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

October 2020

  • Former driver David Keith passes away: David Keith, winner of three ARCA Menards Series superspeedway races and four pole qualifying awards in 1999 and 2000, passed away Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020. He was 46. Keith went on to race briefly in the NASCAR Xfinity and Cup Series but was better known for his long run as a NASCAR Xfinity and Cup and ARCA spotter, working for organizations including Dale Earnhardt Inc., Roush Fenway Racing, Front Row Motorsports, JTG Daugherty and DGR Crosley as well as drivers Paul Menard, David Gilliland, Tyler Ankrum and Chris Buescher. His ARCA Menards Series victories came in 1999 at Michigan International Speedway driving for Michael Kranefuss Racing, and at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway in 2000 in cars fielded by Earl and Check Sadler. Originally from Owensboro, Kentucky, Keith began racing go-karts at the age of 9, winning multiple championships. A successful short track late model driver, his initial connection to ARCA was through his former brother-in-law, 1993 ARCA Rookie of the Year Jeremy Mayfield. (In part from ARCARacing.com) (10-26-20)
  • Bret Holmes clinches ARCA championship at Kansas; Corey Heim wins race: Bret Holmes, who said he entered the season not knowing he would run a full season let alone contend for a title, did more than enough with his second-place finish Friday at Kansas Speedway to clinch the series championship. The 23-year-old from Munford, Alabama, won his first title in his fifth season of ARCA Menards Series competition. Meanwhile, 18-year-old Corey Heim earned his first ARCA Menards Series win in his 16th start. The driver of the No. 10 Craftsman Toyota dominated much of the Speediatrics 150 presented by The NASCAR Foundation, leading 82 of 100 laps. Heim won the battle Friday on the 1.5-mile oval in Kansas City, Kansas, but Holmes won the ARCA Menards Series war. "The two things I’ve ever wanted was for my friends and family to be proud of me through racing, and for my team to have the same respect as the others," said Holmes, who entered the season finale with an eight-point lead over second-place Michael [Self] in the championship standings. "I think we’ve earned that today. We paid our dues, and it’s a really special feeling." Full Results (In part from ARCARacing.com) (10-17-20)
  • Golden Eagle Syrup partners with Bret Holmes for Kansas: Bret Holmes Racing announced today a new partnership with Golden Eagle Syrup. The Fayette, Ala., -based company will be the primary sponsor of Bret Holmes and the No. 23 Chevrolet team for this week’s ARCA Menards Series season-finale race at Kansas Speedway. On October 28, 1928, the first Golden Eagle Syrup was produced in Fayette, Ala. Starting in a small 320 square foot frame building behind the founder’s home, continual growth of demand led to the purchase of the building that it has occupied since 1944. Golden Eagle Syrup started and has remained a family-owned, family-run business over the past 92 years. The present owners have a strong commitment to preserving the tradition and quality of the Golden Eagle Brand while expanding the business to new product lines utilizing syrup. The Golden Eagle Brand continues to grow, building upon hard work and a commitment to excellence. Bret Holmes Racing exemplifies these same principles, and Golden Eagle is proud to sponsor Holmes as he battles for the championship. Holmes heads to this week’s season-finale race at Kansas Speedway as the ARCA Menards Series driver’s championship point leader. He leads the second-place driver by eight points. The 23-year-old driver has accumulated one win, one pole award, 13 top-five and 18 top-10 finishes so far this season. "I’m honored to have Golden Eagle Syrup on our Chevrolet this week for the season-finale race at Kansas Speedway,” said Holmes. It’s really cool to be able to bring them into the sport, and I hope our fans will show them as much support as they show us. I know we’re going to unload a fast Golden Eagle Syrup Chevrolet this week, and it’s going to be great to have them on the car as we battle for the 2020 championship. What better way to welcome Golden Eagle Syrup to the BHR family than with a win and a championship." (In part from Bret Holmes Racing PR) (10-13-20)
