ARCA's 60th Anniversary Season Logo

The date announcement for the track’s second consecutive ARCA Racing Series event and ninth since 1971 finalizes the 20-race ARCA Racing Series schedule for 2012. The Lucas Oil Raceway event had appeared on the previously-announced race schedule without a confirmed date.

The ARCA Racing Series and ARCA CRA Super Series events will follow a USAC Midget and Silver Crown doubleheader on Thursday, July 26.

“We are pleased to welcome back ARCA for the second consecutive season following their thrilling race last year, and the ARCA CRA Super Series has long been a valuable partner,” said Wes Collier, general manager of Lucas Oil Raceway. “The history and tradition Lucas Oil Raceway has with USAC is long and storied with past race winners including some of the greatest names in racing. We are anxious for a tremendous two nights of racing.”

Ty Dillon won at Lucas Oil Raceway last season, scoring one of his series-leading seven victories before becoming the 2011 ARCA Racing Series champion. ARCA’s July visit to the track in Clermont, just west of Indianapolis, was the series’ first since 1985.

The ARCA CRA Super Series is a top stock car sanctioning body and features some the finest up-and-coming talents in all of racing. Past CRA winners at Lucas Oil Raceway have included Scott Hantz, Jeff Land, and Ross Kenseth.

The track will announce a schedule of events and ticket prices for the weekend shortly, and ARCA will make future announcements regarding event broadcast coverage and sponsorship.

2012 will be the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards’ 60th Anniversary Season, featuring 20 races at 18 tracks. The season begins with the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, February 18. The event will air live on SPEED.

The complete 2012 event schedule is available at ARCARacing.com.

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards has crowned an ARCA national champion each year since its inaugural season in 1953, and has toured over 200 race tracks in 28 states since its inception. The series has tested the abilities of drivers and race teams over the most diverse schedule of stock car racing events in the world, visiting tracks ranging from 0.4 mile to 2.66 miles in length, on both paved and dirt surfaces as well as a left- and right-turn road course in its most recent season. This year, the series will visit Alabama’s Mobile International Speedway and Minnesota’s Elko Speedway for the first time; ARCA’s first visit to Minnesota will give ARCA a race in a 29th state.

Founded by John and Mildred Marcum in 1953 in Toledo, Ohio, the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is recognized among the leading sanctioning bodies in the country. Closing in on completing its sixth decade after hundreds of thousands of miles of racing, ARCA administers over 100 race events each season in three professional touring series and local weekly events.

- Automobile Racing Club of America Press Release

Ty Dillon (L) and car owner and grandather Richard Childress (R) celebrate the ARCA Racing Series championship during the annual awards banquet at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center (Photo Credit: ARCA)

Dillon and his No. 41 Chevrolet team were officially crowned ARCA champions at the series’ annual Championship Awards Banquet at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center. The 19-year-old from Lewisville, N.C. was among 15 drivers from the top 20 in the final point standings to be honored on stage, and left with more than $100,000 in point fund and special award earnings, as awarded by the numerous series partners at the ceremony.

To honor Dillon’s position as the 29th ARCA Racing Series champion in 59 seasons, ARCA president Ron Drager presented the driver a letter signed by North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue, as well as a series championship ring and a leather championship jacket featuring the series logo.

As is the custom, a video tribute featured photographs from the champion’s youth and ascent to championship status; special additions to this season’s video included special messages from Richard Childress Racing drivers Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton, as well as a collection of footage showcasing Dillon’s use of the word “awesome” in Victory Lane interviews.

Joining Dillon on stage were his grandfather and team owner, Richard Childress, grandmother Judy Childress, and crew chief Scott “Flash” Naset, who was joined by his wife Stephanie.

“It doesn’t really hit you, how special it is to do something like this, until you’re up on the stage like this and all these people you’ve worked so hard against all year are staring up at you and you’re getting crowned the champion,” said Dillon, who finished the season with seven wins, 13 top-fives, and 16 top-10 finishes. “It hit me pretty hard, and I’m just proud to be with the group of guys I’m with. It’s almost just surreal, to finally take it in. This experience right here has changed me a lot.”

Among the top awards Dillon and his team received were: $10,000 for winning the Menards Pole Award presented by Ansell after securing seven poles in 2011; $6,000 from Sunoco Race Fuel; $5,000 for winning the Aaron’s Lap Leader of the Year Award; $5,000 from Messina Wildlife Management; $5,000 from Hoosier for most wins by a car owner; $2,500 from the University of Northwestern Ohio; and the Fast Track High Performance Driving School Award. Jeff Abbott of Menards presented Dillon a check representing his winnings from the series points fund.

Naset also visited the stage on his own to accept the Cometic Crew Chief of the Year Award.

David Ragan, a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and ARCA Racing Series race winner, served as the Guest of Honor. SPEED television analyst Phil Parsons acted as the banquet host for the third consecutive year.

Chris Buescher, who drove to second place in the final standings for Roulo Brothers Racing, received the $10,000 ARCA Rookie of the Year Award, as well as $2,500 in cash and product certificates from Print Resources and $500 from JRI. Buescher also accepted the $15,000 Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge Award and the R.E. Lightning Challenge Award, among other prizes.

Buescher won three of the season’s last four races, and the team’s Russell Roulo won the Klotz Engine Mechanic of the Year Award. Gary Roulo joined Buescher on stage when he was introduced for finishing in second place.

The team left with more than $100,000 in point fund and special award earnings after a season in which Buescher drove to three wins, 14 top-fives, and 16 top-10s.

Frank Kimmel was recognized on stage for finishing third in the series standings, as well as for winning the CGS Imaging Hard Charger of the Year Award and the S&S Volvo Laps Completed Award. He was joined for a final time on stage by brother and crew chief Bill Kimmel; the two will separate for the 2012 season with Frank Kimmel moving to ThorSport Racing.

Chad McCumbee, who finished fifth in the final series standings, joined owner Jennifer Belmont on stage to accept the Bill France Four Crown Award for his combined performances at New Jersey, Michigan, Springfield, and Salem.

Fourth-place driver Grant Enfinger and owner Mike Allgaier were introduced, as were fellow pairs from the top 10 in the final standings: Tom Hessert and team owner Ken Schrader (sixth); Tim George Jr. and crew chief Gere Kennon (seventh); Chad Hackenbracht and team owner Greg Hackenbracht (eighth); Sean Corr and team owner John Corr (ninth); and Darrell Basham (10th).

The top-10 honor – Basham’s first since 1976 – turned out to be the second recognition of the night for Basham. Earlier, he was honored with his second Spirit Award, following the same honor in 2003. The Spirit Award is given to a person for dedication and support of ARCA, uplifting spirit by way of example, perseverance, and positive attitude. Despite a late 2010 garage fire that destroyed nearly all his race equipment, Basham displayed all of those characteristics in driving to his best season finish in 35 years.

Nick Ramey accepted the Crane Cams Engine Builder of the Year Award on behalf of Roush Yates Engines, and Ramey himself was presented the H.G. Adcox Sportsman of the Year Award for his consistent willingness to assist any team in the garage.

