Category: Other Series PR

MIAMI – Kia Motors America (KMA) is partnering again with Homestead-Miami Speedway to sponsor the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge race – the Kia 200 — on April 28, 2012. The agreement marks the second straight year Kia is sponsoring the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (CTSCC) race during the Grand Prix of Miami Weekend.

 

 

 

“We are pleased to continue our relationship with Kia for GRAND-AM racing,” said Homestead-Miami Speedway President Matthew Becherer. “We’re proud to have them as a partner as we again host the best road racing circuit in America. It’s a natural given the tremendous success Kia has had on the GRAND-AM circuit with last year’s Street Tuner (ST) championships and their podium finish at the season opening event last month.”

 

 

 

“Motorsports continues to provide a powerful platform to raise awareness and perception of the Kia brand with racing enthusiasts, and we are thrilled to again partner with Homestead-Miami Speedway and share an exciting weekend of road racing with fans in South Florida,” said Michael Sprague, vice president, marketing & communications, KMA. “Our third-year Kia Racing program is enjoying a lot of momentum and returning as the title sponsor of the Kia 200. After a championship-winning season in 2011, and with 2012 off to a tremendous start with our second-consecutive podium finish at Daytona, the Kia Racing team is experiencing tremendous success and we want to share that success with race fans and keep our momentum going.”

 

 

 

Kia made its road racing debut in 2010, when it joined the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge with a pair of Forte Koups. Kia’s racing partner, Kinetic Motorsports, campaigns the No. 10 and No. 12 Forte Koups in the ST class, which are co-piloted by Andy Lally and Nic Jönsson and brothers Mathew and Mark Pombo, respectively.

 

 

 

The 2 hour, 30 minute Kia 200 race will be run on the speedway’s 2.3-mile, 11-turn stadium road course. Like the GRAND-AM Rolex Series’ Grand Prix of Miami (Sun, April 29), the Kia 200 CTSCC features two classes of race cars – the big-bore Grand Sports (GS) and the smaller ST. This April’s race will mark the fourth consecutive year the series has run in Miami and the seventh time overall.

 

 

 

Two-day Grand Prix of Miami Weekend tickets start at $35 and are available at www.homesteadmiamispeedway.com or by calling 866.409.RACE.

 

 

 

About Kia Motors America

 

Kia Motors America is the marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles through more than 755 dealers throughout the United States and serves as the “Official Automotive Partner of the NBA.” In 2011, KMA recorded its best-ever annual sales total and became one of the fastest growing car companies in the U.S. Kia is poised to continue its momentum and will continue to build the brand through design innovation, quality, value, advanced safety features and new technologies.

 

Information about Kia Motors America and its full vehicle line-up is available at its website – www.kia.com. For media information, including photography, visit www.kiamedia.com.

 

 

 

About Homestead-Miami Speedway

 

The Speedway has been open since 1995 following an initiative to spur economic recovery in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew. The 640-acre facility is active more than 280 days per year and hosts NASCAR’s Championship Races during Ford Championship Weekend (November 16-18, 2012). The Sprint Cup Championship Ford 400 is broadcast live on TV and radio to 175 countries and into 24 languages. The 2011 championship attracted ESPN Television’s largest NASCAR Sprint Cup viewership ever with a peak audience of 10.5 million when the checkered flag fell. Homestead-Miami Speedway, featuring a 1.5-mile oval and 2.21-mile road course, generates more than $250 million annually for the region.

 

For more information, visit www.homesteadmiamispeedway.com.

[media-credit name=”steveblackburnmotorsports.com.” align=”alignright” width=”259″][/media-credit]DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (February 14, 2012) – – For the past two consecutive seasons, Steve Blackburn has been bitten by bad luck when the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards invades Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. This year, however, the Prestonsburg, Kentucky native is hoping that “third times a charm” in the running of Saturday’s Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200.

Extremely fast-cars have kept Blackburn in the hunt for a solid finish in all of four of his previous restrictor plate races, two at Daytona the other two at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway respectively, but on-track incidents have halted the Steve Blackburn Motorsports (SBM) from shining in the limelight.

Once again, the season-opener is upon the team and with the support of Harley Davidson Pikeville and Pop’s Chevrolet Buick Cadillac Honda of Prestonsburg, Blackburn is looking for a thunderous effort in his ninth career ARCA Racing Series start.

“I feel like Daytona owes us,” says Blackburn, whose run at least one ARCA Racing Series event since 2005.

