Km:120
Scheduled Km:120
Avg:74.298mph
Car:20
Location:Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida
Most Driver:William Sawalich
First Team:Venturini Motorsports
Most Laps:80
Most Team:Joe Gibbs Racing
Pole Time:17.126
Pole Team:Joe Gibbs Racing
Date:March 23
Network:FloRacing
Pole Driver:William Sawalich
Description:Race 1 of 8 of the 2024 ARCA Menards Series East
Official Name:5th Annual Pensacola 150
Course Km:0.80
Radio:ARCA Racing Network
Details Ref:[1] [2] [3] [4]

The 2024 Pensacola 150 was the first stock car race of the 2024 ARCA Menards Series East season, and the 5th running of the event. The race was held on Saturday, March 23, 2024, at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida, a 0.5 mile (0.80 km) permanent asphalt oval shaped short track. The race took the scheduled 150 laps to complete. In a thrilling race that featured an intense battle between Gio Ruggiero and William Sawalich, Ruggiero, driving for Venturini Motorsports, would take the lead from Sawalich on the final restart following the race break, and held him off for the final 70 laps to earn his first career ARCA Menards Series East win.[5] Sawalich, who started on the pole, dominated the first half of the race, leading a race-high 80 laps before losing the lead on the final restart and ultimately finished 2nd. To fill out the podium, Bubba Pollard, driving for Phoenix Racing, would finish 3rd, respectively.

Report

Background

Five Flags Speedway is a half-mile (0.8 km) paved oval racetrack in Pensacola, Florida. It opened in 1953 and is located on Pine Forest Road.[6] It is christened after the nickname of Pensacola—"City of Five Flags."[7]

It runs several local classes during the regular racing season (March – October). These classes include Super Late Models, Pro Late Models, Pro Trucks, Outlaw Stocks, Sportsman, and Pure Stocks. The races are usual held on Friday nights bi-weekly. The track has also hosted many regional touring series.[8] [9]

In 2019, the ARCA Menards Series returned to the track, but for one year only. After the merge between ARCA and NASCAR after the 2019 season, the former NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, (now called ARCA Menards Series East) began racing at Five Flags in 2020.

Entry list

DriverTeamMakeSponsor
0Nate MoellerWayne Peterson RacingFordWayne Peterson Racing
1Bubba PollardPhoenix RacingChevroletPhoenix
06Cody Dennison (R)Wayne Peterson RacingToyotaToolGanizer
07Tyler ScofieldScofield MotorsportsChevroletJXT Transportation
10Mike BashamFast Track RacingFordDiesel Boys LLC / Double "H" Ranch
11Zachary TinkleFast Track RacingToyotaFast Track Racing
12Presley SorahFast Track RacingToyotaOEM Pensacola / Tatanka Sauce
18William SawalichJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaStarkey / SoundGear
20Gio Ruggiero (R)Venturini MotorsportsToyotaJBL
28nowrapConnor Zilisch (R)Pinnacle Racing GroupChevroletChevrolet / Silver Hare Development
31Rita GouletRise MotorsportsChevroletnowrapNationalpolice.org / Backthelane.com
39D. L. WilsonnowrapCostner Weaver MotorsportsToyotaETR / Wilson Traditional Metals
55Jake FinchVenturini MotorsportsToyotaPhoenix Construction
93Colton CollinsCostner Weaver MotorsportsChevroletCooper Marketing Unlimited
95Hunter WrightMAN MotorsportsToyotaWilson County Visitors Bureau
99Michael Maples (R)Fast Track RacingChevroletDon Ray Petroleum / Maples Motorsports
Official entry list

Practice

The first and only practice session was held on Saturday, March 23, at 2:30 PM EST, and would last for 60 minutes.[10] Jake Finch, driving for Venturini Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 17.479, and a speed of 102.981mph.[11]

Pos.[12] DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed
155Jake FinchVenturini MotorsportsToyota17.479102.981
218William SawalichJoe Gibbs RacingToyota17.511102.793
31Bubba PollardPhoenix RacingChevrolet17.707101.655
Full practice results

Qualifying

Qualifying was held on Saturday, March 23, at 5:00 PM EST. The qualifying system used is a single-car, two-lap based system. All drivers will be on track by themselves and will have two laps to post a qualifying time. The driver who sets the fastest time in qualifying will win the pole.[13]

William Sawalich, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, would score the pole for the race, with a lap of 17.126, and a speed of 105.103mph.[14]

Three drivers withdrew from the race: Ed Pompa, Brad Smith, and Dale Shearer.