In addition to stepping to the stage with Hessert, Schrader appeared to accept the Marcum Award, annually presented to an individual or entity whose positive efforts have elevated ARCA’s motorsports stature to the benefit of all associated. Schrader is a 15-time winner in the ARCA Racing Series, and continues to promote the series today as a team owner and television broadcaster.

Cathy Venturini and Nate Thiesse, the fourth and 10th-place owners, respectively, both spoke on stage.

To complete the honoring of the top 20 drivers, James Hylton (11th), Brad Smith (12th), Levi Youster (14th), Will Kimmel (15th), and Maryeve Dufault (16th) visited the stage to receive congratulations.

Jeff Kettman accepted the Manufacturer Championship on behalf of Chevrolet.

Andy O’Neal, dean of the College of Technology of the University of Northwestern Ohio – ARCA’s Official High Performance Education University – awarded a group of ARCA scholarships on behalf of the university.

Likewise, Parsons announced the winners of the Bob Loga Memorial ARCA Scholarships. Brianna Peterson – granddaughter of ARCA competitor Wayne Peterson – won $1,500. Peterson, of Hoover, Ala., holds a 4.23 grade point average as a sophomore veterinary student at Auburn University. Brittany Gaddis of Romulus, Mich. won $500. She is the daughter of ARCA Figure 8 driver Danny Gaddis, attends Romulus High School, and plans to study nursing at Wayne State University in Detroit.

The ceremony concluded just after 10 p.m. with a special video featuring an interview with Mildred Marcum, known widely as an ARCA founder. The interview led into a short mention of ARCA’s 60th Anniversary Season and the surrounding celebrations that will occur throughout 2012. A press conference in the afternoon included major series and team announcements.

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards featured 19 events at 16 tracks on its 2011 schedule. The series has crowned an ARCA national champion each year since its inaugural season in 1953, and has toured over 200 race tracks in 28 states since its inception. In 2011, the series has tested the abilities of drivers and race teams over the most diverse schedule of stock car racing events in the world, visiting tracks ranging from 0.4 mile to 2.66 miles in length, on both paved and dirt surfaces as well as a left- and right-turn road course.

The 2012 ARCA Racing Series schedule is currently available at ARCARacing.com. Testing for ARCA’s 60th Anniversary Season will begin Friday, December 16 at Daytona International Speedway. The season’s first race is scheduled for Saturday, February 18 at Daytona.

Founded by John Marcum in 1953 in Toledo, Ohio, the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is recognized among the leading sanctioning bodies in the country. Closing in on completing its sixth decade after hundreds of thousands of miles of racing, ARCA administers over 100 race events each season in two professional touring series and local weekly events.

- Automobile Racing Club of America Press Release

Richard Childress Racing (RCR)

George, a New York, N.Y. native, is fresh off his best ARCA Racing Series run, finishing the 2011 season seventh in the final championship point standings on the strength of his first-career win at Pocono Raceway in June, eight top-five and 10 top-10 finishes. The 30-year-old driver made his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut in November 2009, one year after claiming victory at New Jersey Motorsports Park in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series. He began his racing career in 2005, driving in the Skip Barber Racing School Southern Series and finished second in his class the following year on the heels of five victories.

“Tim has shown a great amount of improvement, running in the ARCA Racing Series these past few years that included his first career win,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “We’re ready to further strengthen his skills and moving him to the Camping World Truck Series is the next logical step. Having Ty Dillon and Joey Coulter as his teammates will help support his learning curve and I’m excited to see how he’ll perform.”

Tim George Jr.

Potomac Family Dining Group is the exclusive franchisee for the Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar restaurants in the Washington, D.C. and surrounding area.

“Having an association with Tim this past year has proven to be an exciting experience for us,” said PFDG President Jim Rieger. “Quite frankly, the positive feedback from both our guests and our employees, has exceeded our expectations. And, since so many of our guests are also NASCAR fans, this collaboration is a perfect fit.”

Bruce Cook, who has nearly twenty-five years of motorsports experience, will serve as crew chief for RCR’s No. 2 Chevrolet Silverado team. His most recent stint came at Kevin Harvick Inc. where he captured three wins during the 2010 Nationwide Series season with Kevin Harvick and seven in the Camping World Truck Series with six different drivers en route to the 2011 owner’s championship title.

George’s race schedule and further additions to RCR’s competition department will be forthcoming.

For additional information on today’s announcement, and all that’s happening at RCR, please visit www.rcrracing.com

About Richard Childress Racing

Richard Childress Racing (www.rcrracing.com) has earned more than 200 victories and 14 championships, including six in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. RCR was the first organization to win championships in the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series. Its 2011 Sprint Cup Series lineup includes Paul Menard (No. 27 Menards Chevrolet), Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet), Jeff Burton (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet) and Clint Bowyer (No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet). Its Camping World Truck Series program includes 2010 Rookie of the Year Austin Dillon (No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet) and Joey Coulter, Jr. (No. 22 RCR Development Chevrolet). Tim George Jr. (No 31 RCR Development Chevrolet) and Ty Dillon (No. 41 Chevrolet) will compete in the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards.

- Richard Childress Racing Press Release

ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards Thumbnail

“Each of the venues on the 2012 schedule is very important to the identity and industry position of the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards,” said ARCA president Ron Drager. “The geographic coverage represented by the markets we’ll be racing in and the overall number of races are good fits for the series.”

In the ARCA Racing Series’ 49th consecutive February Speedweeks appearance, Daytona International Speedway will host the season-opening Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 on Saturday, February 18. The race will precede that evening’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Budweiser Shootout at the 2.5-mile superspeedway.

The 2012 ARCA Racing Series schedule will conclude with the series’ championship event at Kansas Speedway on Friday, October 19. In between, the series will appear in 18 other races at a wide variety of venues, setting the most versatile schedule in motorsports.

ARCA’s first visit to Mobile International Speedway in Alabama will be the season’s second race on Saturday, March 10. Another new track – Minnesota’s Elko Speedway – appears on the ARCA schedule for the first time, with a race on Saturday, June 2. The ARCA Racing Series has never raced in Minnesota, adding significance to the June visit to Elko and establishing the North Star State as the 29th visited by ARCA’s premier national tour since 1953.

Toledo Speedway – ARCA’s home track – will host the series on Sunday, May 20.

ARCA Racing Series teams will compete in July at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis over the Brickyard 400 weekend, following ARCA’s 2011 return to the track for the first time in 26 years. The exact date of the race will be determined shortly.

Additional short tracks returning to the ARCA Racing Series schedule include Salem (Ind.) Speedway on two weekends, Winchester (Ind.) Speedway, Iowa Speedway, Berlin (Mich.) Raceway, and Madison (Wis.) International Speedway.

Talladega Superspeedway will host its 50th ARCA Racing Series race on Friday, May 4, and Pocono Raceway will host two race dates for the 25th consecutive year, in June and August. Additional speedway events scheduled to return in 2012 include races at Michigan International Speedway and Chicagoland Speedway.

