The 2026 Rockingham ARCA Menards Series East 125 was an ARCA Menards Series East race held on Saturday, April 4, 2026, at Rockingham Speedway in Rockingham, North Carolina. Contested over 125 laps on the asphalt speedway, it was the second race of the 2026 ARCA Menards Series East season, and the second running of the event.
Tristan McKee, driving for Pinnacle Racing Group, pulled off a dominating performance, leading every lap from the pole position and holding off the field on a late restart to earn his second career ARCA Menards Series East win, and his second consecutive win. Carson Brown finished second, and Isaac Kitzmiller finished third. Garrett Mitchell and Wesley Slimp rounded out the top five, while Jackson McLerran, Cory Roper, Max Reaves, George Siciliano, and Craig Pellegrini Jr. rounded out the top ten.
Report
Background
Rockingham Speedway and Entertainment Complex (formerly known as North Carolina Speedway from 1998 to 2007 and North Carolina Motor Speedway from 1965 to 1996) is a D-shaped oval track in Rockingham, North Carolina. The track has held a variety of events since its opening in 1965, including the NASCAR Cup Series from 1965 to 2004, and currently the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and the ARCA Menards Series East. It has a 32,000-seat capacity as of 2012. Rockingham Speedway is owned by the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA).
Entry list
(R) denotes rookie driver. DriverTeamMake00Toby BlantonJet Daddy RacingChevrolet0George SicilianoRette Jones RacingFord06Nate MoellerWayne Peterson MotorsportsToyota10Craig Pellegrini Jr. (R)Fast Track RacingToyota11Mike BashamFast Track RacingFord12Dustin HillenburgFast Track RacingFord13Brian WeberIntegrity AutosportsToyota17Cory RoperCook Racing TechnologiesChevrolet18Max Reaves (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota19Austin VaughnMaples MotorsportsFord24Connor HallSPS RacingChevrolet25Gavan BoscheleNitro MotorsportsToyota28Carson Brown (R)Pinnacle Racing GroupChevrolet30Garrett MitchellRette Jones RacingFord34T. J. HarrisWAV RacingToyota66Dystany SpurlockMBM MotorsportsChevrolet70Wesley SlimpNitro MotorsportsToyota77Tristan McKee (R)Pinnacle Racing GroupChevrolet79Isaac KitzmillerACR MotorsportsChevrolet85Quinn Davis (R)City Garage MotorsportsFord95Jackson McLerranMAN MotorsportsToyota99Michael MaplesMaples MotorsportsChevroletOfficial entry list
Practice The first and only practice session was held on Saturday, April 4, at 9:00 AM EST, and lasted for 50 minutes.
Tristan McKee, driving for Pinnacle Racing Group, set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 22.617 seconds, and a speed of .
Practice results Pos.DriverTeamMakeTime177Tristan McKee (R)Pinnacle Racing GroupChevrolet22.617154.397228Carson Brown (R)Pinnacle Racing GroupChevrolet22.668154.050318Max Reaves (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota22.826152.983Full practice results
Qualifying Qualifying was held on Saturday, April 4, at 10:05 AM EST. The qualifying procedure used was a multi-car, multi-lap system with one round. All drivers were on track for a 20-minute timed session, and whoever set the fastest time in the session won the pole.
Tristan McKee, driving for Pinnacle Racing Group, qualified on pole position with a lap of 22.459 seconds, and a speed of .
Qualifying results Pos.DriverTeamMakeTime177Tristan McKee (R)Pinnacle Racing GroupChevrolet22.459155.483218Max Reaves (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota22.635154.274328Carson Brown (R)Pinnacle Racing GroupChevrolet22.702153.819425Gavan BoscheleNitro MotorsportsToyota22.834152.930524Connor HallSPS RacingChevrolet22.886152.582679Isaac KitzmillerACR MotorsportsChevrolet22.981151.952730Garrett MitchellRette Jones RacingFord23.124151.012870Wesley SlimpNitro MotorsportsToyota23.306149.833985Quinn Davis (R)City Garage MotorsportsFord23.554148.2551017Cory RoperCook Racing TechnologiesChevrolet23.563148.198110George SicilianoRette Jones RacingFord23.693147.3851295Jackson McLerranMAN MotorsportsToyota23.870146.2921366Dystany SpurlockMBM MotorsportsChevrolet24.503142.5131419Austin VaughnMaples MotorsportsFord24.897140.2581534T. J. HarrisWAV RacingToyota25.872134.9721613Brian WeberIntegrity AutosportsToyota25.960134.5151710Craig Pellegrini Jr. (R)Fast Track RacingToyota26.252133.0181812Dustin HillenburgFast Track RacingFord26.615131.2041911Mike BashamFast Track RacingFord27.862125.3322006Nate MoellerWayne Peterson MotorsportsToyota27.974124.8302199Michael MaplesMaples MotorsportsChevrolet28.807121.2212200Toby BlantonJet Daddy RacingChevrolet30.060116.168Official qualifying results
Race
Race results Laps: 125 FinStDriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPts1177Tristan McKee (R)Pinnacle Racing GroupChevrolet125125Running492328Carson Brown (R)Pinnacle Racing GroupChevrolet1250Running423679Isaac KitzmillerACR MotorsportsChevrolet1250Running414730Garrett MitchellRette Jones RacingFord1250Running405870Wesley SlimpNitro MotorsportsToyota1250Running3961295Jackson McLerranMAN MotorsportsToyota1250Running3871017Cory RoperCook Racing TechnologiesChevrolet1250Running378218Max Reaves (R)Joe Gibbs RacingToyota1230Running369110George SicilianoRette Jones RacingFord1220Running35101710Craig Pellegrini Jr. (R)Fast Track RacingToyota1210Running34111613Brian WeberIntegrity AutosportsToyota1170Running33121366Dystany SpurlockMBM MotorsportsChevrolet1160Running32131534T. J. HarrisWAV RacingToyota1140Running31141419Austin VaughnMaples MotorsportsFord1140Running30151812Dustin HillenburgFast Track RacingFord1120Running29162006Nate MoellerWayne Peterson MotorsportsToyota1110Running2817524Connor HallSPS RacingChevrolet1100Accident27182200Toby BlantonJet Daddy RacingChevrolet1030Mechanical26192199Michael MaplesMaples MotorsportsChevrolet990Accident2520425Gavan BoscheleNitro MotorsportsToyota450Accident2421985Quinn Davis (R)City Garage MotorsportsFord130Mechanical23221911Mike BashamFast Track RacingFord30Mechanical22Official race results
Race statistics
Lead changes: 1 among 1 different driver Cautions/Laps: 5 for 28 laps Red flags: 0 Time of race: 1 hour, 14 minutes and 5 seconds Average speed:
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 Tristan McKee 96 1 2 Isaac Kitzmiller 82 (–14) 1 3 Max Reaves 81 (–15) 4 4 Jackson McLerran 74 (–22) 2 5 Dystany Spurlock 69 (–27) 3 6 Craig Pellegrini Jr. 69 (–27) 6 7 George Siciliano 66 (–30) 2 8 Austin Vaughn 64 (–32) 5 9 Nate Moeller 58 (–38) 10 10 Brian Weber 57 (–39)
Note: Only the first 10 positions are included for the driver standings.
References