MOORESVILLE, N.C. — The ARCA Menards Series returns to Phoenix Raceway on Thursday, March 5, for the General Tire 150, a standalone afternoon-into-evening event that kicks off a monster motorsports weekend in Avondale, Ariz. With NASCAR’s Cup and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series plus the NTT INDYCAR Series competing on the same 1-mile oval through Sunday, Thursday’s ARCA contest stands as the first real on-track competition of a multi-series spectacle that’s become a spring tradition. Practice begins early, qualifying sets the grid in the afternoon, and by 6 p.m. Eastern time the green flag will fly on what promises to be a spirited battle among a deep and diverse entry list.
The General Tire 150, scheduled for 150 laps (150 miles) on the one-mile paved oval, is the second points event of the 2026 ARCA Menards Series and the West Series season and features a combined field of national and West competitors. The race is set to start at 6 p.m. ET (4 p.m. MT) and will be televised live on FS1, giving fans a full evening of action to launch Phoenix Raceway’s Spring Race Weekend.
On track Thursday, teams will first get seat time in an ARCA practice session that begins early in the afternoon (approximate 1:30-2:15 p.m. local time) before shifting into Sioux Chief PowerPEX Pole qualifying around 2:30 p.m. local. Both sessions offer the opportunity to fine-tune cars on the tricky one-mile surface that demands precise handling and tire management to be fast late in events.
The entry list highlights a competitive mix of national ARCA regulars and West Series standouts. Among those entered are Mason Massey, fresh off a West Series win at Kern Raceway; Max Reaves, making his first appearance of 2026; and Hailie Deegan, returning to national ARCA competition this week. Nitro Motorsports fields multiple cars including Isabella Robusto and Mia Lovell, while veterans such as Trevor Huddleston and Andrew Chapman bring their West Series experience to a stacked field. Other competitors like Carson Brown, Tristan McKee, Jason and Isaac Kitzmiller, Eric Johnson Jr., Andy Jankowiak, and Bobby Hillis round out a list likely to produce tight door-to-door racing under the Arizona lights.
Thursday’s race serves as the curtain-raiser for a full weekend of major motorsports at Phoenix Raceway. On Friday, open sessions in NTT INDYCAR Series practice and qualifying add speed and variety to the schedule, followed by NASCAR O’Reilly Series track activity later in the evening. Saturday features top-level IndyCar competition in the Good Ranchers 250, while Sunday culminates with the NASCAR Cup Series’ Straight Talk Wireless 500, a spring centerpiece that always draws championship contenders and spotlight moments.
As temperatures cool under the Arizona sky Thursday, the General Tire 150 will be a test of patience, strategy and adaptability.
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