archives

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

August 2020

  • Lebanon I-44 Speedway secures race sponsorship: Rust-Oleum, Track Enterprises and the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) announced that the "SmartCoat" brand of Zinsser Paint will sponsor the newly announced ARCA Menards Series event at Lebanon I-44 Speedway in Missouri. The race has been relocated from its original location and date at Madison International Speedway. The Zinsser SmartCoat 200 is scheduled for Saturday, September 5 at 9 pm ET/8 pm CT. ARCA practice and General Tire Pole Qualifying will precede the 200-lap/100-mile feature event. The race is set for live flag-to-flag broadcast on MAVTV and will be streamed live on TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold. "We’re excited and honored to sponsor this exciting day of racing," said Don Muench, Senior Vice President of Sales, at Rust-Oleum. "What a great way to celebrate our longstanding and valuable partnership with Menards. We wish all the drivers good luck!" (In part from ARCARacing.com) (08-30-20)
  • Ty Gibbs wins the Dutch Boy 150 at Gateway: Ty Gibbs didn’t wait until the last lap this time. Returning a year later to the site of his first career ARCA Menards Series victory, the 17-year-old North Carolina driver put on an impressively dominating display Saturday night in the Dutch Boy 150 at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. Despite a late-race restart, Gibbs pulled away from the field easily and drove his No. 18 Monster Energy Toyota across the finish line 1.716 seconds ahead of runner-up Chandler Smith. Gibbs has now won four of nine series starts this year, and picked up his Sioux Chief Showdown victory. Mayer finished third at Gateway for the second consecutive year, while Max McLaughlin and ARCA Menards Series West points leader Jesse Love were fourth and fifth, respectively. Bret Holmes finishes sixth and cut back into Self’s ARCA Menards lead. The latter spin out of a top 10 spot in the final third of the race and limped to a 15th-place finish, five laps off the pace. Holmes now trails by just seven after 13 races. Full Results (In part from ARCARacing.com) (08-30-20)
  • ARCA returning to Toledo Speedway on September 12th: Once again, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced the ARCA Menards Series to be nimble in its 2020 scheduling. Events at Michigan’s Berlin Raceway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway have been removed from the 2020 ARCA Menards Series East slate, as has the ARCA Menards Series race at Indiana’s Salem Speedway. In place of these events, a new ARCA Menards Series/ARCA Menards Series East race at Toledo Speedway has been added to the schedule on Saturday, Sept. 12. "The logistical challenges created by COVID-19 forced us to make some difficult decisions," ARCA President Ron Drager said. "We are disappointed that we won’t be visiting Berlin Raceway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Salem Speedway this year, but we look forward to bringing the excitement of ARCA Menards Series racing back to those great facilities in the future." The Sept. 12 event at Toledo, which will be broadcast live at 5 p.m. ET on MAVTV and TrackPass on NBC Gold, will be open to a limited number of fans – the first Toledo Speedway event to feature fans this year. (In part from ARCARacing.com) (08-25-20)
  • Gateway secures race sponsorship from Dutch Boy Paints: Sherwin-Williams Company, Track Enterprises, World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway and the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) announced today that Dutch Boy Paints will sponsor the rescheduled 2020 ARCA Menards Series visit to WWT Raceway in Madison, Ill. The Dutch Boy 150 is now scheduled for Saturday, August 29 at 6 pm ET/5 pm CT. ARCA practice will precede the 120-lap/150-mile event, which is scheduled for live broadcast coverage on MAVTV. The Saturday ARCA race day schedule will also include an NTT Data IndyCar race event prior to the Dutch Boy 150. "Auto racing is part of the fabric of America, and so is the Dutch Boy brand," said Michelle Bangs, brand manager for Dutch Boy Paints. "It’s fitting that we come together for the ARCA Menards Series Dutch Boy 150. We’re proud to support ARCA and our exclusive retail partner, Menards, to bring this race to the fans." The Dutch Boy 150, originally scheduled for August 2, will be race No. 13 of the 20-race ARCA Menards Series schedule. In addition, the event will mark the seventh round of the Sioux Chief Showdown, ARCA’s short-track super series that brings drivers and teams from the ARCA Menards Series East and West together with AMS series regulars in a 10-race "series within a series." (In part from ARCARacing.com) (08-20-20)
