ARCA East Cook Out 200 Preview: Hickory Edition

HICKORY, N.C. — One of short track racing’s most historic venues is back in the national spotlight Saturday night.

The ARCA Menards Series East opens its 2026 season with the Cook Out 200 at Hickory Motor Speedway, bringing a NASCAR-sanctioned touring series back to the famed .363-mile oval for the first time in decades — and just months before the track is set for a highly anticipated repave.

For a place known as the “Birthplace of the NASCAR Stars,” the timing couldn’t be more significant.

Saturday’s race, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET, will be streamed live on FloRacing and NASCAR’s Tubi channel, giving fans across the country a chance to watch one of the sport’s most iconic bullrings host a new generation of talent.

And this isn’t just another race — it’s a moment.

The Cook Out 200 marks the first time the ARCA Menards Series East has competed at Hickory, signaling a return of national-level competition to a track that once hosted NASCAR Cup Series and Busch Series events before falling off the national touring schedule after 1998.

Now, it’s back.

And it’s bringing a stacked field with it.

Rising star Max Reaves enters as one of the drivers to watch, having won his first three ARCA East starts in 2025 and now piloting the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 with championship expectations. Defending series champion Isaac Kitzmiller also begins his title defense Saturday night, looking to turn consistency into his first trip to Victory Lane.

Add in names like Connor Hall, Tristan McKee and Landon S. Huffman, and the grid is filled with young talent eager to make a statement on one of short track racing’s toughest stages.

But make no mistake — Hickory itself is the headliner.

Tight, fast and unforgiving, the track demands aggression and precision in equal measure. With 150 laps scheduled and a mid-race break around lap 100, drivers will have to balance tire management with track position on a surface that rewards experience and punishes mistakes.

And with a repave looming later this summer, Saturday night represents one of the last chances for drivers and fans to experience Hickory in its current, worn-in form — a surface that has defined generations of racing.

That adds another layer of urgency.

Because when the green flag drops, it won’t just be about winning the season opener. It’ll be about making history at a place that has produced some of the sport’s biggest names.

A legendary track. A new generation. A national stage.

Saturday night at Hickory Motor Speedway has all the ingredients of a classic.

And for race fans, it’s one you won’t want to miss.