2026 Calypso 100
| Race details[1][2][3][4][5] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 15 of 20 in the 2026 ARCA Menards Series | |||
 | |||
| Date | August 23, 2026 | ||
| Location | Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack in Springfield, Illinois | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 1 miles (1.6 km) | ||
| Distance | 100 laps, 100 mi (160 km) | ||
| Average speed | 79.876 miles per hour (128.548 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Joe Gibbs Racing | ||
| Time | 33.999 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Max Reaves | Joe Gibbs Racing | |
| Laps | 98 | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver | Carson Brown | Pinnacle Racing Group | |
| Time | 33.990 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 18 | Max Reaves | Joe Gibbs Racing | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | FS1 | ||
| Announcers | Eric Brennan and Phil Parsons | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | ARN | ||
The 2026 Calypso 100 was an ARCA Menards Series race held on Sunday, August 23, 2026, at the Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack in Springfield, Illinois. Contested over 100 laps on the 1 mile (1.6 km) dirt oval, it was the 15th race of the 2026 ARCA Menards Series season, and the 44th running of the event.
In a controversial finish, Max Reaves, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, made an aggressive move on Gavan Boschele with three laps to go, spinning him out from the lead, and taking the victory to earn his sixth career ARCA Menards Series win, and his third of the season.[6] Reaves also dominated the race, leading all but two laps after starting from the pole. Isaac Kitzmiller finished second, and Thomas Annunziata finished third. Taylor Reimer and Boschele rounded out the top five, while Jake Bollman, Kelly Kovski, Isabella Robusto, Tim Monroe, and Jason Kitzmiller rounded out the top ten.
Report
Background
The Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack is a one mile long clay oval motor racetrack on the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, the state capital. It is frequently nicknamed The Springfield Mile.[7] Constructed in the late 19th century and reconstructed in 1927, the track has hosted competitive auto racing since 1910, making it one of the oldest speedways in the United States. The original mile track utilized the current frontstretch and the other side was behind the current grandstands and the straightaways were connected by tight turns.[7] It is the oldest track to continually host national championship dirt track racing, holding its first national championship race in 1934 under the American Automobile Association banner. It is the home of five world records for automobile racing, making it one of the fastest dirt tracks in the world. Since 1993, the venue is managed by Bob Sargent's Track Enterprises.
The Illinois State Fair mile currently hosts the ARCA Menards Series' Calypso 100 stock car race, USAC Silver Crown dirt cars, UMP Late Models and Modifieds and the A.M.A. Grand National Championship. The only driver who has won races in three disciplines of racing in Ken Schrader who won in ARCA cars (1998), UMP Modifieds (1998), and midgets.[7]
Entry list
- (R) denotes rookie driver.
Practice
The first and only practice session was held on Sunday, August 23, at 10:00 AM CST, and lasted for 30 minutes.[8]
Max Reaves, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 34.626 seconds, and a speed of 103.968 miles per hour (167.320 km/h).[9]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 | Max Reaves (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 34.626 | 103.968 |
| 2 | 25 | Gavan Boschele (R) | Nitro Motorsports | Toyota | 34.654 | 103.884 |
| 3 | 79 | Isaac Kitzmiller | ACR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 34.930 | 103.063 |
| Full practice results | ||||||
Qualifying
Qualifying was held on Sunday, August 23, at 11:15 AM CST.[8] The qualifying procedure used is was single-car, one-lap based system. Drivers were on track by themselves and had one lap to post a qualifying time, and whoever set the fastest time won the pole.[10]