  • ARCA adds Lebanon I-44 Speedway event for Labor Day weekend: The Automobile Racing Club of America has adjusted its Labor Day weekend schedule for both the ARCA Menards Series and the ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS, which now includes a unique ARCA weekend doubleheader at Lebanon I-44 Speedway in Lebanon, Missouri. The weekend opens with the ARCA Menards Series on Saturday night and closes with the ARCA/CRA Super Series Powered by JEGS on Sunday, an event relocated from Winchester Speedway in Indiana. The adjustment moves the race originally scheduled for August 7 at Wisconsin’s Madison International Speedway to Saturday, September 5 at Lebanon I-44 Speedway. The race at DuQuoin State Fairgrounds, which was originally slated for Labor Day weekend, has been postponed. ARCA and event promoters Track Enterprises are working with state and local officials to reschedule races at both the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield and DuQuoin mile dirt tracks. In addition to the changes to Labor Day weekend, the September 17 Bush’s Beans 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway will now pay championship points for the ARCA Menards Series, Sioux Chief Showdown, and ARCA Menards Series East. (In part from ARCARacing.com) (08-18-20)
  • Michael Self wins the General Tire 100 at the Daytona road course:  Michael Self completed a unique season sweep in the General Tire 100 at the Daytona Road Course, conquering the 14-turn, 3.61-mile configuration in the ARCA Menards Series’ inaugural foray. It marked the ninth career series win for the 29-year-old from Park City, Utah, who extended his championship points lead in the process. He also took over the Sioux Chief Showdown championship lead. Self started second by virtue of the starting field being set by owners points in the Sioux Chief Showdown standings. [Ty] Gibbs used a slick move in the backstretch chicane to take the lead on Lap 1 and held it until Self overtook him right before the halfway break. Gibbs would wrestle in back with 10 to go in the 28-lap event, but Self would not relent. He retook the point in the infield turns with six to go and pulled away for the win. Self’s No. 25 Sinclair Lubricants Toyota finished 6.993 seconds ahead of runner-up Gibbs. Colin Braun, the former Rolex 24 winner and NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series driver, crossed the line third as a substitute driver for Sam Mayer. Mayer, who suffered a hand injury in a sports car wreck last week in Wisconsin, started the race and was relieved by Braun at the halfway break. Taylor Gray finished fourth and Will Rodgers, who was fastest in practice, was fifth. Hailie Deegan was sixth, followed by Max McLaughlin, Bret Holmes, Chandler Smith and Parker Chase. Smith entered the race as the Sioux Chief Showdown points leader and overcame an early off-course run and a spin later in the race to salvage a top 10. Self leads Holmes by 15 points in the ARCA Menards Series. Full Results (In part from ARCARacing.com) (08-15-20)
  • Parker Chase to make ARCA debut at Daytona road course for Chad Bryant Racing: Chad Bryant Racing announced that development driver Parker Chase will drive the team’s No. 22 Ford in his ARCA Menards Series debut in this Friday’s General Tire 100 at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course. Chase, 19, will look to put on a show in his series debut as the New Braunfels, Tex. native is an experienced road course veteran and hopes to display his talent of turning lefts and rights in the 29-lap event. Veteran crew chief Paul Andrews will oversee the effort for Chase’s ARCA debut. "I’m really excited about my ARCA debut at the Daytona Road Couse this week," said Chase. "When this race was added to the schedule, we knew we had to put the components in place to go out there and compete. I’m thrilled that we’ve been able to put the program together for this race and the relentless effort from the Chad Bryant Racing team should give us great direction in the series’ debut at the Daytona Road Course.” Chase joined the Mooresville, N.C.-based Chad Bryant Racing team earlier this summer and has competed in select Late Model Stock races in the N.C.-region where he has impressed with speed and finishes inside the top-10. VerticalBridge, Enertech Resources, NXTLVL Marine and Tige Boats will serve as the partners on Chase’s No. 22 Ford Fusion in the 12th race of the season. (In part from ChadBryantRacing.com) (08-11-20)