Contributing to the long-recognized diversity of the ARCA schedule will be the traditional mile dirt races in August at the Illinois State Fairgrounds and in September at the DuQuoin (Ill.) State Fairgrounds. Road course racing is in the plan for the fifth consecutive year, as the 2.25-mile Thunderbolt Raceway at New Jersey Motorsports Park will host ARCA on the first day of July.

Companion events in 2012 include race weekends with the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide, and Camping World Truck Series, as well as the USAC Silver Crown Series, the ARCA CRA Super Series, and the ARCA Truck Series.

The full 2012 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule is as follows:

Saturday, February 18 – Daytona International Speedway

Saturday, March 10 – Mobile International Speedway

Sunday, April 29 – Salem Speedway

Friday, May 4 – Talladega Superspeedway

Sunday, May 20 – Toledo Speedway

Saturday, June 2 – Elko Speedway

Saturday, June 9 – Pocono Raceway

Friday, June 15 – Michigan International Speedway

Sunday, June 24 – Winchester Speedway

Sunday, July 1 – New Jersey Motorsports Park

Friday, July 13 – Iowa Speedway

Saturday, July 21 – Chicagoland Speedway

To be determined – Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis

Saturday, August 4 – Pocono Raceway

Saturday, August 11 – Berlin Raceway

Sunday, August 19 – Illinois State Fairgrounds

Sunday, August 26 – Madison International Speedway

Monday, September 3 – DuQuoin State Fairgrounds

Saturday, September 15 – Salem Speedway

Friday, October 19 – Kansas Speedway

The ARCA Racing Series will wrap up the 2011 season with the Championship Awards Banquet at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington, Ky., near Cincinnati, on Saturday, December 10.

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards featured 19 events at 16 tracks on its 2011 schedule. The series has crowned an ARCA national champion each year since its inaugural season in 1953, and has toured over 200 race tracks in 28 states since its inception. In 2011, the series has tested the abilities of drivers and race teams over the most diverse schedule of stock car racing events in the world, visiting tracks ranging from 0.4 mile to 2.66 miles in length, on both paved and dirt surfaces as well as a left- and right-turn road course.

Founded by John Marcum in 1953 in Toledo, Ohio, the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is recognized among the leading sanctioning bodies in the country. Closing in on completing its sixth decade after hundreds of thousands of miles of racing, ARCA administers over 100 race events each season in two professional touring series and local weekly events.

- Automobile Racing Club of America Press Release

ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards Thumbnail

Two events are scheduled at the demanding, high-banked 0.555-mile oval between Indianapolis and Louisville, Ky. The 91st Salem race in ARCA history will take place Sunday, April 29, with the 92nd following on Saturday, September 15.

Salem Speedway first hosted ARCA in 1955, the third season of ARCA competition.

“ARCA’s history at Salem Speedway stretches back to the MARC era and our earliest decade,” said Ron Drager, president of ARCA. “The fans in southern Indiana and northern Kentucky turn out with great support year after year. We look forward to providing them with the traditional Sunday afternoon show in the spring and our classic Saturday night race in the fall.”

Indiana native Frank Kimmel is the all-time leading winner at Salem, with nine victories. Jack Bowsher is second in history with seven wins. Brennan Poole won at Salem in his first career start in May, and Chris Buescher won in September as part of his charge to the 2011 ARCA Racing Series Rookie of the Year Award.

“We are once again honored to have Salem Speedway represented with two dates on the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule,” said Salem Speedway general manager Richard Deaton. “ARCA has played a very prominent role in the storied history of the famed high banks and we are excited to carry on that tradition in 2012.”

More detailed schedule information for the season will be available shortly. The following race dates for the 2012 ARCA Racing Series schedule have been announced:

February 18 – Daytona International Speedway

March 10 – Mobile International Speedway

April 29 – Salem Speedway

May 4 – Talladega Superspeedway

June 9 – Pocono Raceway

June 15 – Michigan International Speedway

June 24 – Winchester Speedway

July 1 – New Jersey Motorsports Park

July 13 – Iowa Speedway

July 21 – Chicagoland Speedway

August 4 – Pocono Raceway

August 11 – Berlin Raceway

August 19 – Illinois State Fairgrounds

August 26 – Madison International Speedway

September 3 – DuQuoin State Fairgrounds

September 15 – Salem Speedway

October 19 – Kansas Speedway

The ARCA Racing Series will wrap up the 2011 season with the Championship Awards Banquet at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington, Ky., near Cincinnati, on Saturday, December 10.

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards featured 19 events at 16 tracks on its 2011 schedule. The series has crowned an ARCA national champion each year since its inaugural season in 1953, and has toured over 200 race tracks in 28 states since its inception. In 2011, the series has tested the abilities of drivers and race teams over the most diverse schedule of stock car racing events in the world, visiting tracks ranging from 0.4 mile to 2.66 miles in length, on both paved and dirt surfaces as well as a left- and right-turn road course.

Founded by John Marcum in 1953 in Toledo, Ohio, the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is recognized among the leading sanctioning bodies in the country. Closing in on completing its sixth decade after hundreds of thousands of miles of racing, ARCA administers over 100 race events each season in two professional touring series and local weekly events.

- Automobile Racing Club of America Press Release

ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards Thumbnail

Adding to 11 races previously announced for next year’s schedule, ARCA officials released four more event dates as the unveiling of 2012′s entire race slate approaches.

The series will return to Winchester Speedway, the “World’s Fastest Half-Mile,” on Sunday, June 24. The race will be the 22nd for ARCA at the track 75 miles northeast of Indianapolis; the first ARCA race at Winchester took place in 1957, just the fifth season of ARCA competition. Dakoda Armstrong lifted Cunningham Motorsports to victory at Winchester in June.

“Winchester is exactly the type of Midwestern facility where the ARCA brand is well-known and has the chance to be successful,” said ARCA president Ron Drager. “Winchester is big enough and fast enough to play to the very nature of our cars.”

ARCA will make its seventh visit to the 0.875-mile Iowa Speedway on Friday, July 13 – one day before a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at the track. Ty Dillon and Richard Childress Racing earned a dominating win at Iowa in July on his way to the 2011 series championship.

“Racing at Iowa Speedway is important from a market and venue perspective, as we reach a number of fans from several major areas there,” Drager said. “Being as recently built as it is, Iowa Speedway is one of those tracks that has the luxury of incorporating so many amenities – sightlines and facilities among them – to be fan-friendly and competitor-friendly. Iowa Speedway fans have strongly supported ARCA.”

The 25th appearance for the ARCA Racing Series at Berlin Raceway will occur on Saturday, August 11. The 0.4375-mile oval near Grand Rapids, Mich. hosted ARCA for the first time in 1958, and Matt Merrell won this July to take his first victory with Win-Tron Racing.

“Berlin Raceway is unlike any of the short tracks we go to in terms of its unique layout and pit road,” said Drager. “It’s been a staple of the tour for a number of years, and it seems that everyone from local guys like 2002 winner Fred Campbell to multi-time champions like three-time winner Frank Kimmel has a chance to be successful.”

