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

September 2020

  • Ty Gibbs wins at Memphis; Sam Mayer clinches Sioux Chief Showdown Championship: Ty Gibbs collected his sixth ARCA Menards Series win of the season in the Sioux Chief PowerPEX 200 at Memphis International Raceway, but it was runner-up Sam Mayer who was also in a joyous mood as he wrapped up the Sioux Chief Showdown championship. Gibbs’ No. 18 Monster Toyota finished .662 seconds ahead of Mayer. Mayer, though, finished five points ahead of Gibbs in the Sioux Chief Showdown — a 10-race series designed to bring the best of the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East and West together. Gibbs holds the edge, 6-5, in wins in the ARCA Menards Series. For the second straight week, he was fastest in practice, won the General Tire Pole Award and then won the race. Gibbs has three wins, a second, a third and a fourth in his last six series’ starts. Bret Holmes finished third in a race he led a race-high 135 laps. However, he lost the lead to Gibbs on the restart following the Lap 150 break, and eventually second place to Mayer. Holmes, however, does leave Memphis with the ARCA Menards Series championship points lead by two over Michael Self with two races remaining. Holmes’ bonus points for leading the most laps combined with his finish and Self’s sixth-place pushed him back in front. Thad Moffitt and Chandler Smith finished fourth and fifth, right in front of Self, in a three-way battle on the final lap. Hailie Deegan, Drew Dollar, Taylor Gray and Kris Wright completed the top 10. Full Results (In part from ARCARacing.com) (09-27-20)
  • Ty Gibbs wins at Winchester Speedway: Ty Gibbs was nearly as perfect Saturday as he’s been all season, and that’s saying something. The 17-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina, driver made his debut at Winchester Speedway and was unfazed by "The World’s Fastest 1/2 Mile." He put the No. 18 Monster Energy / Terrible Herbst Toyota atop the practice charts, won the General Tire Pole Award, and then drove away from the field on the high-speed, high-banked half-mile. It was Gibbs’ fifth ARCA Menards Series win of the season, plus his ARCA Menards Series East victory, in 16 starts over the two series. Michael Self finished second, one spot ahead of championship rival Bret Holmes. Self was able to nose in front of Gibbs on the Lap 79 restart to lead one lap and gained the valuable bonus point. Self leads Holmes by three points with three races remaining in the season. Jesse Love finished fourth in his series’ debut. The 15-year-old is the ARCA Menards Series West points leader with three races remaining in that series. Fellow 15-year-old Taylor Gray rounded out the top five. Drew Dollar finished sixth, followed by Mike Basham, Eric Caudell, Brad Smith and Con Nicolopoulos. Full Results (In part from ARCARacing.com) (09-19-20)
  • Sam Mayer scores Bristol Motor Speedway victory: Sam Mayer climbed into the No. 21 Starr Children’s Fund Chevrolet and drove to his fourth straight ARCA Menards Series win in the Bush’s Beans 200. The Bush’s Beans 200 also counted toward the ARCA Menards Series East — where Mayer has won four of the five races to move closer to back-to-back East crowns; and the Sioux Chief Showdown, where Mayer extended his lead heading into the finale in two weeks at Memphis International Raceway. He led four times for a race-high 116 laps Thursday, passing Bret Holmes on Lap 156 to take the lead for the final time and crossing the line 2.572 seconds ahead of Ty Gibbs. Gibbs led 53 laps and came home with his third runner-up finish; his 10th top five in 15 starts that includes four wins. Max McLaughlin started 20th and charged to the front — leading 19 laps — before settling for a third, while Mason Diaz finished fourth. Michael Self rebounded from late race damage to rally for a fifth-place finish — his 10th top five in 16 races. Combined with Bret Holmes’ eighth-place run, Self retook the ARCA Menards Series lead by one point with four races remaining. Full Results (In part from ARCARacing.com) (09-18-20)
