Max Reaves adds his name to ARCA East Series history with a victory at Flat Rock Speedway on Saturday night in the Dutch Boy 150.
Reaves, just 15, secured his third ARCA Menards Series East win in as many starts when he took the checkered flag in the Dutch Boy 150. He joins Will Rodgers as the only two drivers to win their first three East Series starts.
Max Reaves’ Victory at Flat Rock
Reaves had his work cut out for him Saturday night at Flat Rock’s tight quarter-mile oval. Starting from the General Tire Pole, he jumped to the lead early but was constantly hounded by Tyler Reif.
Reif, driving the No. 23 Chevrolet for team owner Joe Farré, pursued Reaves throughout the entire 150-lap event. Reif briefly muscled his way past Reaves early in the race, only for Reaves to return the favor and muscle his way back to the lead a few laps later.
That wasn’t the end of the battle between the two. Reaves and Reif spent the rest of the race almost nose-to-tail, with Reif occasionally beating on Reaves’ back bumper to remind his rival he was there.
“Every time I felt him, I’d get on the brake a little bit and keep it on the bottom, because the second he got me off the bottom, he was getting around and driving away,” said Reaves, who piloted the No. 18 Cook Out Toyota to Victory Lane for Joe Gibbs Racing. “The second he bumped me he got around me on the bottom, but I gave it back. It was good racing.”
Each time that happened, Reaves responded by slowly inching away from Reif until a caution flag brought the two back together.
The final caution flag flew with just more than 20 laps left. And like the previous restarts, Reaves was able to hold off Reif’s determined charge. In the end, Reaves beat Reif to the finish line by 0.935 seconds.
“We had a little bit right front chatter on the short run,” Reif said. “We really didn’t need that (last) caution. I thought we were pretty good on the long run there. I’m proud of this GMS/SPS team and everybody at Chevrolet.”
Max Reaves Making History
With wins at Five Flags Speedway, Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, and now Flat Rock under his belt, Reaves will aim to become the first driver in East Series history to win his first four series starts.
He has every reason to believe he can do it, and why shouldn’t he? After all, no one has been able to stop him yet.
“I’m going to be the first one to win four,” said Reaves. “I’m confident with that and confident in my team.”
The Dutch Boy 150 Results
Finishing third Saturday night at Flat Rock was Takuma Koga. It was a career-best finish on the ARCA platform for the native of Nagoya, Japan. Matt Kemp was fourth, and Austin Vaughn was fifth, career bests for both drivers.
Up Next
The ARCA Menards Series (national) takes center stage next Friday, May 23, with the running of the General Tire 150 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The event will broadcast live on FS1 at 6 p.m. ET.