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. 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. It is christened after the nickname of Pensacola—"City of Five Flags."

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.

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 (R) denotes rookie driver.

#DriverTeamMakeSponsor0Nate MoellerWayne Peterson RacingFordWayne Peterson Racing1Bubba PollardPhoenix RacingChevroletPhoenix06Cody Dennison (R)Wayne Peterson RacingToyotaToolGanizer07Tyler ScofieldScofield MotorsportsChevroletJXT Transportation10Mike BashamFast Track RacingFordDiesel Boys LLC / Double "H" Ranch11Zachary TinkleFast Track RacingToyotaFast Track Racing12Presley SorahFast Track RacingToyotaOEM Pensacola / Tatanka Sauce18William SawalichJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaStarkey / SoundGear20Gio Ruggiero (R)Venturini MotorsportsToyotaJBL28Connor Zilisch (R)Pinnacle Racing GroupChevroletChevrolet / Silver Hare Development31Rita GouletRise MotorsportsChevroletNationalpolice.org / Backthelane.com39D. L. WilsonCostner Weaver MotorsportsToyotaETR / Wilson Traditional Metals55Jake FinchVenturini MotorsportsToyotaPhoenix Construction93Colton CollinsCostner Weaver MotorsportsChevroletCooper Marketing Unlimited95Hunter WrightMAN MotorsportsToyotaWilson County Visitors Bureau99Michael Maples (R)Fast Track RacingChevroletDon Ray Petroleum / Maples MotorsportsOfficial entry list

Notes

Practice The first and only practice session was held on Saturday, March 23, at 2:30 PM EST, and would last for 60 minutes. Jake Finch, driving for Venturini Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 17.479, and a speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed155Jake FinchVenturini MotorsportsToyota17.479102.981218William SawalichJoe Gibbs RacingToyota17.511102.79331Bubba PollardPhoenix RacingChevrolet17.707101.655Full 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.

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

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

Qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed118William SawalichJoe Gibbs RacingToyota17.126105.103255Jake FinchVenturini MotorsportsToyota17.229104.475328Luke FenhausPinnacle Racing GroupChevrolet17.285104.137420Gio Ruggiero (R)Venturini MotorsportsToyota17.319103.93251Bubba PollardPhoenix RacingChevrolet17.449103.158695Hunter WrightMAN MotorsportsToyota17.879100.677707Tyler ScofieldScofield MotorsportsChevrolet17.892100.604811Zachary TinkleFast Track RacingToyota18.17399.048939D. L. WilsonCostner Weaver MotorsportsToyota18.52697.1611010Mike BashamFast Track RacingFord18.59996.7791193Colton CollinsCostner Weaver MotorsportsChevrolet18.68796.3241206Cody Dennison (R)Wayne Peterson RacingToyota18.75795.9641399Michael Maples (R)Fast Track RacingChevrolet19.03494.5681431Rita GouletRise MotorsportsChevrolet19.55792.0391512Presley SorahFast Track RacingToyota19.71291.315160Nate MoellerWayne Peterson RacingFord––Withdrew10Ed PompaFast Track RacingFord48Brad SmithBrad Smith MotorsportsFord98Dale ShearerShearer Speed RacingToyotaOfficial qualifying results

Race results FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPts1420Gio Ruggiero (R)Venturini MotorsportsToyota15070Running472118William SawalichJoe Gibbs RacingToyota15080Running45331Bubba PollardPhoenix RacingChevrolet1490Running414328Connor Zilisch (R)Pinnacle Racing GroupChevrolet1480Running405695Hunter WrightMAN MotorsportsToyota1480Running3961010Mike BashamFast Track RacingFord1450Running387255Jake FinchVenturini MotorsportsToyota1440Running378811Zachary TinkleFast Track RacingToyota1440Running369939D. L. WilsonCostner Weaver MotorsportsToyota1420Running35101206Cody Dennison (R)Wayne Peterson RacingToyota1420Running34111193Colton CollinsCostner Weaver MotorsportsChevrolet1410Running33121399Michael Maples (R)Fast Track RacingChevrolet1310Running32131431Rita GouletRise MotorsportsChevrolet1200Running31141512Presley SorahFast Track RacingToyota420Electrical3015707Tyler ScofieldScofield MotorsportsChevrolet290Alternator2916160Nate MoellerWayne Peterson RacingFord20Engine28Withdrew10Ed PompaFast Track RacingFord48Brad SmithBrad Smith MotorsportsFord98Dale ShearerShearer Speed RacingToyotaOfficial race results

Standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 Gio Ruggiero 47 2 William Sawalich 45 (-2) 3 Bubba Pollard 41 (–6) 4 Connor Zilisch 40 (–7) 5 Hunter Wright 39 (–8) 6 Mike Basham 38 (–9) 7 Jake Finch 37 (–10) 8 Zachary Tinkle 36 (–11) 9 D. L. Wilson 35 (–12) 10 Cody Dennison 34 (–13)

Note: Only the first 10 positions are included for the driver standings.

References