ARCA's 60th Anniversary Season Logo

Founded in Toledo, Ohio in 1953, the Temperance, Mich.-based company will begin 2012 with a refined business plan and offer new opportunities to increase the level of on-track competition and off-track growth within the racing industry.

“Entering our 60th season, we’ve done some internal alignment to best position ourselves going forward,” said Ron Drager, ARCA’s president and chief executive officer. “Our moves will offer continued stability and a responsible pattern for growth at an important time in our company’s history.”

Drager announced the promotion of Jeff Brehmer to executive vice president and chief financial officer. Brehmer, 47, of Tecumseh, Mich., had been the vice president of finance and administration since joining the ARCA staff on a full-time basis in 2008.

Brehmer’s involvement with ARCA stretches back to the early 1980s, when he sold programs and stubbed tickets at ARCA’s two short track properties, Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways. He advanced to become the tour director for the ARCA Figure-8 Series, and returned to ARCA over three years ago after spending 20 years working in the cement and building products industry.

“Jeff has the best comprehensive base of knowledge across all of our properties, from our on-track racing activities to our business interests,” said Drager. “His experiences in racing and the strong business acumen he has developed over the years make him a worthy leader for many of our efforts going forward.”

Brehmer will directly oversee the business operations of the sanctioning body, including: the flagship ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards; Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways; the ARCA Truck Series; and the newly formed sanction agreement with Champion Racing Association and the ARCA CRA Super Series.

In addition to Brehmer’s promotion, Drager also announced changes in the marketing department, including the promotion of Mark Gundrum to vice president of business development and corporate partnerships. Gundrum, 49, has been the vice president of marketing and communications since 2004, and will now focus more of his time and efforts on business development and sales opportunities.

“Mark’s ability to bring new business opportunities and marketing partners to our company in challenging economic times has been extremely valuable,” Drager said. “Our new structure allows him to spend more time on the sales and corporate partnership side of the business, and with the growth and development of the marketing department as a whole, this is a logical progression.”

ARCA’s director of marketing, George Mergen, will be charged with the added responsibility of public relations. Mergen, a former Ford Racing agency representative who joined ARCA in the spring of 2010, will oversee the marketing and communications department.

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

ARCA's 60th Anniversary Season Logo

Founded in Toledo, Ohio in 1953, the Temperance, Mich.-based company will begin 2012 with an enhanced participant accident insurance plan.

ARCA president and CEO Ron Drager announced an increase in the insurance coverage for all ARCA-licensed members competing in ARCA-sanctioned events. With no direct increase in ARCA membership fees, ARCA and insurer K&K Insurance Group, Inc. will offer $500,000 in participant accident medical coverage to each license holder, up from $300,000 in 2011 and previous years.

The increased insurance coverage will not be limited to people participating in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards. Participants at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedway, in the ARCA Truck Series, and the ARCA CRA Super Series will also benefit. The ARCA CRA Super Series is the product of a new relationship between ARCA and the Champion Racing Association, announced last July.

Fittingly, Fort Wayne, Ind.-based K&K Insurance, recognized as the leading provider of sports, leisure, and entertainment insurance products, recently celebrated its 60th year in business. K&K was founded in 1952, one year ahead of ARCA.

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

ARCA's 60th Anniversary Season Logo

“Doc Mattioli was a visionary, but he was unique in that he had the fortitude to follow through and fulfill his vision. His strong will, strong work ethic, and family values made him a true individual in our sport. Doc and Rose and ARCA founders John and Mildred Marcum were friends and business associates for six decades, and that relationship continues today with the third generation. All of us in the ARCA community express our appreciation for Doc and wish the Mattioli and Pocono Raceway families our very best at this time.”

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 three professional touring series and local weekly events.

- Automobile Racing Club of America Press Release

ARCA's 60th Anniversary Season Logo

(TEMPERANCE, Mich.) –

The events for this weekend’s SpeedFest 2012 will be conducted as in the past, as a CRA South special event, without the ARCA sanction.

“We have a big rollout planned for that first event in April,” said ARCA president Ron Drager, “and wanted to make sure we clarified that fact, since we won’t have a presence or a role of any kind at the event this weekend in Cordele, Ga.”

The three-day event, which features the CRA Super Series South and the CRA JEGS All-Stars Tour presented by GM Performance Parts, features practice Friday, January 27, practice and qualifying Saturday, January 28, and main events for both divisions Sunday, January 29.

“We are excited to roll out the ARCA relationship at Anderson in April,” said CRA partner and series director Glenn Luckett. “Since ARCA does not have a role this weekend we thought it was important to let everyone know that April 14 is the beginning of this relationship at the track. We are really looking forward to it.”

- Automobile Racing Club of America Press Release

Mildred Marcum

In 1953, Mildred and husband John Marcum founded a pair of motorsports companies in their home of Toledo, Ohio: the Midwest Association for Race Cars (MARC), a sanctioning body for organizing and administrating races and licensing and insuring competitors which would evolve into the present-day Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA); and Marcum Promotions, formed to operate the grandstand side of the racing business. Mildred worked in the ARCA home office right up until her birthday on Friday.

Mildred is survived by her daughter Suzie Drager, grandsons John, Ron and Jim, and a host of great grandchildren.

Funeral services are pending.

- ARCARacing.com

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

ARCA's 60th Anniversary Season Logo

Officials from ARCA and SPEED jointly announced the 2012 SPEED television schedule for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, comprised of 10 events to be televised live or same-day delayed on the popular network. SPEED in-race analyst Phil Parsons, host for this evening’s banquet, was on hand for the announcement.

SPEED will kick off its live flag-to-flag ARCA coverage at Daytona International Speedway with the 49th running of the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at 4 p.m. Eastern on Saturday, February 18.

In addition to Daytona, other events scheduled for live and/or same-day coverage in 2012 include Talladega Superspeedway on May 4, Toledo Speedway on May 20, events at Pocono Raceway on June 9 and August 4, Michigan International Speedway on June 15, Iowa Speedway on July 13, Chicagoland Speedway on July 21, and the season finale at Kansas Speedway on October 19. The late July race at Lucas Oil Raceway will also be televised; series and track officials have not yet determined the race’s exact date.

ARCA’s relationship with SPEED dates back to April 20, 1997, when the network (then Speedvision) covered the ARCA race at Salem (Ind.) Speedway. Since then, SPEED has aired a total of 188 ARCA races, making the 2012 opener at Daytona the 189th.

Before the SPEED announcement, Drager opened the afternoon by providing a short “state of ARCA” address, recognizing series presenting sponsor Menards, and unveiling the logo for ARCA’s 60th Anniversary Season celebration. Drager then introduced Rick Crawford of Mobile International Speedway, which will host the ARCA Racing Series for the first time on March 10. Crawford announced that infield camping for ARCA’s first visit to Mobile has already sold out.

Also speaking was Bob Sargent of Track Enterprises; Sargent’s company will promote the June 2 race at Elko Speedway.

The press conference also served as a weekend welcome to series champion Ty Dillon, who spoke briefly after Drager.

Key series marketing partners and Menards vendor program participants Ansell, Herr’s, and Messina Wildlife Management were recognized. Several teams, including ThorSport Racing, Team BCR Racing, Andy Belmont Racing, and Venturini Motorsports, took the podium to announce new drivers and sponsors for 2012.

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.

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

“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