Madison International Speedway will host ARCA for the second consecutive year and the fifth time since 1970 on Sunday, August 26. Alex Bowman drove Venturini Motorsports to the winner’s circle on the half-mile this season. The race is the year’s only event in Wisconsin, home to series presenting sponsor Menards. After taking place as a one-day Friday event in 2011, on-track activities will spread over two days – a Saturday and Sunday combination.

“The state of Wisconsin is renowned for the quality of its racing – teams and facilities – so it’s an important state from that perspective,” said Drager. “In addition, Wisconsin race fans are well-educated about the sport, and Terry Kunes and his staff at Madison provide a great venue at which our series can perform and compete.

“We consider every one of these race tracks important challenges to our racers, and there is a true advantage to racing within the Menards footprint. As Menards continues as our highest-profile marketing partner, racing in these Midwestern and Central states takes on added significance.”

More detailed schedule information for the season will be available shortly. The following race dates for the 2012 ARCA Racing Series schedule have been announced:

February 18 – Daytona International Speedway

March 10 – Mobile International Speedway

May 4 – Talladega Superspeedway

June 9 – Pocono Raceway

June 15 – Michigan International Speedway

June 24 – Winchester Speedway

July 1 – New Jersey Motorsports Park

July 13 – Iowa Speedway

July 21 – Chicagoland Speedway

August 4 – Pocono Raceway

August 11 – Berlin Raceway

August 19 – Illinois State Fairgrounds

August 26 – Madison International Speedway

September 3 – DuQuoin State Fairgrounds

October 19 – Kansas Speedway

The ARCA Racing Series will wrap up the 2011 season with the Championship Awards Banquet at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington, Ky., near Cincinnati, on Saturday, December 10.

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards featured 19 events at 16 tracks on its 2011 schedule. The series has crowned an ARCA national champion each year since its inaugural season in 1953, and has toured over 200 race tracks in 28 states since its inception. In 2011, the series has tested the abilities of drivers and race teams over the most diverse schedule of stock car racing events in the world, visiting tracks ranging from 0.4 mile to 2.66 miles in length, on both paved and dirt surfaces as well as a left- and right-turn road course.

Founded by John Marcum in 1953 in Toledo, Ohio, the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is recognized among the leading sanctioning bodies in the country. Closing in on completing its sixth decade after hundreds of thousands of miles of racing, ARCA administers over 100 race events each season in two professional touring series and local weekly events.

- Automobile Racing Club of America Press Release

ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards Thumbnail

The 2012 season finale will take place on Friday, October 19. Continuing its history of racing alongside NASCAR’s three premier touring divisions, the ARCA finale will lead into a NASCAR Nationwide Series race and a Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup event at the track that weekend.

“To be able to host the 2012 ARCA Racing Series finale is a great honor and extremely exciting,” said Kansas Speedway president Patrick Warren. “We have seen a lot of great ARCA races at Kansas Speedway, including this year’s Kansas Lottery 98.9 under the lights, and I’m confident that next year’s event will be just as good. ARCA selecting Kansas Speedway to host the season finale is also a testament to our fans and the support they have shown for both the series and Kansas Speedway.”

Likewise, ARCA will race with NASCAR’s national divisions at Michigan International Speedway in June and Chicagoland Speedway in July.

Michigan will host the RainEater Wiper Blades 200 on Friday, June 15, just before Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series events on the two-mile oval. Chicagoland will welcome ARCA on Saturday, July 21, the same day as a Camping World Truck Series race and one day before a Nationwide Series race.

The Michigan race will be ARCA’s 31st since 1980, and the Chicagoland event will be the 12th for ARCA since 2001. After 11 prior races at the Joliet, Ill. track, the 2012 event will be ARCA’s first in July.

“These are impressive facilities in important markets for our series and partners, and serve as a tie to the long relationship between ARCA and International Speedway Corporation, which dates back to ARCA’s first race at Daytona in 1964,” said ARCA president Ron Drager. “Our teams see these events as true showcase opportunities on high-visibility race weekends.”

More detailed schedule information for the season will be available shortly. The following race dates for the 2012 ARCA Racing Series schedule have been announced:

February 18 – Daytona International Speedway

March 10 – Mobile International Speedway

May 4 – Talladega Superspeedway

June 9 – Pocono Raceway

June 15 – Michigan International Speedway

July 1 – New Jersey Motorsports Park

July 21 – Chicagoland Speedway

August 4 – Pocono Raceway

August 19 – Illinois State Fairgrounds

September 3 – DuQuoin State Fairgrounds

October 19 – Kansas Speedway

The ARCA Racing Series will wrap up the 2011 season with the Championship Awards Banquet at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington, Ky., near Cincinnati, on Saturday, December 10.

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards featured 19 events at 16 tracks on its 2011 schedule. The series has crowned an ARCA national champion each year since its inaugural season in 1953, and has toured over 200 race tracks in 28 states since its inception. In 2011, the series has tested the abilities of drivers and race teams over the most diverse schedule of stock car racing events in the world, visiting tracks ranging from 0.4 mile to 2.66 miles in length, on both paved and dirt surfaces as well as a left- and right-turn road course.

Founded by John Marcum in 1953 in Toledo, Ohio, the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is recognized among the leading sanctioning bodies in the country. Closing in on completing its sixth decade after hundreds of thousands of miles of racing, ARCA administers over 100 race events each season in two professional touring series and local weekly events.

- Automobile Racing Club of America Press Release

ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards Thumbnail

The Illinois State Fairgrounds race will take place on Sunday, August 19; the DuQuoin race retains its traditional Labor Day date, Monday, September 3. The races are each scheduled under ARCA sanction for the 30th consecutive year, a key milestone that adds to the celebration of ARCA’s 60th Anniversary Season.

“Racing in Springfield and DuQuoin for three decades has directly connected us to a whole community of race fans whose affinity is dirt track racing,” said ARCA president Ron Drager. “It’s important to reach out and connect with those racers and fans. Racing on the dirt is a vital, integral component of our schedule and a calculated part of our business plan. It differentiates our tour, and ties our series as it stands today to the very beginning of ARCA history, when racing on dirt built the foundation of our tradition.”

Championship stock car racing at the Illinois State Fairgrounds predates even the ARCA Racing Series, having started in 1950. The ARCA Racing Series’ sanction of the Allen Crowe Memorial 100 – which remembers the fallen Sprint car driver who died at New Bremen (Ohio) Speedway in 1963 – began in 1983. Dean Roper won the inaugural ARCA race at the track for the first of his three series victories in Springfield.

Nine-time ARCA champion Frank Kimmel won a series-high seven races at Springfield between 2000 and 2008, and 1989 series champion Bob Keselowski is second all-time with four wins on the mile dirt oval. In August, Chad McCumbee made a leap toward winning the Bill France Four Crown with his Springfield victory.

Like its counterpart 150 miles away, the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds has hosted ARCA-sanctioned races since 1983. Roper won the first Southern Illinois 100 on the oval, his first of four ARCA victories at the track.