  • Jesse Love to drive for Venturini Motorsports at Winchester: Jesse Love has had an impressive rookie campaign in the ARCA Menards Series West for Bill McAnally Racing. The 15-year-old from Menlo Park, California, has three wins and seven top fives in seven starts and holds a seven-point lead over Blaine Perkins heading into next weekend’s return to The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Before he gets there, though, Love will run the Toyota 200 presented by Crosley Brands at Winchester for Venturini Motorsports. "I really to believe we’ll have a shot," Love told SPEED SPORT earlier this week. "I’ve worked hard to get to this point and I’ve prepared really well for this race. That process isn’t done; I’ll continue to prepare even more before Saturday, but I think that we can put ourselves in position to end up in Victory Lane, for sure." (In part from ARCARacing.com) (09-16-20)
  • Derek Griffith back at Bristol with Chad Bryant Racing: It’s been nearly seven weeks since Derek Griffith has been behind the wheel of a race car in the ARCA Menards Series. The 23-year-old from Hudson, New Hampshire, has been staying busy racing — and winning with his Late Model in his home state. Griffith won the Freedom 300 at Lee USA Speedway in Lee, New Hampshire, over the weekend, and has wins at neighboring Claremont Motorsports Park. Griffith will look to keep rolling as he returns to ARCA Thursday back behind the wheel of the No. 22 Original Gourmet Lollipops Ford for Chad Bryant Racing at Bristol Motor Speedway. "I am super excited for Bristol Motor Speedway this week," said Griffith. "First time there, but definitely a bucket list deal. I feel like I have a ton of momentum right now and hope we can capitalize on it Thursday night." (In part from ARCARacing.com) (09-16-20)
  • Sam Mayer wins again at Toledo Speedway: Sam Mayer posted a near perfect day Saturday en route to winning the Royal Truck & Trailer 200 at the half-mile track. It’s the third straight win at Toledo for Mayer. The race was part of the ARCA Menards Series championship schedule as well as the ARCA Menards Series East. Mayer, the defending East champion, extended his lead in that series with his third win in four races.  Mayer was fastest in practice in his No. 21 Lynn Family Foundation Chevrolet, won his first General Tire Pole Award in the ARCA Menards Series, and then led 165 laps to win by 3.071 seconds over Chandler Smith. Ty Gibbs, who won that June race at Toledo, finished third Saturday, followed by Bret Holmes and Taylor Gray. Hailie Deegan, Michael Self, Parker Retzlaff, Mason Diaz and Nick Sanchez completed the top 10. By virtue of Holmes’ finish, he took over the ARCA Menards Series championship points lead for the first time in his career. He has a two-point advantage over Self with five races remaining on the schedule. Self had led the points since winning the season opener at Daytona International Speedway in February. Full Results (In part from ARCARacing.com) (09-12-20)
  • The 2020 ARCA Menards Series awards banquet goes virtual: The 2020 ARCA Menards Series awards will be virtual. The season-ending event, which will reward the champions and special awards winners from the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East and ARCA Menards Series West, as well as the Sioux Chief Showdown, will be celebrated in a virtual setting.