Max Reaves, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, qualified on pole position with a lap of 33.999 seconds, and a speed of 105.885 miles per hour (170.405 km/h).[11]
Qualifying results
Race
Race results
Laps: 100
| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 18 | Max Reaves (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 100 | 98 | Running | 49 |
| 2 | 13 | 79 | Isaac Kitzmiller | ACR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 100 | 1 | Running | 43 |
| 3 | 3 | 70 | Thomas Annunziata | Nitro Motorsports | Toyota | 100 | 0 | Running | 91 |
| 4 | 5 | 77 | Taylor Reimer | Pinnacle Racing Group | Chevrolet | 100 | 0 | Running | 40 |
| 5 | 7 | 25 | Gavan Boschele (R) | Nitro Motorsports | Toyota | 100 | 1 | Running | 40 |
| 6 | 10 | 20 | Jake Bollman (R) | Nitro Motorsports | Toyota | 100 | 0 | Running | 88 |
| 7 | 9 | 16 | Kelly Kovski | Allgaier Motorsports | Chevrolet | 100 | 0 | Running | 37 |
| 8 | 4 | 55 | Isabella Robusto | Nitro Motorsports | Toyota | 100 | 0 | Running | 86 |
| 9 | 8 | 10 | Tim Monroe | Fast Track Racing | Ford | 100 | 0 | Running | 35 |
| 10 | 12 | 97 | Jason Kitzmiller | CR7 Motorsports | Chevrolet | 100 | 0 | Running | 84 |
| 11 | 14 | 91 | Shawn Allen Jr. | Maples Motorsports | Chevrolet | 100 | 0 | Running | 33 |
| 12 | 6 | 8 | Sean Corr | Empire Racing | Chevrolet | 99 | 0 | Running | 32 |
| 13 | 2 | 28 | Carson Brown (R) | Pinnacle Racing Group | Chevrolet | 99 | 0 | Running | 31 |
| 14 | 11 | 11 | Tony Cosentino | Fast Track Racing | Chevrolet | 99 | 0 | Running | 30 |
| 15 | 15 | 12 | Takuma Koga | Fast Track Racing | Toyota | 97 | 0 | Running | 79 |
| 16 | 23 | 98 | Dale Shearer | Shearer Speed Racing | Toyota | 95 | 0 | Running | 28 |
| 17 | 19 | 86 | Jeff Maconi (R) | Clubb Racing Inc. | Ford | 94 | 0 | Running | 77 |
| 18 | 17 | 48 | Brad Smith | Brad Smith Motorsports | Ford | 94 | 0 | Running | 76 |
| 19 | 20 | 03 | Alex Clubb | Clubb Racing Inc. | Ford | 61 | 0 | Running | 75 |
| 20 | 18 | 99 | Michael Maples | Maples Motorsports | Chevrolet | 48 | 0 | Mechanical | 74 |
| 21 | 16 | 06 | Trenton Masters | Wayne Peterson Motorsports | Toyota | 7 | 0 | Accident | 23 |
| 22 | 21 | 19 | Kenna Long | Maples Motorsports | Chevrolet | 3 | 0 | Mechanical | 22 |
| 23 | 22 | 81 | Kevin Campbell | KC Motorsports | Chevrolet | 2 | 0 | Mechanical | 21 |
| 24 | 24 | 83 | Brayton Laster | Clubb Racing Inc. | Ford | 0 | 0 | Did Not Start | 20 |
| Official race results | |||||||||
Race statistics
- Lead changes: 4 among 3 different drivers
- Cautions/Laps: 5 for 23 laps
- Red flags: 0
- Time of race: 1 hour, 15 minutes and 7 seconds
- Average speed: 79.876 miles per hour (128.548 km/h)
Standings after the race
|
References
- ↑ "ARCA Menards Series announces 2026 schedule; All 20 races to air live on FOX Sports". ARCA. October 4, 2025. Retrieved August 17, 2026.
- ↑ "Calypso 100 at Illinois State Fairgrounds". ARCA. November 24, 2025. Retrieved August 17, 2026.
- ↑ "Entry list: Calypso 100 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds". ARCA. August 18, 2026. Retrieved August 18, 2026.
- ↑ "Qualifying results: Calypso 100 at Illinois State Fairgrounds". ARCA. August 23, 2026. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
- ↑ "Race results: Calypso 100 at Illinois State Fairgrounds". ARCA. August 23, 2026. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
- ↑ Sonderman, Steve (August 23, 2026). "Max Reaves Overcomes Late Challenge to Win Springfield ARCA Race". Frontstretch.com. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
- 1 2 3 "USAC Bettenhausen 100 at Springfield". USAC Silver Crown. August 21, 2021. Event occurs at 2 hr 38 minutes. FloRacing.
- 1 2 "Schedule of events: Calypso 100 at Illinois State Fairgrounds". ARCA. January 20, 2026. Retrieved August 17, 2026.
- ↑ "Practice results: Calypso 100 at Illinois State Fairgrounds". ARCA. August 23, 2026. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
- ↑ White, Brandon (August 17, 2026). "PIT BOX: First of two dirt races awaits ARCA Menards Series drivers this weekend at the Springfield Mile". ARCA. Retrieved August 18, 2026.
- ↑ Sonderman, Steve (August 23, 2026). "Max Reaves Wins Pole for ARCA Dirt Race at Springfield". Frontstretch.com. Retrieved August 23, 2026.