Kimmel is the dean of DuQuoin, as well, with five victories between 2001 and 2008. Billy Thomas ranks just behind Kimmel and tied with Roper, with four wins. Chris Buescher won at DuQuoin on Labor Day this year to open a stretch of three wins in the final four races and a charge for the Rookie of the Year title.

More detailed schedule information for the season will be available shortly. The following race dates for the 2012 ARCA Racing Series schedule have been announced:

February 18 – Daytona International Speedway

March 10 – Mobile International Speedway

May 4 – Talladega Superspeedway

June 9 – Pocono Raceway

July 1 – New Jersey Motorsports Park

August 4 – Pocono Raceway

August 19 – Illinois State Fairgrounds

September 3 – DuQuoin State Fairgrounds

The ARCA Racing Series will wrap up the 2011 season with the Championship Awards Banquet at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington, Ky., near Cincinnati, on Saturday, December 10.

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards featured 19 events at 16 tracks on its 2011 schedule. The series has crowned an ARCA national champion each year since its inaugural season in 1953, and has toured over 200 race tracks in 28 states since its inception. In 2011, the series has tested the abilities of drivers and race teams over the most diverse schedule of stock car racing events in the world, visiting tracks ranging from 0.4 mile to 2.66 miles in length, on both paved and dirt surfaces as well as a left- and right-turn road course.

Founded by John Marcum in 1953 in Toledo, Ohio, the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is recognized among the leading sanctioning bodies in the country. Closing in on completing its sixth decade after hundreds of thousands of miles of racing, ARCA administers over 100 race events each season in two professional touring series and local weekly events.

- Automobile Racing Club of America Press Release

Pocono Raceway Logo Thumbnail

Both races on the 2.5-mile triangular track will take place as companion events, one day before NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. The first, an 80-lap, 200-mile event, is scheduled for Saturday, June 9. The second, at 50 laps or 125 miles, will take place Saturday, August 4.

“Pocono Raceway is so unique in that it challenges drivers with three widely differing turns in terms of banking and radius, and it incorporates the speed typically associated with superspeedway racing,” said Ron Drager, president of ARCA. “Driving at Pocono requires a driver to brake and accelerate, skills acquired in short track racing, so we have found it to be a great track for less experienced drivers to become acclimated to higher speeds.”

ARCA’s Pocono history dates back over 54 prior races to 1969, when Bobby Watson defeated Benny Parsons to win the track’s first ARCA race on the now-defunct 0.75-mile oval at the facility. The June race, though, will be ARCA’s first since the summer retirement of track owners Joseph and Rose Mattioli. Track president Brandon Igdalsky, a grandson of the Mattiolis, has risen to chief executive officer.

“Our tenure at Pocono dates back to 1969 and spans three generations of family members on both the ARCA and Pocono management teams,” Drager said. “Dr. Joe and Rose Mattioli and John and Mildred Marcum started the tradition we carry on today with Brandon and Nick Igdalsky, who were named by ‘Doc’ to senior executive positions this past season.”

2012 will be the 26th consecutive year that ARCA has contested two annual races at Pocono Raceway. Bob Schacht won both races at the track in 1987, the first year that ARCA scheduled two races on the “Tricky Triangle.” This season’s events will be the 54th and 55th for the ARCA Racing Series on Pocono’s 2.5-mile oval. Tim George Jr. won a fog-shortened event this June, and eventual series champion Ty Dillon gave Richard Childress Racing a Pocono sweep for 2011 by winning in August.

Tim Steele is the all-time wins leader at Pocono with nine (including five consecutive from 1996-98), and he is closely followed by Schacht (six) and Bob Keselowski (five). Familiar names like Ryan Newman and Joey Logano dot the winner list.

More detailed schedule information for the season will be available shortly. The following race dates for the 2012 ARCA Racing Series schedule have been announced:

February 18 – Daytona International Speedway

March 10 – Mobile International Speedway

May 4 – Talladega Superspeedway

June 9 – Pocono Raceway

July 1 – New Jersey Motorsports Park

August 4 – Pocono Raceway

The ARCA Racing Series will wrap up the 2011 season with the Championship Awards Banquet at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington, Ky., near Cincinnati, on Saturday, December 10.

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards featured 19 events at 16 tracks on its 2011 schedule. The series has crowned an ARCA national champion each year since its inaugural season in 1953, and has toured over 200 race tracks in 28 states since its inception. In 2011, the series has tested the abilities of drivers and race teams over the most diverse schedule of stock car racing events in the world, visiting tracks ranging from 0.4 mile to 2.66 miles in length, on both paved and dirt surfaces as well as a left- and right-turn road course.

Founded by John Marcum in 1953 in Toledo, Ohio, the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is recognized among the leading sanctioning bodies in the country. Closing in on completing its sixth decade after hundreds of thousands of miles of racing, ARCA administers over 100 race events each season in two professional touring series and local weekly events.

- Automobile Racing Club of America Press Release

ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards Thumbnail

The Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 will set the tone for 2012 from the historic 2.5-mile superspeedway oval at 4 p.m. on Saturday, February 18. The race will air live on SPEED.

The race will be the 49th for ARCA at Daytona, which has hosted the series’ season opener every year since ARCA’s first visit in 1964. The race will also open ARCA’s 60th Anniversary Season, and will precede Saturday night’s feature race, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Budweiser Shootout. Those events will lead into pole qualifying for the Daytona 500 the next day.

Bobby Gerhart has won a record seven times at Daytona, including a victory over 2011 Rookie of the Year Chris Buescher this February.

“We race on the same day, at the same track, just a couple of hours before the Bud Shootout, and a week in advance of the season-opening Daytona 500,” said Ron Drager, president of ARCA. “It’s a great opportunity for us, and a great platform at a track where so much of our history has been written.”

On-track activity will begin with practice Thursday, February 16 and continue with Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell on Friday, February 17. Start times will be announced shortly.

ARCA officials also announced today that the season’s second superspeedway event will take place Friday, May 4 at Talladega Superspeedway, leading off a weekend of NASCAR Nationwide Series and Sprint Cup Series action.

“These race tracks are great facilities in important racing markets, and speak to the long-standing relationship between ARCA and the International Speedway Corporation tracks, which dates back to ARCA’s first race at Daytona in 1964,” Drager said. “This is a real opportunity for our teams and drivers to be on track during the high-visibility ISC race weekends.”

The 2012 race at Talladega will be the 50th since 1969. Grant Adcox is ARCA’s all-time leading winner on the 2.66-mile superspeedway oval with five wins, but 2011 series champion Ty Dillon is the most recent ARCA winner at Talladega. Dillon passed nine-time ARCA champion Frank Kimmel just before the checkered flag to win this April.

More detailed schedule information for the season will be available shortly. The following race dates for the 2012 ARCA Racing Series schedule have been announced:

February 18 – Daytona International Speedway

March 10 – Mobile International Speedway

May 4 – Talladega Superspeedway

July 1 – New Jersey Motorsports Park

The ARCA Racing Series will wrap up the 2011 season with the Championship Awards Banquet at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington, Ky., near Cincinnati, on Saturday, December 10.

