Pensacola, FL – March 23, 2025 – Race 3 of the Project K-9 Hero ARCA Series season delivered a chaotic Pensacola 150 at Five Flags Speedway last Sunday night, marking the first event in the ARCA East Division. Cody Porter emerged victorious, but his win came with significant controversy and a penalty that will shake up the series moving forward.
Porter, starting from the pole, led 109 of the 159 laps, showcasing his dominance throughout the night. However, the race took a dramatic turn on lap 107 when Porter and Waylon Nelson tangled in a heated exchange. Nelson shoved Porter up into the wall, prompting Porter to retaliate with a right-hook that sent Nelson spinning into the cars behind him. Porter drove away unscathed, while Nelson’s spin triggered chaos in the pack. The incident was one of 26 cautions that plagued the evening, with 104 laps run under the yellow flag—nearly two-thirds of the race distance.
Post-race, Crown Jewel Racing (CJR) officials reviewed the incident and deemed Porter’s maneuver intentional. They issued a one-race suspension and a 75-point penalty. Porter’s appeal to the CJR Incident Review Board fell flat, with the board voting 3-0 to uphold the ruling. As a result, Porter will miss the next ARCA East Division race on April 20 at Rockingham Speedway, though he’ll be eligible to compete in this Sunday’s race, March 30, at Kern County Raceway—the first event in the West Division.
Porter isn’t the only driver facing a suspension after the Pensacola 150. Josh Stoltz, driving the No. 43, accrued 6 Race Clean (RC) points during Sunday’s chaos, adding to the 2 RC points he received for an earlier incident at Phoenix. With a total of 8 RC points, Stoltz has triggered a one-race suspension and will miss the upcoming race at Kern County Raceway on March 30 unless he successfully appeals. The RC points system, designed to penalize aggressive or reckless driving, has already claimed two victims this season, underscoring the series’ emphasis on clean competition.
“It’s short-track racing—things get intense,” Porter said after the race. “I got pushed into the wall and reacted. I’m not happy about missing Rockingham, but I’ll be ready to bounce back.”
The Pensacola 150 was a war of attrition, with only three leaders and five lead changes across its 1-hour, 16-minute duration. Cameron Albertson finished second, 1.090 seconds behind Porter, followed by Henry Kallhoff in third. Billy Vanmeter and Nathaniel Campbell rounded out the top five, navigating a night where survival often trumped speed. Nelson, meanwhile, limped home in 25th, 17 laps down after the lap 107 clash.
The race’s relentless caution count highlighted the intensity of short-track racing at Five Flags. Clear weather—72°F with a northeast wind at 2.5 MPH—offered perfect conditions, yet the tight track and early-season aggression led to frequent wrecks. Joseph Stafford led 48 laps before finishing 11th, while rookie Hayden James soldiered to 24th in his series debut. Drivers like Josh Stoltz, Cat Wheeler, and Cory Mott saw their nights end early due to crashes.
Porter’s victory netted him 46 points (43 race points plus 3 bonus points), but the 75-point penalty casts a shadow over his season. The series now shifts west to Kern County Raceway this Sunday, March 30, for the West Division opener, where Porter will look to regain momentum before his East Division suspension takes effect.