General Tire Tag

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer MADISON, Ill. — Sheldon Creed earned the General Tire Pole Award for Friday night’s ARCA Racing Series Papa Nicholas 150 at Gateway Motorsports Park. The top starting position was the second of his career in his 27th start. Creed’s lap on the repaved track shattered the previous ARCA qualifying record, set by Tim Steele (33.646 seconds, 133.745 mph) in 2001. Creed leads the championship standings by 55 points over his MDM Motorsports teammate Zane Smith and picks up an additional five championship points from his qualifying effort.Read More

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer One week removed from the first ARCA Racing Series victory of his career, Sheldon Creed didn’t get off to a good start at Madison International Speedway for Friday’s Herr’s Potato Chips 200. Creed qualified his No. 28 Toyota back in the 12th position in the 19 car field and had his work cut out to maneuver through the talented field. Battling with Eddie Fatscher for the fourth spot on Lap 50 of 200, Creed spun in Turn 4 to bring out the caution. “We ‘struggle bused’Read More

Courtesy of ARCA Communications Madison, Wisc. — Fifteen-year-old Chandler Smith scored his first career ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards win in the Herr’s 200 at Madison International Speedway on Friday night. Smith also led the practice session earlier in the day, and earned his fourth consecutive General Tire Pole in qualifying. Smith dropped to the tail of the lead lap with loose right side wheels in the early portion of the race. As Smith was slowing with those wheel issues on lap 37, Tommy Vigh, Jr. spun in TurnRead More

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer After finishing eighth in his ARCA Racing Series debut in April at Salem Speedway, Colby Howard indicated he hoped to put more races together in 2018 with Mason Mitchell Motorsports. That hope has come to fruition, as the team announced on Tuesday that Howard would compete in Friday’s Herr’s Potato Chips 200 at Madison International Speedway. The Simpsonville, South Carolina native will pilot the team’s flagship No. 78 Chevrolet with sponsorship from Champion Power Equipment and the Howard Family Foundation. Taking what the teenage driverRead More

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer As Natalie Decker continues to recover from her recent surgery, she will start the ARCA Racing Series General Tire #AnywhereIsPossible 200 on Friday at Pocono Raceway but yield the wheel of her No. 25 Toyota on Lap 1. Brennan Poole has been named as the relief driver and will run the remainder of the race in place of Decker. Last Friday, Decker underwent successful hernia surgery at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte to repair a small tear in her abdomen and while recovery is progressingRead More

Don Radebaugh, ARCA Communications Manager TOLEDO, Ohio — Zane Smith, with a bold three-wide maneuver in lapped traffic, passed his MDM Motorsports teammate Chase Purdy with nine laps remaining, then sped away to win the Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care Sunday afternoon at Toledo Speedway. “I had to work so hard to get back to Chase (Purdy)…he got me on that last restart,” said Smith. “Our cars were pretty-much dead-even. I knew we were going to catch lappers sooner or later. When we got there, I just thoughtRead More

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer The last time Christian Eckes made a start in the ARCA Racing Series, it was one to remember for the teenage driver as he got the infamous kiss from Big Bill Venturini in victory lane. Eckes put on a dominating performance at Salem Speedway four weeks ago, battling teammate Chandler Smith down to the last lap to earn the first checkered flag of his ARCA career in his 16th start. The 17-year-old driver is running 13 of the 20 races this season, so he wasn’t inRead More

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer Former ARCA Racing Series championship competitors Grant Enfinger and Mason Mitchell will team up to try and capture the checkered flag in this weekend’s Menards 200 at Toledo Speedway. Enfinger, the 2015 ARCA champion, will drive the Champion Power Equipment No. 78 for Mason Mitchell Motorsports . Enfinger has 16 ARCA wins on his resume which includes at least one victory in each of the past five seasons. The 33-year-old driver last competed full-time in the series during his 2015 title run, recording six winsRead More

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer The month of May is filled with some of the best motorsports events on the calendar from the Indianapolis 500 to Friday nights under the lights as local short tracks across the country rev up their schedules. At the end of the month the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards returns to the hub of the stock car world for the first time since 2004. The stars and cars of the series hit the 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday, May 24 for the GeneralRead More

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer In a move designed to strengthen a relationship that dates back more than 60 years, NASCAR announced today the acquisition of the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA). Both NASCAR and ARCA, a Midwest-based sanctioning body for stock car auto racing, share a long history: ARCA founder John Marcum raced against Bill France Sr. and worked as a NASCAR official. More recently, the series has provided a valuable platform for talented drivers looking to make it to NASCAR’s national series. “Our NASCAR family has longRead More