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards featured 19 events at 16 tracks on its 2011 schedule. The series has crowned an ARCA national champion each year since its inaugural season in 1953, and has toured over 200 race tracks in 28 states since its inception. In 2011, the series has tested the abilities of drivers and race teams over the most diverse schedule of stock car racing events in the world, visiting tracks ranging from 0.4 mile to 2.66 miles in length, on both paved and dirt surfaces as well as a left- and right-turn road course.

Founded by John Marcum in 1953 in Toledo, Ohio, the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is recognized among the leading sanctioning bodies in the country. Closing in on completing its sixth decade after hundreds of thousands of miles of racing, ARCA administers over 100 race events each season in two professional touring series and local weekly events.

- Automobile Racing Club of America Press Release

ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards Thumbnail

ARCA and New Jersey Motorsports Park officials reached an agreement this week to bring stock car racing’s most versatile series back to the 14-turn, 2.25-mile circuit in southern New Jersey, less than 50 miles south of Philadelphia.

“The ARCA Racing Series has long been recognized for the diversity in the types of venues on the schedule,” said Ron Drager, ARCA president. “Racing at New Jersey again in 2012 once again gives our schedule a full range of venues, also including paved short tracks, superspeedways, intermediate tracks, and the mile dirt state fairgrounds ovals. We’re looking forward to another visit to New Jersey Motorsports Park.”

Entering its 60th anniversary season, ARCA has hosted 15 road course races. The first occurred at Meadowdale Raceway in Illinois in 1958, and Andrew Ranger won in the most recent – his ARCA debut – at New Jersey in May. Ranger, driving a car fielded by Northeast owner Robert Torriere, completed a daring pass over George Miedecke just before the white flag to create one of the season’s most exciting finishes.

Before Ranger this spring, Justin Allgaier (2008), Patrick Long (2009), and Casey Roderick (2010) won ARCA Racing Series events at New Jersey.

“We’re pleased to welcome back the ARCA Racing Series for the fifth consecutive season in 2012,” said Brad Scott, general manager of New Jersey Motorsports Park. “ARCA is such an exciting weekend for race fans in New Jersey, especially this year’s race that came down to the final lap between two road course aces. We hope to feature that same excitement on a new date next year.”

New Jersey Motorsports Park officials are working toward scheduling a lineup of support races to give race fans even more value on the ARCA Racing Series weekend.

Other 2012 races with dates confirmed by the ARCA Racing Series include the season opener at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, February 18, and ARCA’s first trip to Mobile International Speedway on Saturday, March 10. More detailed schedule information for the season will be available shortly.

The ARCA Racing Series will wrap up the 2011 season with the Championship Awards Banquet at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington, Ky., near Cincinnati, on Saturday, December 10.

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards featured 19 events at 16 tracks on its 2011 schedule. The series has crowned an ARCA national champion each year since its inaugural season in 1953, and has toured over 200 race tracks in 28 states since its inception. In 2011, the series has tested the abilities of drivers and race teams over the most diverse schedule of stock car racing events in the world, visiting tracks ranging from 0.4 mile to 2.66 miles in length, on both paved and dirt surfaces as well as a left- and right-turn road course.

Founded by John Marcum in 1953 in Toledo, Ohio, the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is recognized among the leading sanctioning bodies in the country. Closing in on completing its sixth decade after hundreds of thousands of miles of racing, ARCA administers over 100 race events each season in two professional touring series and local weekly events.

- Automobile Racing Club of America Press Release

The No. 52 Pink Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet Impala driven by Tom Hessert III in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards for Ken Schrader Racing (KSR).

Decked out in a slick looking pink No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet Impala continuing to bring attentiveness to Breast Cancer Awareness month, Hessert looks to close out his first season driving for Ken Schrader Racing (KSR) with high marks.

In all respect, the former CARS Pro Cup Series pilot has had a respectable season. Filled with some bumps along the way, the Cherry Hill, New Jersey has still proven that he has the ability to get the job done even under the toughest situations. Entering the season finale, Hessert and his Donnie Richeson-led team have inherited six top-fives and 12 top-10 finishes including a season-best of second on the road course of New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP).

Victory had been in the clutches of the team on several occasions this year, but for one reason or another, the grasps of clinching onto a trophy or spraying champagne have been derailed. Still, one race remains and it comes at a track where Hessert has boasted success.

With his eighth start at the half-mile oval on deck for Sunday afternoon, the former NASCAR Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car ace is thriving on three top-fives including a then career-best of third in 2009 before mounting a third and seventh last year driving for Cunningham Motorsports. Despite an uncharacteristic 14th place run in May, the popular ARCA driver is eager to put his No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet Impala back at the top.

“Overall, Toledo Speedway has been a relatively good track for me,” said Hessert, who finished 13th last Friday night at Kansas Speedway. “We didn’t quite have the run we were looking for earlier in the year, but we’ve worked immensely hard on our short track program since then and I feel we have as good of a shot as any to win on Sunday afternoon.”

Tom Hessert III

“It’s truly been a blessing to work with the folks at Federated Auto Parts,” Hessert continued. “I’ve really enjoyed getting to meet all of the corporate representatives and a lot of their cliental. I know just like the spring race, we’re going to have a lot of support in the grandstands on Sunday, so hopefully with their cheers and chants, we can thank them for their support by being the first one to take the checkered flag.”

Mathematically, despite locking the seventh position in the ARCA Racing Series championship standings, just 125 points separate Hessert for leaping into the fifth position. With a grueling and expected 200-lap torrid battle set for Sunday, the 25-year old knows that he will need a picture-perfect day to bring that statistic to fruition but he’ll also need his competitors to have some misfortune as well.

“No one wants to see anyone have any bad luck, but that could be on our gain on Sunday,” Hessert humbling said. “It’s been a very competitive season, so finishing strong has been extremely important towards gaining those valuable crucial points. We’ve been plagued by some bad luck that has us ultimately sitting where we are now, but we’re going in to fight this weekend and whatever happens, we’ll take it in stride.”

In addition to Federated Auto Parts, Cherry Hill Classic Cars will serve as an associate marketing partner for Hessert’s 83rd career ARCA start. In his previous 82 outings, he has maneuvered one win, 18 top-fives and 42 top-10s.

The Federated Car Care 200 (200 laps / 100 miles) is the 19th of 19 events on the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The 70th ARCA race at Toledo Speedway is a two-day show. Practice begins Saturday, October 15 with a forty five minute practice session planned from 12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. A final forty five minute “happy hour” session has been etched in from 1:40 p.m. – 2:25 p.m. Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell is set for later in the day slated to begin at 4:00 p.m. A one hour on-track autograph session has been etched in from 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. on race day (Sunday). The contest will take the green flag shortly after 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 16. The event will be televised live on SPEED with additional race coverage including live timing and scoring throughout the 1,331st race for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards since it was formed in 1953 will be available through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com presented by ARCANation.com. All times are local.

