Reaves Starts From Pole and Controls Early Stages
Max Reaves came into Sunday’s ARCA Menards Series Calypso 100 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds as the driver to beat, and he delivered when it mattered most. Starting from the pole, Reaves battled through 100 laps of dirt track racing to earn his third ARCA Menards Series victory of the 2026 season.
Reaves set the pace from the opening laps after qualifying first with a time of 33.999 seconds. Carson Brown started alongside him on the front row, while Thomas Annunziata, Isabella Robusto and Taylor Reimer rounded out the top five.
The Springfield Mile quickly proved to be a challenging track, with drivers fighting for position while dealing with traffic and the slippery dirt surface. Reaves remained near the front throughout the opening portion of the race, but he was never able to completely shake the competition.
Kitzmiller Emerges as a Challenger
After the scheduled halfway caution, Isaac Kitzmiller became one of Reaves’ biggest threats. Kitzmiller repeatedly closed the gap and was even able to take the lead at times when Reaves got caught behind traffic.
Despite the pressure, Reaves continued to find answers. Each time Kitzmiller appeared ready to take control of the race, Reaves managed to regain the advantage.
The battle at the front remained intense as the laps wound down. With only 18 laps remaining, another caution changed the complexion of the race when Sean Corr spun on the dirt and brought out the yellow flag. That set up a 15-lap sprint to the finish.
Late Race Drama Changes Everything
The biggest moment of the afternoon came with just three laps remaining.
Gavan Boschele made a charge toward the front and found himself battling Reaves for the lead. As Reaves closed in on Boschele’s No. 25 Toyota, the two cars made contact. Boschele was forced into a spectacular save and lost several positions as a result.
Boschele ultimately fell back to fifth, while Reaves regained control of the race. The incident added plenty of drama to an already intense finish and left Boschele frustrated as Reaves continued toward the checkered flag.
Reaves Celebrates Another Victory
Once Reaves regained the lead, there was little anyone could do to catch him. He pulled away over the final laps and crossed the finish line to claim the victory before celebrating with a burnout on the Springfield dirt.
The win gives Reaves his third ARCA Menards Series victory of the season and adds another impressive performance to his 2026 campaign. His ability to manage traffic, survive multiple restarts and remain composed during the late-race battle ultimately proved to be the difference.
The Calypso 100 once again delivered the kind of unpredictable racing that has made Springfield one of the most challenging stops on the ARCA schedule. For Reaves, however, the difficult dirt track battle ended with another trip to Victory Lane.