    STATEMENT: "With the uncertainty surrounding the Coronavirus and the impact on the industry, the 2020 NASCAR Awards ceremony and the ARCA Menards Series Awards will be celebrated virtually at the end of the season wiht more details to come. We look forward to celebrating the top achievements of the NASCAR Whelen Modified TOur, NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series and the ARCA Menards Series in this most challenging year." (In part from ARCARacing.com) (09-11-20)
  • ARCA officials finalize 2020 race schedule: ARCA has finalized the remainder of the 2020 schedule, with 11 events spread out over the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, and ARCA Menards Series West over the next seven weeks. There are six events on the ARCA Menards Series calendar, two of which are combination races with the ARCA Menards Series East, four ARCA Menards Series West races, and a single stand-alone race for the ARCA Menards East. Races include:
    • September 12th - Toledo Speedway (5 pm ET, MAVTV)
    • September 17th - Bristol Motor Speedway (9:30 pm ET, FS1)
    • September 19th - Winchester Speedway (3 pm ET, live, TrackPass; 6 pm same day delay, MAVTV)
    • September 26th - Memphis International Raceway (6 pm ET, MAVTV)
    • October 4th - Illinois State Fairgrounds (3 pm ET, MAVTV)
    • October 16th -Kansas Speedway (10 pm ET, FS2) (In part from ARCARacing.com) (09-11-20)
  • ARCA returning to the Springfield Mile in October: Just when it looked like all hope was gone to see race cars at either of the Illinois fairgrounds mile dirt tracks in 2020, Track Enterprises officials are thrilled to announce that auto racing will indeed take place at the Springfield Mile. The ARCA Menards Series will race on Sunday, Oct. 4. The [race was] originally scheduled for the final weekend of the Illinois State Fair, however, with COVID-19 cancelling the fair, the race also fell off the schedule. Continued talks between Track Enterprises and officials from the Illinois State Fair have made the rescheduled dates a reality. "We really feel fortunate to have events this year at one of our Illinois miles. The month of October should be really fun with these historic events," stated Bob Sargent, president of Track Enterprises, promoter of both events. The Sunday, Oct. 4 event will feature the ARCA Menards Series in the Illinois Truck & Equipment Allen Crowe 100 in addition to the DIRTcar Sportsman in their edition of the Fall Nationals. (In part from ARCARacing.com) (09-11-20)
  • Toledo, Winchester announce race sponsorship: Two races added to the 2020 ARCA Menards Series schedule have announced entitlement sponsorships.
    TOLEDO: The race at Toledo Speedway, which replaces an ARCA Menards Series race at Salem and an ARCA Menards Series East race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, has been named the Royal Truck & Trailer 200. A long-time car sponsor at ARCA-sanctioned Flat Rock and Toledo Speedways, Royal Truck & Trailer has sponsored several big events at Toledo over the last two decades including the track’s famous "Night of Destruction" featuring a wild School Bus Figure 8 race. "We are happy our long-standing relationship with Royal Truck & Trailer has continued on into 2020 despite the challenges we’ve all faced," said Toledo Speedway general manager Scott Schultz. "They’ve been supporters of short track racing for a quarter of a century and we’re proud to see them getting some national attention with their name on the ARCA Menards Series race at Toledo Speedway this Saturday night."
    WINCHESTER: The recently added race at Indiana’s Winchester Speedway, which replaces the ARCA Menards Series race at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds in Illinois, will be called the Toyota 200 presented by Crosley Brands. "We are all working hard to put on races for our fans so they can have some normalcy in these difficult times," said Track Enterprises’ Bob Sargent. "We couldn’t do it without the great support of our sponsors. We’re grateful for the support from both Toyota and Crosley Brands and we are looking forward to getting back to Winchester with fans in the stands watching a great race at one of America’s great short tracks." (In part from ARCARacing.com) (09-10-20)
  • Fans will be allowed at Toledo Speedway: One race. Twice as much on the line. When ARCA returns to its home track Saturday for the Royal Truck & Trailer 200, the race will serve not only as the next round of the ARCA Menards Series championship, but it will also factor into the ARCA Menards Series East. And fans will get a chance to watch in person for the first time in 2020 at the half-mile track. (In part from ARCARacing.com) (09-08-20)
