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Scroll down to view past ARCA Menards Series news and rumors.

October 2019

  • Sam Mayer returning to GMS Racing for ARCA Showdown; East schedule: GMS Racing officials announced [that] Sam Mayer will return to the team with an expanded Gander Trucks schedule in 2020 as well as competing for ARCA Racing Series championships. Mayer won the 2019 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Championship for GMS Racing as a member of the inaugural Drivers Edge Development program. The Franklin, Wis., native will compete in six Gander Trucks races while competing for the ARCA Racing Series Showdown Championship and looks to defend his ARCA East Championship. Mayer holds the honor of being the youngest NASCAR champion in any national series, earning his title at 16 years, three months and eight days. “I am excited to be returning to GMS Racing in 2020,” said Mayer. “We are being very aggressive with my schedule next year, and I think that will help challenge me and help me grow even more in my career. We are doubling the number of Gander Trucks races from what I am running in 2019 and once the ARCA series is finalized, I should be running more races than the entire truck schedule. I’ve been able to accomplish a lot this season with the support from GMS and I can’t wait for next season.” (In part from NASCAR.com) (10-26-19)
  • Christian Eckes wins ARCA Kansas 150; secures driver championship: The ARCA Kansas 150 was a microcosm of the entire season for Christian Eckes. The Middletown, New York native was fast in practice, but engine issues necessitated a change following qualifying. That sent Eckes to the rear of the field for the start, but he quickly knifed his way through the field to the top five. On a lap 57 restart, Eckes (No. 15 JBL Audio Toyota) challenged race leader Michael Self for the lead. One lap later, Eckes took control of the race, taking over the lead and driving away to, at times, a three-second lead. "The day didn't go smoothly at all," Eckes said. "We had an engine problem in qualifying and the guys had to change it an hour before the race. We started at the back and we were in the top ten in five laps. The car was on a rail all night." Eckes night wasn't smooth, and neither was his entire season. After taking the championship lead after the second race of the season, at Five Flags Speedway, Eckes fell ill the night before the third race of the year at Salem Speedway. He missed the race, giving up the points lead to teammate Self. Eckes and his Kevin Reed-led team were tenacious throughout the summer and fall, closing the gap and retaking the lead following the season's penultimate race at Lucas Oil Raceway. Eckes became the first series champion since Tim Steele in 1996 to miss a race en route to the championship. "We even missed a race," Eckes said in disbelief in victory lane. "The entire season has been filled with drama and we are still here. It's absolutely incredible." Full Results (In part from ARCARacing.com) (10-19-19)
  • ARCA announces full 2020 schedule: The ARCA Menards Series will race 20 times at 20 different venues in 15 states in 2020, providing an all-encompassing slate of races across the country provide an opportunity for short-track veterans and rising young stars. ARCA’s 68th season will take the green flag at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, Feb. 8 as part of DAYTONA Speedweeks at the "World Center of Racing." The ARCA Menards Series champion will be crowned at Kansas Speedway on Friday, Oct. 16. The road to the 2020 ARCA Menards Series crown is highlighted in the inaugural ARCA Showdown, a 10-race series set to attract the top teams in the ARCA Menards Series as well as the ARCA Menards Series East and ARCA Menards Series West. The overall schedule features a mix of superspeedways and historic short tracks, as well as a pair of dirt tracks and a pair of road-course events, that will provide exciting racing for the fans and an exceptional test of teams and drivers. "We are very proud of the quality of our 2020 schedule. There are many traditional ARCA Menards Series races blended with races that have been very strong components of what is now the ARCA Menards Series East and ARCA Menards Series West," said ARCA president Ron Drager. "We are also working on the schedules for the East and West divisions, and we think our drivers, teams, and fans all over the country will be pleased with the way everything has come together." Full Schedule (In part from ARCARacing.com) (10-15-19)
  • Driver and Owner Points adjusted after audit: A statistical audit of the ARCA Menards Series championship point standings has resulted in a five-point adjustment to the driver points for series championship leader Christian Eckes and car owner points for team owner Bill Venturini as well as thirteenth-place driver Ty Gibbs and car owner Coy Gibbs. Eckes' point total was lowered by five points while Gibbs total was increased by five. The audit, which series officials routinely do at the midway point of the season and again prior to the final race of the season, found Eckes was inadvertently credited with five bonus points for leading laps at Iowa Speedway and Gibbs was not. Eckes did not lead laps at Iowa, while Gibbs led ten laps. The change now results in Eckes' points adjusted from 4560 points to 4555 points, reducing the 20 point lead to 15 points over Michael Self heading into the series finale at Kansas Speedway on Friday, October 18. (From ARCARacing.com) (10-09-19)
  • ARCA returning to Mid-Ohio next year: The ARCA Menards Series will return to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for the first time since 1965 when it competes at the 2.258-mile, 13-turn road course on May 30, 2020. The race will be held in conjunction with the annual NASCAR XFINITY Series weekend, which in previous seasons had been scheduled in the month of August. The move to a new late spring date is to accommodate television coverage of the 2020 Summer Olympics. The ARCA Menards Series last raced at Mid-Ohio in 1965, with Springfield, Ohio native Jack Bowsher earning the victory. Since then the series has raced only sporadically on road courses, with a single event on a modified oval at the defunct St. Louis International Raceway in 1986, a pair of races at Heartland Park Topeka in 1991 and 1992, a street circuit event in Des Moines, Iowa in 1994, a single event at Palm Beach International Raceway in 2010, a pair of races at Road America in 2013 and 2017, and nine races at New Jersey Motorsports Park from 2008 through 2016. "We have worked diligently with Craig Rust and his team at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for several seasons trying to get the ARCA Menards Series back on their schedule, and we're really happy to make it happen for the 2020 season," said ARCA President Ron Drager. "We have a lot of excitement building for 2020 and additions to our schedule like Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course are a big part of it." (In part from ARCARacing.com) (10-09-19)