“We’ve put a lot of effort in our superspeedway program, not only because it’s a blast to drive at, but it’s an important race. The atmosphere surrounding the race is contagious which makes you proud to be a part of it that much more. Hopefully, if we can have a good showing at Daytona, we’ll be back to dance with the series again at Talladega in May.”

Blackburn will admit that he is psyched about Saturday’s race and he has every reason to be. Since Daytona last year, his team has tediously worked on their No. 94 Harley Davidson Pikeville / Pop’s Chevrolet Buick Cadillac Honda of Prestonsburg Chevrolet for the 60th season of competition in the ARCA Racing Series.

“Believe me, it would be extremely humbling to be included in the opening ceremonies of ARCA’s 60th season,” Blackburn said. “That’s a great accomplishment for them (ARCA). They really do make us feel welcome which is why we continue to come back and have a presence in the series. We have a new chassis and body on this car plus the work from Gary (Hostettler, crew chief) and the rest of the SBM team is commendable. Lorin Ranier is scheduled to spot from us on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) side, so we’ve put all these pieces together to try and bring home a strong finish for our Kentucky-based team. Hopefully, we can just stay out of the trouble that has thwarted us in the past and see that checkered flag.”

Finally, if a new chassis and body wasn’t enough to boast about, then the manufacturer switch which included a change in their engine provider quite possibly can sneak Blackburn into the “sleeper” category for the first of 20 races this season.

“I’ve run a Dodge since we started racing in ARCA back in 2005, but we’ve made the switch to Chevrolet and have some power under the hood from Earnhardt-Childress Racing (ECR) engines,” Blackburn explained. “I feel that this change is that extra boost that we need to push us from contenders to winners in the ARCA Racing Series. Sure, to some it would be an unexpected win, but we don’t come just to race, we come to win too!”

Since 2005, Steve Blackburn has competed in eight ARCA Racing Series races. In addition to Daytona and Talladega, Blackburn also has made three starts at Kentucky Speedway and one at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway respectively. In those eight outings, Blackburn has delivered a best starting position of 11th twice at Kentucky Speedway in his inaugural ARCA debut (2005) and Talladega (2008). His best finish thus far occurred in his very first start where he delivered a notable 14th place finish.

The Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona (80 laps / 200 miles) is the first of 20 events on the 2012 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The 49th ARCA race held at Daytona is a three-day show. Practice begins Thursday, February 16 with a four hour practice session planned from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell is set for Friday, February 17 slated to begin at 2:00 p.m. A forty-five minute final practice session is etched in on Saturday, February 18th from 10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. The event will take the green flag later that day shortly after 4:30 p.m. The race will be televised live on SPEED with additional race coverage including live timing and scoring and radio broadcast through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com.  All times are local. ARCA, celebrating its 60th season in 2012 is the preamble for the highly anticipated Budweiser Shootout for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) set to ignite under the lights later that night.

For more on Steve Blackburn and SBM, please log onto steveblackburnmotorsports.com.

2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year set to compete in select ARCA Racing Series events in 2012

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (February 14, 2012) – Coulter Motorsports, along with veteran driver Joey Coulter, is pleased to announce the continuation of their partnership with Rip It Energy Fuel for the 2012 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards season.

For the third consecutive year, the dynamic duo will kick off the season at the historic Daytona International Speedway for the season-opening Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 with Coulter behind the wheel. The 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) Rookie of the Year will pilot the No. 61 Rip It Energy Fuel, Darrell Gwynn Foundation Chevrolet Impala SS for five races in 2012.

The 2012 partnership with Rip It Energy Fuel stems from two extremely successful seasons with the Coulter Motorsports team. The organization and its driver have accumulated one win, seven top-five and 11 top-10 finishes along with 117 laps led. In 2010 they captured the Bill France Four Crown Championship.

“I am proud to represent Rip It Energy Fuel once again with Coulter Motorsports,” Coulter commented. “They have been a great partner of Coulter Motorsports and my racing career, and are a proven supporter of the ARCA Racing Series. Daytona is one of those tracks everyone wants to win at and the ability to showcase our sponsorship with Rip It makes that goal much more special.”

Along with the season opener at Daytona, Coulter will vie for ARCA wins at Talladega Superspeedway (May 4), Toledo Speedway (May 20), Michigan International Speedway (June 15) and Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis (July 27).

Coverage for the upcoming Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona will be live on SPEED beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday, February 18th.