Qualifying results

Pos.[15] DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed
118William SawalichJoe Gibbs RacingToyota17.126105.103
255Jake FinchVenturini MotorsportsToyota17.229104.475
328Luke FenhausPinnacle Racing GroupChevrolet17.285104.137
420Gio Ruggiero (R)Venturini MotorsportsToyota17.319103.932
51Bubba PollardPhoenix RacingChevrolet17.449103.158
695Hunter WrightMAN MotorsportsToyota17.879100.677
707Tyler ScofieldScofield MotorsportsChevrolet17.892100.604
811Zachary TinkleFast Track RacingToyota18.17399.048
939D. L. WilsonCostner Weaver MotorsportsToyota18.52697.161
1010Mike BashamFast Track RacingFord18.59996.779
1193Colton CollinsCostner Weaver MotorsportsChevrolet18.68796.324
1206Cody Dennison (R)Wayne Peterson RacingToyota18.75795.964
1399Michael Maples (R)Fast Track RacingChevrolet19.03494.568
1431Rita GouletRise MotorsportsChevrolet19.55792.039
1512Presley SorahFast Track RacingToyota19.71291.315
160Nate MoellerWayne Peterson RacingFord
Withdrew
10Ed PompaFast Track RacingFord
48Brad SmithBrad Smith MotorsportsFord
98Dale ShearerShearer Speed RacingToyota
Official qualifying results

Race results

Fin[16] StDriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPts
1420Gio Ruggiero (R)Venturini MotorsportsToyota15070Running47
2118William SawalichJoe Gibbs RacingToyota15080Running45
331Bubba PollardPhoenix RacingChevrolet1490Running41
4328Connor Zilisch (R)Pinnacle Racing GroupChevrolet1480Running40
5695Hunter WrightMAN MotorsportsToyota1480Running39
61010Mike BashamFast Track RacingFord1450Running38
7255Jake FinchVenturini MotorsportsToyota1440Running37
8811Zachary TinkleFast Track RacingToyota1440Running36
9939D. L. WilsonCostner Weaver MotorsportsToyota1420Running35
101206Cody Dennison (R)Wayne Peterson RacingToyota1420Running34
111193Colton CollinsCostner Weaver MotorsportsChevrolet1410Running33
121399Michael Maples (R)Fast Track RacingChevrolet1310Running32
131431Rita GouletRise MotorsportsChevrolet1200Running31
141512Presley SorahFast Track RacingToyota420Electrical30
15707Tyler ScofieldScofield MotorsportsChevrolet290Alternator29
16160Nate MoellerWayne Peterson RacingFord20Engine28
Withdrew
10Ed PompaFast Track RacingFord
48Brad SmithBrad Smith MotorsportsFord
98Dale ShearerShearer Speed RacingToyota
Official race results

Standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings
PosDriverPoints
1Gio Ruggiero47
2William Sawalich45 (-2)
3Bubba Pollard41 (–6)
4Connor Zilisch40 (–7)
5Hunter Wright39 (–8)
6Mike Basham38 (–9)
7Jake Finch37 (–10)
8Zachary Tinkle36 (–11)
9D. L. Wilson35 (–12)
10Cody Dennison34 (–13)

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Pensacola 150 at Five Flags Speedway . December 12, 2023 . March 23, 2024 . ARCA Racing.
  2. Web site: Entry list: Pensacola 150 at Five Flags Speedway . March 19, 2024. March 23, 2024. ARCA Racing.
  3. Web site: Qualifying results: Pensacola 150 at Five Flags Speedway . March 23, 2024. March 23, 2024. ARCA Racing.
  4. Web site: Race results: Pensacola 150 at Five Flags Speedway . March 23, 2024. March 24, 2024. ARCA Racing.
  5. Web site: Branscum . Benjamine . March 23, 2024 . Gio Ruggiero Gets It Done In Five Flags, Wins The Pensacola 150 . March 24, 2024 . TobyChristie.com.
  6. Web site: Track History . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100129161703/http://5flagsspeedway.com/trackhistory.php . January 29, 2010 . December 12, 2010.
  7. Web site: Five Flags of Derby . https://web.archive.org/web/20101201010654/http://www.speed51.com/2009_Stories/Snowball/Five_Flags_of_Derby.html . December 1, 2010.
  8. Web site: NASCAR results at Five Flags Speedway . July 22, 2016 . Racing Reference.
  9. Web site: Schedule . https://web.archive.org/web/20100317143058/http://5flagsspeedway.com/schedule.php . March 17, 2010.
  10. Web site: February 22, 2024 . Schedule of events: Pensacola 150 at Five Flags Speedway . March 23, 2024 . ARCA Racing . en-US.
  11. Web site: March 23, 2024 . Practice results: Pensacola 150 at Five Flags Speedway . March 23, 2024 . ARCA Racing.
  12. Web site: 2024 Pensacola 150 Practice Results . March 23, 2024 . Racing-Reference.info.
  13. Web site: March 18, 2024 . PIT BOX: ARCA Menards Series East season roars to life Saturday at Five Flags Speedway . Fenwick . Adam . March 23, 2024 . ARCA Racing . en-US.
  14. Web site: Calloni . Josh . March 23, 2024 . William Sawalich On Pole for ARCA East Season Opener . March 23, 2024 . Frontstretch.com.
  15. Web site: 2024 Pensacola 150 Qualifying Results . March 23, 2024 . Racing-Reference.info.
  16. Web site: 2024 Pensacola 150 - The Third Turn . March 24, 2024 . The Third Turn.