  • Chandler Smith wins at Lucas Oil Raceway; fifth victory of season: Chandler Smith closed the night celebrating in victory lane after scoring his fifth ARCA Menards Series victory of the season in Saturday night's rain-shortened Herr's Potato Chips 200 at Lucas Oil Raceway in suburban Indianapolis. Smith (No. 20 Craftsman Toyota) took the lead from his Venturini Motorsports teammate Christian Eckes (No. 15 JBL Audio Toyota) on lap 161. The next time around, a heavy sprinkle turned into a rain shower necessitating a caution flag. The field circulated behind the pace car for five laps before ARCA officials put out the red flag. The rains persisted and officials were forced to end the race 37 laps before its scheduled conclusion. "It was meant to be," Smith said in a makeshift victory lane celebration. "We couldn't have timed that pass out any better than we did." Eckes was disappointed with second, but was able to lock up the Sioux Chief Short Track Challenge championship. "We're obviously disappointed with second," Eckes said, "but it's our sixth top-two finish in a row. We really have things turned around after a tough stretch in the summer. We'd have liked to have had that caution for rain a few laps earlier though." Ty Gibbs (No. 18 Monster Energy Toyota) started from the General Tire Pole and was the dominant driver throughout the first half of the race. Gibbs led the first 143 laps before before contact with Joe Graf, Jr. (No. 77 EAT SLEEP RACE Ford) while battling for the lead resulted in Gibbs sliding into the wall and damaging the right rear corner of his car. The damage led to a flat right rear tire that put Gibbs into the wall again four laps later. The damage was too severe for Gibbs to continue leaving him 15th at the finish. Full Results (In part from ARCARacing.com) (10-05-19)
  • MAVTV Agrees to Three-Year Broadcast Extension with ARCA: MAVTV has announced an extension of its partnership with the ARCA Menards Series in which the Motorsports Network will broadcast the majority of the events, on the what is currently a 20-race schedule, for the next three seasons. The partnership between the ARCA Menards Series and MAVTV dates back more than a decade, when select races were aired during the 2008 season. The current agreement began three seasons ago, when MAVTV showcased its first live broadcasts of the ARCA Menards Series during the 2017 schedule. Since then, MAVTV’s role has continued to grow as the primary broadcaster of the series, culminating with a 12-race slate of live races for the current 2019 season. With the newly announced extension, MAVTV will continue to serve this role through the 2022 ARCA Menards Series season, where it will showcase the bulk of the championship races via exclusive live broadcasts. "The 2020 season will mark the fourth year MAVTV and ARCA have partnered to bring the majority of the ARCA Menards Series race schedule live to MAVTV,” stated Robert Patison, President MAVTV Motorsports Network. “It's great race action on some of the nation’s best-known tracks." (In part from MAVTV PR) (10-03-19)
  • ARCA Announces New Championship Format and More: NASCAR and ARCA announced today a new championship format for 2020 that will see the continuation of three historic regional championship series and the coronation of a new fourth champion, all under the ARCA Menards Series banner. The series provide an integral development step for young drivers who aspire to move up to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series or NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series; as well as a highly-competitive professional level for short-track veterans. They will also provide continuity to three of the longest running high-level regional stock car series in the United States. The four championships will be:
      • ARCA Menards Series East and ARCA Menards Series West will continue the traditions established by the Busch North Series (founded in 1987) and Pacific Coast Late Model Series/Winston West (1954) and currently competing as the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West. The series will feature an annual schedule of six to eight races and crowning of separate regional champions.
      • ARCA Menards Series – The 20-race ARCA Menards Series, founded in 1953, a mix of national-series combination events at venues such as Daytona International Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway, as well as short tracks like Madison International Speedway in Wisconsin and the Illinois and DuQuoin State Fairgrounds mile dirt tracks.
      • ARCA Racing Series Showdown – Ten races within the larger ARCA Menards Series championship will feature the best of the three series coming together to crown a Showdown champion.
    NASCAR also announced if an East, West or current ARCA Menards Series car owner has a car that meets the 2019 rulebook, there will be a rules package that will allow them to compete in 2020. “We’re pleased that we’re able to extend our racing sponsorships to include the ARCA Menards Series East and ARCA Menards Series West,” said Menards President & CEO John Menard. “We hope that race fans throughout the country will further enjoy great racing action while also becoming familiar with the Menards brand by shopping at our home improvement stores located in the Midwest or at Menards.com”. ARCA and MAVTV also announced today an extension of its telecast rights agreement for select ARCA Menards Series races. This important partnership, together with events covered by FOX Sports, ensures that all 20 ARCA Menards Series races will be available live to race fans, including the 10-race Showdown. NBCSN will continue to carry the ARCA Menards Series East and West as part of their extensive NASCAR coverage. (In part from ARCARacing.com) (10-02-19)