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You can get LIVE updates wherever Coulter Motorsports travels by following on Twitter at http://twitter.com/CoulterMtrsprts

Facebook at www.facebook.com/CoulterMotorsports

Also please be sure to support Joey’s sponsors at:

Shell Shock: shellshock.homestead.com

Tempest Cycles: www.tempestcycles.com

MAD Industry: www.areumad.com

WileyX: www.wileyx.com

About Rip It Energy Fuel:

www.RipItEnergy.com

Rip It Energy Fuel by National Beverage Corp. (NASDAQ: FIZZ) is available in fifteen exhilarating flavors, including three sugar-free varieties. Great-tasting and power-packed, Rip It provides REAL energy for REAL people at a REAL value. In an office, on the job, on a mountain, riding waves, doin’ flips, doin’ tricks, jammin’ all night, crammin’ all night, whatever your life calls for, Rip It is there to fuel you.  Crack open an ice-cold Rip It Power and Feel the REAL Taste of BOLD energy surge through your body. Or maybe you prefer the sweet taste of Sugar FREE Citrus X to slap your tongue back to life. Rip It Energy Fuel has the complete line of Regular and Sugar FREE flavors in both 16 oz cans and 2 oz shots to make Rip It a REAL part of your everyday life.

About Darrell Gwynn Foundation (DGF)

www.darrellgwynnfoundation.org

The Darrell Gwynn Foundation (DGF) is a certified non-profit 501(c) 3 agency. DGF exists to prevent, provide for and ultimately cure spinal cord injuries and other debilitating illnesses. To expedite specific cures, the Foundation assists in the funding of targeted research. DGF is also dedicated to injury prevention, with special emphasis on programs targeting children. The Foundation helps improve the quality of life for those already afflicted with injury or illness, by providing necessary equipment or special services. DGF is an official charity of the Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction, National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) and has a close affiliation with NASCAR and the NASCAR Foundation.

[media-credit name=”AndyBelmont.com” align=”alignright” width=”249″][/media-credit]DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (February 13, 2012) – – In all respects, the opportunity of a lifetime has been presented before Brandon Davis to compete in Saturday’s 2012 ARCA Racing Series season-opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in the No.2 ModSpace Ford Fusion for Andy Belmont Racing (ABR).

The recently announced partnership gives the Hunting Beach, California native the opportunity to increase an already impressive and healthy racing resume. A solid outing in the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 will only further open add fuel to Davis’s crave towards a stellar year of racing.

Though, the reigning NASCAR Whelen All-American Series champion at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale (Calif.) has little experience at a magnitude track like Daytona, the rookie is relying on the arousing core of veterans surrounding his No.2 ModSpace Ford Fusion to make an impression in the highly anticipated contest.

“It’s going to be a big week for me, but I’m ready,” said Davis, who also boasts a championship in the World Challenge GT Series. “I can’t say enough about everyone at Andy Belmont Racing and ModSpace about having faith in me to drive one of their racecars at one of the greatest race tracks on Earth.”

Leading the charge for Davis will be long-time ARCA fixture and veteran crew chief Lee Leslie. The brother of former ARCA champion and NASCAR driver Tracey Leslie, the input and guidance from him will enhance the comfort zone for Davis in his proposed inaugural ARCA Racing Series debut.

With team principal and former ARCA driver Andy Belmont and teammate driver Mikey Kile at his disposal, the rookie will lean on their wisdom to help make his Daytona debut a memorable one.

“Experience is important in any sort of racing, especially at a place like Daytona,” sounded Davis. “I have a lot of respect for the speed, its sophistication and technique. I’m planning on inhaling as much as I possibly can that will help us not only get a good qualifying spot but put ourselves in a position to gain some attention during the race.”

Belmont is no stranger to working with young talented rookie drivers and is aspirant about what the Californian could produce.

“It’s pretty clear, the kid has great credentials,” Belmont said. “We’re bringing Brandon a really good piece to the track and with his knack for success in a racecar; it should transfer over into the ARCA Racing Series with similar results. Daytona’s a monster in its own, so while we have goals, we just want him to go out there and do the best job he can and hopefully that will result in a positive finish.”

Davis’s teammate, Mikey Kile will drive the team’s primary entry, the No. 1 ModSpace Ford Fusion in his 29th career ARCA start but first for ABR.

The Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona (80 laps / 200 miles) is the first of 20 events on the 2012 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The 49th ARCA race held at Daytona is a three-day show. Practice begins Thursday, February 16 with a four hour practice session planned from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell is set for Friday, February 17 slated to begin at 2:00 p.m. A forty-five minute final practice session is etched in on Saturday, February 18th from 10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. The event will take the green flag later that day shortly after 4:30 p.m. The race will be televised live on SPEED with additional race coverage including live timing and scoring and radio broadcast through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com.  All times are local. ARCA, celebrating its 60th season in 2012 is the preamble for the highly anticipated Budweiser Shootout for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) set to ignite under the lights later that night.

For more on Brandon Davis, please visit brandondavis.com.

PHOTO CAPTION: Brandon Davis, driver of the No. 2 ModSpace Ford Fusion in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards for Andy Belmont Racing (ABR).

About ModSpace:

Modular Space Corporation (ModSpace), based in Berwyn, Pa., is a leading provider of modular buildings, portable storage and services for temporary and permanent space needs. With more than 40 years of experience, ModSpace serves a diverse set of customers and markets through a network of 80 branches throughout the United States and Canada. Further information is available by visiting .

About Andy Belmont Racing (ABR):

Andy Belmont Racing (AndyBelmont.com) is a competitive and respected motorsports operation who fields race cars in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards. ABR has been serving the motorsports community and winning for nearly 25 years. Currently, the team fields a full-time ARCA Racing Series program for series winner Mikey Kile in the No. 1 ModSpace Ford Fusion.

“Father-Son Duo Ready To Shine In ARCA Season Opener”

[media-credit name=”willkimmel.com” align=”alignright” width=”107″][/media-credit]DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (February 13, 2012) – – The original settings of Kimmel Racing have changed but the team lives on and is ready to shine as the ARCA Racing Series opens its 60th season of competition when the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 takes the green flag at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway Saturday afternoon.

Will Kimmel, the son of Kimmel Racing owner Bill Kimmel will heed the leading role for the Indiana-based race team as the driver of the No. 68 Enterprise Software Development / Clarksville Schwinn Ford Fusion. For the second-time in his ARCA career, the 23-year old will grasp the high banks of the 2.5-mile superspeedway and look to ignite his 26th career start in stunning fashion.

“We’re blessed to be going to Daytona,” said Kimmel, whose holds a career-best finish of second in ARCA at Salem (Ind.) Speedway last September. “Dad (Bill) and our all-volunteer team have worked ferociously to get our No. 68 Enterprise Software Development / Clarksville Schwinn Ford Fusion ready to go for this weekend and I believe we’re more than ready. We learned a lot from the test in December and I think with the changes since then we can improve on our Daytona debut from 2009.

Despite a 18th place finish in his restrictor plate debut at “The World Center of Racing” three years ago, the team came prepared with a stout blue oval which boasted an impressive

.eighth place qualifying run only to be sidelined by a mid-race incident which resulted in the finish. Knowing that restrictor plate racing brings a lot of unknowns, Kimmel also knows that the chance is now for his team to shine and keep their momentum rolling for 2012.

“You cannot predict what happens at these plate races,” offered Kimmel, a former Super Late Model champion at Salem (Ind.) Speedway, his stomping grounds in his home state of Indiana. “Despite that being said, we still have a job to do. We’re going to try our best to run the full season, of course sponsorship pending. A good finish will definitely help in making a championship-run possible. Nonetheless, we’re going to Daytona with a great group of sponsors and it’s our job as a team at Kimmel Racing to put on an electrifying performance.”

With his father and ARCA champion crew chief Bill Kimmel calling the shots; Kimmel doesn’t feel the pressure of performing but rather using the bond as a chance to explode into the limelight with potentially his first career win.

“Daytona, means so much too many of those on our race team,” Kimmel sounded. “It’s a place that is magical and can bring those types of results. But, having Dad atop of the box doesn’t affect the way I drive. He believes in me and I believe in him. It’s a partnership that we both trust each other. We both know though it’s going to be a tough field by looking at the entry list, so timing will be everything and patience will be vital to the eventual outcome. We’re just thankful to be a part of the action.”

In addition to Enterprise Software Development (ESD) and Clarksville Schwinn, Kimmel Racing is thankful for the support of Crosley Radio and Ingersoll Rand who have joined the veteran ARCA organization as additional sponsors for ARCA’s version of the Super Bowl.

“I feel like we are forever indebted to every person and sponsor who is making this trip to Daytona possible,” Kimmel remarked. “We know that without them none of this would be possible.”

The Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona (80 laps / 200 miles) is the first of 20 events on the 2012 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. The 49th ARCA race held at Daytona is a three-day show. Practice begins Thursday, February 16 with a four hour practice session planned from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell is set for Friday, February 17 slated to begin at 2:00 p.m. A forty-five minute final practice session is etched in on Saturday, February 18th from 10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. The event will take the green flag later that day shortly after 4:30 p.m. The race will be televised live on SPEED with additional race coverage including live timing and scoring and radio broadcast through the ARCA Racing Network (ARN) online at arcaracing.com.  All times are local. ARCA, celebrating its 60th season in 2012 is the preamble for the highly anticipated Budweiser Shootout for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) set to ignite under the lights later that night.

For more on Will Kimmel, please visit willkimmel.com.

ARCA’s 60th Anniversary Season Opens at Daytona in Saturday’s Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200

(TOLEDO, Ohio) – As ARCA’s 60th Anniversary Season opens Saturday at Daytona International Speedway, as many as 60 drivers will set their sights on winning the historic season’s most grand race, and maybe – just maybe – becoming the 30th person to win an ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards championship.

First, though, those drivers will have to stop the man whose performances on the 2.5-mile superspeedway oval since 1999 have made him the dean of Daytona: defending Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 winner Bobby Gerhart.

Gerhart pitted on Lap 5 in last year’s 80-lap contest, took the lead on Lap 20, and held the point without returning to pit road over the race’s final three quarters to edge eventual Rookie of the Year Chris Buescher and Matt Merrell for his seventh Daytona victory. Gerhart, driving a familiar Lucas Oil Slick Mist-branded Chevrolet, also won the Daytona opener in 1999, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2010.

“Daytona is so special to me personally,” Gerhart said recently. “I grew up coming with my parents to Daytona. I was very vocal at a very young age that I would one day race here. In the back of my head, I kept telling myself I would win here too. It is such a privilege to race here, and I’ve never lost sight of that fact.

“We build cars exclusively for Daytona; they don’t go anywhere else. Everything else is off the plate. Even though Talladega is very similar to Daytona, we don’t mix the cars between the tracks. For me, there is Daytona, and then there is everywhere else.”

Only in 2006 at Daytona did Gerhart lead more laps (78) than he led last season (61), making last year’s ride to a triumph one of his most dominant. In his seven victories, he has led 395 laps – or just over 56 per race. In all, the 53-year-old from Lebanon, Pa. has seven wins, nine top-fives, and 13 top-10s in his 24 starts at the track since 1988.

The 80-lap, 200-mile Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 airs live on SPEED at 4:30 p.m. Eastern on Saturday, and television viewers for the year’s first major stock car race will see a field focused on stopping Gerhart in his 25th start at the superspeedway and the 49th for ARCA since 1964. The broadcast will feature a special history vignette as part of ARCA’s 60th Anniversary celebration, and 2011 series champion Ty Dillon will join the race analysts for a short period.

One team to watch will most certainly be Venturini Motorsports, which led December testing at Daytona with five drivers in the top seven. Alex Bowman drove a best lap of 47.787 seconds (188.336 mph) to top teammates John Stancill, Brennan Poole, and Ryan Reed, but of those four, only Poole and Reed are entered for the team this weekend.

Nelson Canache, who tested seventh fastest, is entered for Venturini, as is 2009 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Rookie of the Year and current NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Paulie Harraka. Mark Thompson, a veteran of 10 Daytona starts, will also race for the team.

Seventy-nine drivers tested in December, signaling that the February entry list may grow over previous lists. Indeed, the 60 cars currently entered represent a total not seen since 2008, when 65 cars attempted to race in ARCA’s season opener.

Notable drivers entered include: Buescher, last season’s second-place finisher in the final standings for Roulo Brothers Racing; Bowman, who will race for Cunningham Motorsports in his attempt at a third victory; Frank Kimmel, who will make his first start for his new team, ThorSport Racing; and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year Joey Coulter.

Max Gresham, Cale Gale, Brandon McReynolds, and Tom Hessert are all entered, as is Mikey Kile, who will return to a full-time role in the ARCA Racing Series after finishing fifth in points in 2010.

Leilani Mϋnter will drive for Tony Marks Racing, and Milka Duno will compete for Eddie Sharp Racing.

Outside of Gerhart, no other entered driver has won at Daytona International Speedway.

On-track activity begins with a four-hour practice at 1 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, February 16. Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell begins at 2 p.m. on Friday, February 11, and the series will host a final, 45-minute practice at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

The complete 2012 event schedule – featuring 20 races at 18 tracks – 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.