For more on Tom Hessert III, please visit tomhessert.com.

To join Hessert and Ken Schrader Racing in their plan to spread the message about Breast Cancer awareness and to order you own “Pink” KSR memorabilia, please visit SchraderRacing.com.

- Ken Schrader Racing Press Release

DuQuoin State Fairgrounds Logo

The Southern Illinois 100 presented by Federated Auto Parts at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds has existed since 1950 and been run in consecutive years every year since 1954, meaning that Monday’s event will be the 59th over a history that includes winners like Fred Lorenzen, Jack Bowsher, A.J. Foyt, and Rusty Wallace, not to mention recent ARCA stars like Frank Kimmel, Parker Kligerman, and 2010 winner Steve Arpin.

Practice for the 16th race of the 19-event 2011 ARCA Racing Series season will begin at 9 a.m. Monday, with Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell following at 11 a.m. and the 100-lap, 100-mile race going off at 1 p.m. The Southern Illinois 200 is the second of two dirt mile events on this season’s schedule. All times are Central Daylight, and ARCARacing.com will feature live timing and scoring coverage and live audio coverage of all on-track events.

ARCA began its affiliation with the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds and the Southern Illinois 100 in 1983, and the event has taken place on Labor Day for each of the past 10 years, dating back to 2001.

Kimmel, driver of the No. 44 Ansell / Menards Ford and a nine-time ARCA champion, is the all-time win leader at the dirt oval with five victories (2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2008). The Southern Illinois 100 will be his 60th start since his last win, which came at Salem Speedway in September 2008, only days after his most recent DuQuoin win.

In all, Kimmel has 13 dirt victories – including five at DuQuoin – and finished seventh on the similar Springfield, Ill. mile nine days ago. With a series-high 14 top-10 finishes in 15 races, Kimmel is undoubtedly a driver to watch at DuQuoin.

Only two drivers stand above Kimmel in driver points: Ty Dillon (No. 41 Hemelgarn / CIPT Chevrolet) leads Chris Buescher (No. 17 Reliance Tool / David Ragan Ford) by exactly 400 points, and both have reason to believe a trip to Victory Lane could be in store following a rare Monday afternoon event.

Dillon finished a career-worst 13th at Springfield, but will carry a series-high seven wins and a wealth of dirt racing experience into the event. Buescher, meanwhile, finished eighth at Springfield but has five runner-up finishes this season, including one Friday at Madison International Speedway in Wisconsin. A two-time winner last season, Buescher is still looking for a breakthrough victory in 2011.

Chad McCumbee (No. 1 ModSpace Ford) certainly figures to be a contender, having just won at Springfield. Tom Hessert (No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet) will enter DuQuoin with second-place finishes in each of his last two dirt starts.

Will Kimmel (No. 68 Messina Wildlife Management / Menards Ford) is the nephew of Frank Kimmel, and he will aim to improve on a sixth-place finish at DuQuoin in 2010 and a fourth-place run at Springfield earlier this month.

Another dirt specialist entered is Kelly Kovski (No. 39 Central Illinois Security / Schluckebier Farms Chevrolet), who finished ninth last season at DuQuoin and sixth at Springfield this year. Kovski is typically the crew chief at Allgaier Motorsports for top-five contender Grant Enfinger (No. 36 Hoosier Tire Midwest / RaceTires.com Dodge), making his entry as a driver even more appealing.

Other notable entries include two-time World of Outlaws Late Model Series champion Josh Richards (No. 25 Joy Mining Machinery Chevrolet), who is often regarded as one of the world’s finest dirt drivers, and Andrew Ranger (No. 53 Van Dyke Baler / Bollegraaf Ford), a road course ace who won at New Jersey Motorsports Park earlier this season.

Thirty-five cars are currently entered.

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards features 19 events at 16 tracks on its 2011 schedule. The series has crowned an ARCA national champion each year since its inaugural season in 1953, and has toured over 200 race tracks in 28 states since its inception. The series tests the abilities of drivers and race teams over the most diverse schedule of stock car racing events in the world, annually visiting tracks ranging from 0.4 mile to 2.66 miles in length, on both paved and dirt surfaces as well as a left- and right-turn road course.

Founded by John Marcum in 1953 in Toledo, Ohio, the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is recognized among the leading sanctioning bodies in the country. Closing in on completing its sixth decade after hundreds of thousands of miles of racing, ARCA administers over 100 race events each season in two professional touring series and local weekly events.

- Automobile Racing Club of America Press Release

CGH Motorsports Thumbnail

Relatively speaking, Hackenbracht, the New Philadelphia, Ohio native has fared very well on tracks he has never competed at before. Boasting speed and consistency at the tracks of Salem (Ind.) Speedway, Toledo Speedway, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Winchester Speedway, Iowa Speedway and most recently Lucas Oil Raceway Park, the young-gun is looking to take the knowledge and confidence of a new track and apply it to Springfield.

Though, Hackenbracht and his team are easily aware that racing in the dirt may be a whole new battlefield for the Mooresville, North Carolina-based team.

“I’m ready to go play in the dirt,” chuckled Hackenbracht, driver of the No. 58 Tastee Apple Chevrolet Impala SS. “I’ve heard drivers talk about the dirt races all season long about how fun and competitive they are. We’re looking forward to experiencing that for ourselves this weekend.”

Looking to post his eighth top-10 finish in the last seven races, the former Legends Series champion enters the 14th race of the season with an open-mind, especially with a very fast-paced schedule.

Chad Hackenbracht

With the 2011 season slowly beginning to come to a close, Hackenbracht would be completely satisfied with leaving the one-mile dirt oval with a top-10 finish. “We’re going to go out there and play our race,” he said. “If we found ourselves contending, that’s more than we expected but if we can tally another top-10 to our season on Sunday, I’d definitely be okay with that too.”

To ease his optimism about his first dirt race, Hackenbracht recently spoke with 2010 ARCA Racing Series champion and defending Springfield winner Patrick Sheltra who offered some advice on what the rising star could expect this weekend.

“I was extremely appreciative to have the opportunity to talk to Patrick,” Hackenbracht mentioned. “Not only is he a champion, but he’s a wheelman, especially when it comes to these dirt races. He told me what to expect, what to do, what not to do and how to control the car as the track conditions change. I know I cannot learn all of that until I experience it for myself, but to get a heads up, especially from someone like Patrick Sheltra really means a lot to me.”

Just six races remain on the calendar in 2011 with the CGH Motorsports team occupying eighth in the championship chase, Hackenbracht in the back of his mind has set a realistic goal for season’s end. “I’m hoping to fight our way into the top-five,” he said. “It can happen with a little luck and some strong finishes.” Entering Springfield, Hackenbracht stands just 115 points from locking the fifth position.

The family-owned CGH Motorsports led by Kevin Reed has elected to bring a new No. 58 Tastee Apples Chevrolet Impala SS once driven by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon to the race track. The former Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway and Martinsville (Va.) Speedway automobile has been specifically transformed to handle the slippery conditions of the Illinois State Fairgrounds.

