ARCA Menards Series
The Race: Daytona ARCA 200
The Place: Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Fla.
The Date: Saturday, February 17, 2024
The Time: 1:30 pm ET
TV: Live, FS1
Distance: 80 Laps/250 miles
The Daytona ARCA 200 will serve as the opening race of the 2024 ARCA Menards Series season. It will also be the 61st time the
ARCA Menards Series has raced at Daytona since the first in 1964.
Last year’s race came down to the final lap with Anderson, Indiana native Greg Van Alst taking the lead down the backstretch
and holding off an eleven-car pack off turn four to hold on for his first career ARCA Menards Series win.
The 50 entries for the Daytona ARCA 200 represent the most at Daytona since there were 51 in 2016. The 50 drivers entered represent
22 states and six countries (United States, Mexico, New Zealand, Canada, Luxembourg, and Japan).
Andres Perez returns to the ARCA Menards Series in 2024, again driving for Rev Racing, looking to better his runner-up finish
in the series standings. Perez was not able to race in last year’s Daytona ARCA 200 due to age restrictions, but he was credited with 40th-place after making one lap on the apron in practice.
Previous ARCA Menards Series winners at Daytona International Speedway include Nelson Stacy, Iggy Katona, Jack Bowsher, Ralph
Latham, Andy Hampton, Benny Parsons, Ramo Stott, Andy Hampton, Charlie Blanton, Ron Hutcherson, Lenny Pond, Woody Fisher, Jim Sauter, Kyle Petty, John Rezek, Tim Richmond, Joe Ruttman, Ferrel Harris, Rick Wilson, Glenn Sears, Grant Adcox, Ralph Jones, Mickey
Gibbs, Ben Hess, Jimmy Horton, Jeff Purvis, Mike Wallace, Andy Hillenburg, Kenny Irwin, Jr., Bobby Gerhart, David Keith, Ryan Newman, Chase Montgomery, Kyle Busch, Michael Annet, James Buescher, John Wes Townley, Grant Enfinger, Austin Theriault, Michael Self,
Harrison Burton, Corey Heim, and Greg Van Alst.
Bobby Gerhart leads all drivers with nine wins at Daytona International Speedway. Other drivers with multiple victories include
Iggy Katona (3), Ben Hess (2), Jimmy Horton (2), Jeff Purvis (2), Andy Hillenburg (2), John Wes Townley (2), Grant Enfinger (2), and Corey Heim (2).
Drivers who have scored their first career ARCA Menards Series wins include Charlie Blanton (1973), Lennie Pond (1976), Jim
Sauter (1978), Kyle Petty (1979), John Rezek (1980), Tim Richmond (1981), Ferrel Harris (1983), Rick Wilson (1984), Grant Adcox (1986), Ralph Jones (1987), Mickey Gibbs (1988), Ben Hess (1989), Jimmy Horton (1990), Jef Purvis (1993), Mike Wallace (1994), Andy
Hillenburg (1995), Kenny Irwin, Jr. (1998), Bobby Gerhart (1999), Chase Montgomery (2003), John Wes Townley (2013), and Greg Van Alst (2023).
The ARCA Menards Series qualifying record at Daytona International Speedway is 44.953 seconds/200.209 miles per hour, set by
Bill Venturini in February 1987.
The ARCA Menards Series race record at Daytona International Speedway is 1 hour, 18 minutes, 20 seconds/153.191 miles per hour,
set by Kenny Irwin, Jr. In February 1998.
The field will be set in a group qualifying session in Friday’s General Tire Pole Qualifying. The 50 drivers will be assigned
a group following a random draw. There will be six groups of seven and one group of eight cars. The fastest 34 speeds will be locked in while the final six will be provisional starters, three based on the final 2023 owner point standings, two on eligible Golden
A plan teams who started all 20 races in 2023, and one reserved for a former series champion who did not make the field on speed. If there Golden A positions and/or the past champion’s provisional go unused, they will revert to 2023 owner point standings.
The modern-era (post-1979) record for lead changes in an ARCA Menards Series race in 18, set in 1985 in a race won by Glenn
Sears. The fewest lead changes in an ARCA Menards Series race at Daytona is 2 in 1998 in a race won by Kenny Irwin, Jr.
The modern-era record for the most cautions in an ARCA Menards Series race at Daytona International Speedway is 9, in 1989.
The record for the most laps under caution is 47, set in 2006 and tied in 2009. The fewest laps under caution is 10 set in 1998.
Should the race need to be extended into overtime, there will be one attempt at a one-lap “green and white together” finish.
Should the caution be displayed any time on the final lap before the field receives the checkered flag, the field will be frozen and the race will be over.