  • Bret Holmes wins CGS Imaging Four Crown title: Bret Holmes has defied the odds in 2020 by taking his family-operated Bret Holmes Racing team to the top of the pack while fighting off multi-car teams with ties to NASCAR’s top three series. Holmes and the No. 23 Holmes II Excavation bunch will have to wait for next Friday night’s ARCA Kansas 150 to see if they will be crowned as the 2020 ARCA Menards Series champions, but that has yet to stop Holmes from collecting other hardware in the meantime. With a third-place result on the dirt at the Springfield Mile on Sunday, Holmes clinched the CGS Imaging Four Crown title, etching his name on the trophy for one of ARCA’s most prestigious in-season championships for the second year in a row. Formerly known as the Bill France Four Crown, named in honor of the NASCAR founder and longtime ally of ARCA, drivers hopeful of winning the CGS Imaging Four Crown must showcase their driving talents at four diverse venues throughout the season. The rules are simple: The driver with the most cumulative race points over the four designated events takes the Four Crown. Bonus points for winning, leading laps, or starting from the General Tire Pole are not counted towards a driver’s Four Crown total. The CGS Imaging Four Crown was first awarded in 1984, with the inaugural trophy going to the late Davey Allison in his rookie season in the ARCA Menards Series. (In part from ARCARacing.com) (10-05-20)
  • Ryan Unzicker scores first career win at Springfield: [Ryan Unzicker] won his first career ARCA Menards Series race Sunday in his 20th start. After starting on the pole, he led all but one lap and dominated the race from beginning to end. "To lead all 100 laps here at the Springfield Mile, I don’t even know what to say yet," said Unzicker. "Very proud of my team, and I’m glad we got this new race car." Unzicker indeed was in a new No. 24 RJR Transportation/Hummingbird Winery Chevrolet for Bill Hendren, who said during Sunday’s ARCA Menards Series broadcast on MAVTV he knew he needed a new car after Unzicker placed ninth at Springfield last season. Hendren, whose tenure at Springfield goes back to the 1970s, has longest active streak of any participant in the Illinois Truck & Equipment Allen Crowe 100. Deegan, who led at the line on a Lap 101 restart, finished second after a wreck with three laps to go took contenders Michael Self and Corey Heim out of the race and pushed the race to overtime. Self’s DNF paved the way for Bret Holmes, who finished third at Springfield, to clinch the 2020 CGS Imaging Four Crown championship for the second year in a row. Contested annually since 1984, the CGS Imaging Four Crown tests the mettle of ARCA Menards Series drivers at four distinct types of racetracks found on the ARCA schedule – an intermediate speedway, a short track, a dirt track, and a road course. In addition, Holmes improved his overall ARCA Menards Series championship lead to seven over Self heading into the season finale in two weeks. Taylor Gray and Kelly Kovski rounded out the top five Sunday at Springfield. Mike Basham and Drew Dollar finished sixth and seventh, respectively, with Heim and Self credited for eighth- and ninth-place finishes after their crash on Lap 97. Ty Gibbs, who had won the previous two ARCA Menards Series races entering Sunday’s Illinois Truck & Equipment Allen Crowe 100, got caught up in a Turn 4 accident on the opening lap. He finished 10th. Full Results (In part from ARCARacing.com) (10-04-20)
  • Toyota wins 2020 Manufacturer’s Championship: After driving to victory at Memphis International Speedway on Saturday with Ty Gibbs, Toyota has captured its fifth manufacturer’s championship in the ARCA Menards Series. This is the fourth-consecutive ARCA title for Toyota. Earlier this season, Toyota set an ARCA Menards Series record with victories in 15 consecutive events. In 2019, Toyota clinched the title with 17 victories in 20 ARCA Menards Series events. "Toyota is thrilled to have captured its fifth manufacturer’s championship in the ARCA Menards Series," said Paul Doleshal, Group Manager, Motorsports and Assets, for Toyota Motor North America (TMNA). "We are pleased to support four teams in the ARCA Menards Series, which gives a strong platform for our driver development program. The ARCA Menards Series is a great proving ground for these drivers and allows them to experience larger tracks for the first time. We are focused on continuing to show strength for the balance of the season and earning another driver’s championship." Toyota supports four teams – Venturini Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Hattori Racing Enterprises and Bill McAnally Racing – that compete in the ARCA Menards Series. Ty Gibbs leads Toyota with six wins, while Chandler Smith and Michael Self have earned two victories each. NASCAR Xfinity Series regular Riley Herbst and rookie driver Drew Dollar complete the winning success for Toyota this season. All of these victories have led Toyota to close on another ARCA milestone – its 100th ARCA victory. The manufacturer currently sits at 99 race wins. (In part from ARCARacing.com) (10-01-20)