“I’ve told Chad to treat it like any other racetrack with his ability and talent behind the wheel a top-five is a realistic goal for Sunday,” said Reed. ”I ran well at both dirt tracks last year not knowing what to expect and look forward to improving this year. At this point in the season we are as prepared as we have been all year with six races remaining we have cars lined up and ready to race, we’re looking forward to the rest of the year!”

It’s The Climb: Continuing to shed a personal angle on Chad Hackenbracht, this week the rising star talks about the quick climb from the INEX Legend Car Series to the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards. Most drivers take different paths as they try and build a racing career. For Hackenbracht, the massive leap that he took is starting to pay its dividends.

Here’s some insight from Hackenbracht, now having a chance to reflect on the jump.

“The level of grip in a legends car compared to an ARCA car is extremely different. When you look at a legends car, they have a ton of power with very little weight making them hard to get any grip down to the ground, but then the legends race on street tires that are treaded and have no grip what so ever,” explained Hackenbracht.

“Then the weight topic comes into play. A legends car weighs 1,300 pounds with the driver in it, whereas an ARCA car weighs 3,400 pounds without a driver. So you go from a car that will stop on a dime and lock up the tires very easily, to a car that will not stop very quickly.

To help with the transition we spent the 2009 ARCA season participating in the open-test sessions before running a limited schedule in 2010. Looking back, the transition was very big and it took those tests to get used to the weight and grip level in the ARCA car, but I feel like I have it down a little better now than I did at the beginning and it’s showing with our results on the track.”

The Allen Crowe 100 (100 laps / 100 miles) is the 14th of 19 events on the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The 29th ARCA event held at the Illinois State Fairgrounds is a one-day show. Practice begins Sunday, August 21 with a one hour practice session planned from 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Menards Pole by Ansell qualifying is slated to begin at 11:00 a.m. The field will take the green flag Sunday afternoon shortly after 1:00 p.m. The event will not be televised but race coverage including live timing and scoring throughout the 1,326th race for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards since it was formed in 1953 will be available through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com presented by ARCANation.com. All times are local.

CGH Motorsports still has marketing partnerships available for the remaining 2011 ARCA Racing Series schedule. Interested parties can contact Jordan Dahl at Jordan@cghmotorsports.com or 570.234.5449.

For more information on Chad Hackenbracht and CGH Motorsports, please visit ChadHackenbracht.com and CGHMotorsports.com.

To purchase the popular “What’s A Chad Hacken-Something” tee-shirt, please log on to store.cghmotorsports.com or CGHMotorsports.com.

Connect with Chad Hackenbracht and CGH Motorsports through Facebook by clicking here.

Tweet with Chad Hackenbracht through Twitter at @ChadH58 or CGH Motorsports @CGH5858.

About CGH Motorsports:

CGH Motorsports (CGHMotorsports.com), established in 2007 by Ohio entrepreneur Greg Hackenbracht is located in a 10,000 sq. foot facility located in Mooresville, North Carolina. CGH Motorsports is home of rising sensation Chad Hackenbracht, who competed in nine ARCA Racing Series races in 2010 after an aggressive ARCA testing schedule in 2009. Chad Hackenbracht is the 2008 National Asphalt Legends champion, winning 33 percent of his races and finishing in the top-10, 85 percent of the events he competed in. The team will step up their commitment from a partial schedule and prepare for a hopeful full-season ARCA championship assault beginning in February 2011.

- CGH Motorsports Press Release

Randy Hill Racing (RHR)

Randy Hill Racing, a newly formed team with plans to compete in select NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) events this season before stepping up their involvement in 2012, has paired with the Mooresville, North Carolina-based team for the event on the 2011 calendar after RHR elected to forgo utilizing its own equipment to concentrate on their upcoming efforts.

“Randy Hill Racing is a professional organization and if we feel like we cannot come out to the track and give 100 percent on and off the track, we will stay put,” said Nationwide car owner Randy Hill. “However, I made a promise to Casey (Roderick), NASCAR and a lot of folks in Texas that we would be racing at Watkins Glen and I am a man of my word.”

RHR heads to Watkins Glen International (WGI) on the heels of three consecutive outings in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards in the No. 08 Randy Hill Racing entry led by Jeff Spraker and his Spraker Racing Enterprises (SRE) trio. In those three races, Roderick and his posse showed incredible speed which included leading the lone practice session this past weekend at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. While circumstances beyond its control halted a good finish, the team is excited about moving up the Motorsports ladder.

“The pairing with Archie (St. Hilaire) and Go Green Racing (GGR) for Watkins Glen is fitting,” added Hill. “We are committed to running under the Ford banner this year and the team (Go Green Racing) has a strong fleet of racecars. Undoubtedly, we’re appreciative to have formed this partnership with them and look forward to having a respectable run on Saturday.”

Casey Roderick

Later in the year, the Bill Elliott Racing team tackled New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP) where again the team suffered misfortune. With just a handful of laps under his belt in practice, the engine expired in his No. 51 Dodge Charger forcing the team to make an overnight trip back to Georgia to obtain a new motor and return to NJMP in time for Roderick to start the event. Starting shotgun on the field, Roderick soared his way to the front and ultimately took the victory.

“Another reason I was so adamant about running Watkins Glen was because I know of Casey’s success there,” offered Hill, a Texas Rancher, inventor and entrepreneur. “I believe he has all the right ingredients to spread the word about Randy Hill Racing but also find himself in position to give Go Green Racing a strong finish.”

The former Legend Car Series driver remains humbled about the opportunity placed in front of him. “I have to thank Randy (Hill) for this opportunity,” Roderick said. “I am grateful to Archie and the Go Green Racing team for allowing us to form this partnership and go to Watkins Glen and try and turn some heads. I just hope we can stay on the track and be around for the end.”

It was also announced today that the team’s No. 39 Ford Mustang will be decked out in the colors of Texas’s Abilene Christian University. Hill, a former graduate from ACU, is utilizing Saturday’s event to bring awareness to one of the most prominent Universities in the state.

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with ACU for this one event,” sounded Hill. “The university’s passion for bringing mobile learning to the next generation of student leaders parallels our desire to become a recognized leader in NASCAR for its newest generation of fans.”

Future plans for the Randy Hill Racing’s remaining 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule will be announced in the coming weeks.

The Zippo 200 at the Glen (82 laps / 200.9 miles) is the 23rd of 35 races on the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series tour. Practice beings Friday, August 12 with a two-hour session planned from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Qualifying is set for race day on Saturday, August 13th set to launch at 9:45 a.m. The field will take the green flag shortly after 2:00 p.m. with live coverage on ESPN, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR (Satellite) Radio (Channel 90). Pre-race coverage of the contest lifts off at 1:00 p.m. also on ESPN.

For more on Randy Hill Racing, please visit randyhillracing.com.

Join the team on Facebook by clicking here (Randy Hill Racing).

Tweet with us through Twitter at @RandyHillRacing.

Additional input on Go Green Racing is available by logging on to gogreenracing.net or gogreenracing.org.

- Randy Hill Racing / Go Green Racing Press Release