Max Reaves earns Phoenix pole ahead of Jade Avedisian
NXTbets Pro | Published On: October 17, 2026
Phoenix qualifying picture
Max Reaves put Joe Gibbs Racing on the pole for the Desert Diamond Casino West Valley 100 at Phoenix Raceway, beating Jade Avedisian by 0.012 seconds. Reaves turned a lap of 27.683 seconds at 130.044 mph to secure the top spot in the 25-car field. Avedisian, in a Nitro Motorsports Toyota, finished second after setting the pace in practice earlier in the day. The gap between the top two was razor thin, but Reaves still came out on top when it counted. Tayler Reimer qualified third, Gaan Boschele was fourth and Mia Lovell took fifth, giving the session a tight mix of pace setters. Hailie Deegan lined up eighth, another strong showing in a field that offered speed throughout the order. Reaves’ effort gave Joe Gibbs Racing the kind of qualifying run that can shape the tone of a short late-season event, especially at a track where track position matters and clean air can separate the front runners quickly.
Female drivers shine
The Phoenix event featured a West-record six female drivers, a strong marker for the series and one that added another layer to an already deep qualifying session. Avedisian and Deegan were among the names near the front of the field, and both showed speed on a track that demanded precision from the opening laps of time trials. Avedisian backed up her practice pace with a second-place qualifying run, and Deegan’s eighth-place starting spot kept her in position to work forward once the race went green. The field also included Dystany Spurlock, Landon Brown and Kasey Kleyn, who made their series debuts and added fresh faces to the lineup. That blend of established contenders and first-time drivers gave the event a wide-ranging feel before the race even started. Phoenix has a way of sorting out pace in a hurry, and the qualifying order reflected that. The front of the grid belonged to drivers who found speed immediately, while the rest of the field had to fight for every thousandth of a second. Reaves, Avedisian and the drivers behind them all left qualifying with clear targets, and the depth of the lineup showed why this West race carried so much interest.
Phoenix race context
The race was round 12 of the 13-race 2026 ARCA Menards Series West season, and it marked the series’ second visit to Phoenix Raceway in the year. It was also the 57th West race held at the track overall, a reminder of how often Phoenix has served as a key stop on the schedule. Trevor Huddleston entered the race with a 40-point lead over Robbie Kennealy with two races left, keeping the championship picture in focus even as qualifying took center stage. Joe Gibbs Racing was chasing its 11th ARCA win of 2026, giving Reaves’ pole a little extra weight as the organization pushed toward another season milestone. The race was scheduled to start at 11 p.m. ET, with FloRacing and MRN set to carry the action. That late start put the event in prime position for a national audience and gave teams a final chance to close out the weekend with a strong result at one of the series’ most familiar tracks. With Reaves on the pole, Avedisian alongside him and a crowded top five behind them, Phoenix set up as a race where position, patience and clean laps would all matter once the green flag dropped.