  • Riley Herbst wins the VizCom 200 at Michigan: It had been a while since Riley Herbst had been to victory lane. The 21-year-old from Las Vegas felt it was way too long, and Sunday he was able to rectify that. Herbst’s No 18 Monster Energy Toyota led the final 33 laps in winning the VizCom 200 at Michigan International Speedway. It was Herbst second career ARCA Menards Series win, but first at any level of NASCAR national series, or ARCA Menards, East or West since that victory at Pocono Raceway on June 9, 2017. Herbst powered his way alongside Bret Holmes, who led a race-high 61 laps. After the two swapped the lead, Herbst was able to move to the front and stay there. He finished 1.456 seconds ahead of Holmes. Championship points leader Michael Self finished third, his eighth top five and 11th top 10 in 11 races. However, it was the ninth straight race he finished behind Holmes, and the gap between the two has now shrunk to just four points. Drew Dollar finished fourth, followed by Anthony Alfredo. Hailie Deegan, Ryan Repko, Jason Kitzmiller, Thad Moffitt and Armani Williams rounded out the top 10. Full Results (In part from ARCARacing.com) (08-09-20)
  • Kris Wright joins GMS Racing for Michigan: GMS Racing announced that Kris Wright will run a select schedule with the team in 2020. Wright will pilot the No. 21 Chevrolet in the ARCA Menards Series at Michigan International Speedway on August 9. Wright made his ARCA West debut at the Utah Motorsports Campus double header in June where he finished second and third in the two events. Wright finished second in the LMP2 class in the 2019 Rolex 24 at Daytona. The Wexford, PA native claimed the IMSA Prototype Challenge Championship (LMP3) in 2018 and was the IMSA Prototype Challenge Rookie of the year in 2017. "I'm really excited to be making my first ARCA and NASCAR starts with GMS and Chevrolet," said Wright. "You always want to be doing it with the best team. I'm a Chevy guy from birth so it's a dream come true." The VizCom 200 from Michigan International Speedway will air live Sunday August 9 at 1pm ET on MAVTV and NBC Sports Gold TrackPass. Sponsorship for will be announced at a later date. (In part from GMSRacing.net) (08-03-20)
  • Sam Mayer sweeps Toledo Speedway races with second victory: It took an extra day, and one last restart, but Sam Mayer completed the weekend sweep at Toledo Speedway. Mayer took the lead on a late race restart just past halfway in the Menards 200 presented by Crosley Brands, and then hoisted his second winner’s trophy in three days when the ARCA Menards Series race was called on Lap 127 because of rain. The 17-year-old from Franklin, Wisconsin, picked up his first series win Friday night. After weather pushed Saturday’s scheduled event to Sunday, Mayer started third. He got by Chandler Smith, who led briefly, and chased after General Tire Pole Award winner Ty Gibbs, who paced most of the first 100 laps. The caution came out briefly at Lap 103 for precipitation. The cars stayed on the track and kept the track dry; when they went back to green on Lap 117, Mayer’s No. 21 Chevy Accessories Chevrolet grabbed the top spot. Three laps later, Gibbs spun in Turn 4 trying to take the lead and brought out the caution. Rain returned shortly thereafter and series officials were forced to end the race. Smith, the Sioux Chief Showdown points leader, wound up taking the runner-up spot, followed by Bret Holmes, ARCA Menards Series points leader Michael Self and Derek Griffith. Full Results (In part from ARCARacing.com) (08-02-20)
  • Rain postpones Menards 200 event at Toledo: The ARCA Menards Series Menards 200 presented by Crosley Brands has been postponed due to persistent rain. After a late morning shower, track officials were able to dry the track and get the race started, but the showers moved back in after six laps were completed. Ty Gibbs is scored as the race leader. Chandler Smith is second, followed by Friday’s Toledo winner Sam Mayer, Drew Dollar and Bret Holmes. The race will resume on Sunday with 194 laps remaining. Due to the postponement, the race will not be televised or available via online streaming. (In part from ARCARacing.com) (08-01-20)