Max Reaves gives Joe Gibbs Racing one last victory at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday night in the ARCA West Desert Diamond Casino 100.
AVONDALE, Ariz. – Max Reaves gave the Joe Gibbs Racing ARCA program the sendoff it deserved Saturday night at Phoenix Raceway.
Max Reaves: Victory at Phoenix
Piloting the team’s No. 18 Toyota, Reaves survived a pair of late restarts before Mother Nature brought the Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 100 to an end under the caution flag.
The victory, Reaves’ first in the ARCA Menards Series West, came in Joe Gibbs Racing’s final ARCA platform event. The team previously announced plans to shutter the ARCA program at the conclusion of the 2026 season.
“They’ve meant the world to me and they always will mean the world to me because they are where I’ve started,” Reaves said about Joe Gibbs Racing. “This is such a successful team. I’ve just got to thank everyone at JGR and my driver coach Bobby (Labonte) for everything they’ve done for me. I’m just super thankful to be a part of this organization.”
Reaves dominated the beginning and the end of Saturday’s race, but his victory wasn’t without its challenges.
Taylor Reimer, piloting the No. 82 Chevrolet for Pinnacle Racing Group, spent most of the race hounding Reaves for the lead. She managed to take the top spot from Reaves prior to the halfway break, but Reaves took advantage of the restart that followed to regain the top spot.
Reimer would continue to pursue Reaves in the closing laps of the race and, during an intense battle through slower traffic, briefly regained the lead.
However, Reaves used a clean crossover to Reimer’s inside to regain the top spot. Shortly thereafter, Reaves made contact with the slower car of Andrew Chapman, setting up an overtime restart.
Reaves snuck away from the pack during the restart, but the caution flag waved again when Helio Meza crashed while battling for the runner-up spot.
Shortly thereafter, Mother Nature arrived, and the rain that followed forced ARCA officials to bring the race to an end, giving Reaves and the Joe Gibbs Racing team one final reason to celebrate.
“I was really nervous. We had a really fast car since the beginning of practice to the end of this race,” Reaves said. “That’s the most nervous I think I’ve been behind (the wheel of) a race car around 12 laps to go. I was just so nervous, not hoping for a caution, but then that happened. I’ve just got to thank all my guys. I’m so thankful to get this Cook Out Camry in Victory Lane one more time.
“I’m just so thankful it ended on a high like this.”
The Desert Diamond Casino 100 Results
Reimer finished second, her best finish in ARCA competition to date. Mason Massey was third, followed by Gavan Boschele and Kasey Kleyn.
Hailie Deegan, Trevor Huddleston, Mia Lovell, Jade Avedisian and Robbie Kennealy were sixth through tenth, respectively.
The ARCA West Series Point Standings
Trevor Huddleston maintains a 40-point lead over Robbie Kennealy in second place. Mason Massey is in third at 43 points behind the leader. Cole Denton (-63) and Hailie Deegan (-66) round out the top five.
Up Next
The ARCA Menards Series West wraps up the 2026 campaign on Saturday night, October 31, with the running of the NAPA Auto Parts 150 presented by the West Coast Stock Car Motorsports Hall of Fame at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway.
Fans unable to attend the race in person can watch it live at 7 p.m. PT / 10 p.m. ET on FloRacing.