  • Sam Mayer wins at Lebanon I-44 Speedway: Sam Mayer, the 17-year-old from Franklin, Wisconsin, proved how quick a study he was at Lebanon I-44 Speedway. He timed his Lap 155 restart perfectly to take the top spot away from Hailie Deegan and rocketed to win in the Zinsser SmartCoat 200. That restart, coming out of the race’s second break, turned out to be the final one of the night and Mayer’s No. 21 Pat Connaughton With Us Foundation Chevrolet crossed the finish 2.977 seconds ahead of second-place Bret Holmes. The win was Mayer’s third of the season and he hasn’t finished worse than fourth in his past nine series starts. More importantly, it allowed him to take over the Sioux Chief Showdown championship standings after eight of 10 races. Mayer leads Ty Gibbs and Chandler Smith each by five points. Holmes still managed his third runner-up finish of the season and closed to within one point of ARCA Menards Series championship leader Michael Self. Self was involved in two seperate racing incidents and limped home with a sixth-place, one lap down. Full Results (In part from ARCARacing.com) (09-06-20)
  • Winchester Speedway picks up race date from DuQuoin: The ARCA Menards Series schedule has once again been reconfigured, this time with the announcement by the DuQuoin State Fair that there will be no large-scale spectator events at the Fairgrounds in the near-term future based on guidance from local healthcare authorities. That directive has prompted ARCA and Track Enterprises to relocate the ARCA Menards Series race scheduled for DuQuoin on September 19 to Winchester Speedway in Indiana, where fans will be allowed in the grandstands under local and state healthcare directives. "Through the cooperative efforts of Bob Sargent and Track Enterprises and our teams we were able to relocate the DuQuoin race to Winchester Speedway," said ARCA president Ron Drager. "We look forward to welcoming race fans to the legendary high banks of Winchester Speedway, and returning to DuQuoin in 2021 to carry on a tradition of racing stock cars dating back to 1950." (In part from ARCARacing.com) (09-06-20)
  • Kris Wright returning to Chad Bryant Racing at Lebanon, Bristol, and Memphis: ARCA Menards Series rookie Kris Wright and Chad Bryant Racing have paired together again for Saturday night’s Zinsser SmartCoat 200. The sports car standout and Chad Bryant Racing, led by NASCAR championship crew chief Paul Andrews, plan to bounce back from transmission problems last weekend at at Gateway that hindered Wright the opportunity to net his first career ARCA top-10 finish. "Looking forward to this chance and getting back into an ARCA car for a second consecutive week," said Wright. "Of course, we didn’t have the finish we were hoping for at Gateway, but it was a situation that was out of everyone’s hands. "We’ll go to I-44 Speedway this weekend and look for an impressive rebound." The 25-year-old will drive a Chad Bryant Racing car in the upcoming ARCA Menards Series races at Tennesse’s Bristol Motor Speedway and Memphis International Raceway, and the season-finale at Kansas. He will also compete in the last race of the ARCA Menards Series West season at Arizona’s Phoenix Raceway in November. (In part from ARCARacing.com) (09-03-20)
  • Former driver Tony Schiller passes away: Tony Schiller, drove to eight top-10 finishes in 104 starts in his ARCA Racing Series career in the 1960s & 1970s, and finished a career best 15th in ARCA final point standings in 1973, passed away Saturday, August 29, 2020 in his hometown of Frankfort, Kentucky at age 93. A native of Frankfort, Schiller owned and operated a number of service stations throughout Franklin County Kentucky for 30 years. His driving career spanned 27 years, and his top-10 finishes in the ARCA Series came at a wide variety of tracks including Nashville, Salem, Louisville Fairgrounds, Winchester and Talladega. He was inducted into the Kentucky Motorsports Hall of Fame in October of 2014. Tony Schiller was preceded in death by his wife of 63 years, Ann J. Schiller and his youngest daughter, Toni Sanderson. He is survived by children Darlene Martin (Jim) and Patti Schiller. He is also survived by 7 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. (In part from ARCARacing.com) (09-03-20)
  • Memphis International Raceway announces race sponsor; Sioux Chief: Memphis International Raceway (MIR) and Sioux Chief Manufacturing, one of America’s leading rough plumbing components manufacturers have announced a partnership that will see the Sept. 26 ARCA Menards Series championship race for the Sioux Chief Showdown named the Sioux Chief PowerPEX 200. The Memphis Sioux Chief PowerPEX 200 will see top teams from the ARCA Menards Series and the ARCA Menards Series East and West battle it out to determine the inaugural champion of the 10-race ARCA Sioux Chief Showdown Series on MIR’s paved 3/4-mile oval. "We are thrilled to partner with Sioux Chief for this must-see championship event at MIR," said Memphis International Raceway General Manager Justin Kamm. "Sioux Chief is a big supporter of motorsports and we are excited they will help us crown a champion at the Sioux Chief PowerPEX 200." (In part from ARCARacing.com) (09-01-20)