ARCA EAST: Michael Clayton anchors field at Flat Rock as teammate Quinn Davis scores breakthrough Top Five
by Ben Schneider / LASTCAR.info Staff Writer
Clayton and Davis at Indianapolis Raceway Park the week prior to Davis’ career-best finish at Flat Rock Speedway. (PHOTO: @CGmotorsportsFL, X/Twitter)
Michael Clayton finished last for the second time in his ARCA Menards Series East career in Saturday’s Sunbelt Rentals 150 at Flat Rock Speedway when his No. 5 Orlando Health fell out with a vibration issue after 31 of 150 laps.
The finish came in Clayton’s second career ARCA East start.
Clayton entered Saturday’s race at Flat Rock on the heels of his season debut the week prior at Indianapolis Raceway Park, where finished 33rd in City Garage Motorsports’ No. 5, the part-time second entry for the team he co-owns.
While Clayton’s own evening was once again short-lived, CGM’s highlight of the race weekend undoubtedly came from teammate Quinn Davis, who both qualified and finished fifth in her No. 85 Orlando Health Ford to score her career-best result in the ARCA Menards Series platform. Davis, whose story was chronicled on this site earlier this year after a mechanical failure in an ARCA West race at Tri-City, lost a lap to the leaders early before getting the free pass during a Lap 40 caution. Although she again fell a lap down later in the race, Davis maintained her position in the top five and ultimately completed 149 of 150 laps total. “I know I don’t have the best equipment,” Davis told Frontstretch’s Steve Sonderman after the race, “but I know that I still belong. . .it's extremely hard for us to come up with the funding, but sometimes it comes out of our own pockets, and we still show up to the track cause it's what we love doing.”
In total, 22 cars appeared on the initial entry list. Due to the withdrawal of Brad Smith’s No. 48 and a “did not start” for Michael Maples’ No. 99, only 20 took the green flag. Despite the series returning to Smith’s home state of Michigan, he and his team made a “last minute decision” to withdraw from the race to prioritze the national ARCA Menards Series season. Maples, meanwhile, was unable to start the race due to engine issues.
Joining Clayton behind the wall was Dan Boys, a veteran racing driver from the United Kingdom making his ARCA debut for Andy Hillenburg’s Fast Track Racing team. Boys completed nine more laps than Clayton, but then fell out with a vibration issue of his own. Mechanical gremlins also compromised polesitter Carson Brown’s race, as Brown had to settle for 18th after losing 27 laps in the pits due to repairs. Rounding out the Bottom Five were Toby Blanton and Alex Malycke, who completed 131 and 135 laps, respectively.
At the front of the field, Max Reaves emerged victorious from a fierce three-way battle for the win with Tristan McKee and defending East Series champion Isaac Kitzmiller. Behind them in fourth was Matt Kemp, who equalled his career-best from last season’s Flat Rock race. Kemp publicly thanked team owner Michael Maples the day after the race for keeping him in the No. 91 despite the engine issues on Maples’ own No. 99. Davis, who was the first car off of the lead lap, rounded out the top five finishers.
The top three drivers from Saturday’s race are also currently the top three in the ARCA East drivers’ championship point standings, as the series concludes a stretch of three races in three weekends with another combination race at Iowa Speedway on Friday.
DID NOT START
21) #99-Michael Maples
THE BOTTOM FIVE
20) #5-Michael Clayton / 31 laps / vibration/mechanical
19) #12-Dan Boys / 40 laps / vibration/mechanical
18) #28-Carson Brown / 123 laps / running / led 13 laps
17) #00-Toby Blanton / 131 laps / running
16) #86-Alex Malycke / 135 laps / running
2026 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES EAST OWNERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP (After Race 6 of 8)
1st) City Garage Motorsports
2nd) Tim Monroe Racing, Fast Track Racing, Wayne Peterson Racing, Maples Motorsports (1)
2026 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES EAST MANUFACTURERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP (After Race 6 of 8)
1st) Ford (4)
2nd) Toyota, Chevrolet (1)
2026 LASTCAR ARCA MENARDS SERIES EAST DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP (After Race 6 of 8)
