The ARCA Menards Series season will again kick off with a 200-mile clash on the high banks at Daytona (Fla.) Int’l Speedway on February 17.
The race will be the opening act of a same-day doubleheader with the NASCAR Xfinity Series the day before the NASCAR Cup Series’ Daytona 500.
It will mark the 61st consecutive year the ARCA Menards Series has raced at Daytona dating to 1964.
“Racing at Daytona International Speedway has been a cornerstone of the ARCA Menards Series for more than 60 years,” said ARCA president Ron Drager. “To race at the World Center of Racing during the opening weekend of major league stock car racing shines a bright light on the entire ARCA Menards Series community. Our race is likely the first chance to race at Daytona for the young drivers that will work their way up the NASCAR national series ladder.”
The race will be preceded by the series’ annual two-day pre-race practice, set for Friday and Saturday, January 12 and 13, with Sunday, January 14 reserved as a weather date.
Three-time ARCA Menards Series champion Nelson Stacy won the first race at Daytona in 1964, joined by fellow ARCA champions Iggy Katona in 1965 and Jack Bowsher in 1966. Other notable ARCA winners at Daytona include NASCAR Hall of Famer Benny Parsons, three-time series champion Ron Hutcherson, Kyle Petty , who won in his first-ever race of any kind, Joe Ruttman, 1995 series champion Andy Hillenburg, Kyle Busch, eight-time race winner Bobby Gerhart, current NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series stars Grant Enfinger and Corey Heim, and current Cup Series ace Harrison Burton.
Last year, veteran Indiana short track racer Greg Van Alst blasted through a 10-car pack and worked his way to the lead on the final lap to claim his first career ARCA Menards Series victory, punctuated by an emotional celebration post-race at the start/finish line.