PapaNicholas Coffee to sponsor ARCA Racing Series event at Gateway

TOLEDO, Ohio (Jan. 16, 2018) — Officials from PapaNicholas Coffee, Track Enterprises and the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) announced today that PapaNicholas will sponsor ARCA’s return to  Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, Ill. this June.

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards PapaNicholas Coffee 150 is set for Fridaynight, June 22 at 8 p.m. local time. ARCA practice and General Tire Pole Qualifying will precede the 150-lap race event, scheduled for broadcast coverage on FOX Sports.

“We are very excited about our association with the ARCA Racing Series and Menards,” said Chris Papanicholas, president of PapaNicholas Coffee. “The ARCA Racing Series provides an excellent means for us to reach and connect with our own consumers and provide exciting in-store sales building opportunities for Menards.”

The PapaNicholas Coffee 150 will also mark the return of the ARCA Racing Series to the 1.25-mile Gateway track. ARCA has raced at Gateway six times since 1997 but not since 2007 when Bryan Clauson drove a Ganassi Racing entry to victory lane. Mark Gibson won the inaugural ARCA race at Gateway in 1997. Other winners in between include 10-time ARCA national champion Frank Kimmel in 2001, Ryan Hemphill in 2004, Joey Miller in 2005 and Cale Gale in 2006.

“We are proud to work with promoter Bob Sargent of Track Enterprises and ARCA’s management team to bring the ARCA Racing Series to the St. Louis region,” said GMP Executive Vice President and General Manager Chris Blair. “Our June NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event has been one of the most popular races on the schedule and the addition of another premier series allows us to continue the momentum we’ve been building since we purchased the track in 2012.”

The PapaNicholas Coffee 150 will serve as the opening event of a tripleheader weekend of racing at Gateway. The track will also host the ARCA Midwest Tour and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on Saturday, June 23. St. Louis area Menards stores will offer local race fans the chance to “Save Big Money” by purchasing advance, discounted race tickets to the PapaNicholas Coffee 150.

“We are excited to partner with the PapaNicholas brand to bring the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards back to Gateway Motorsports Park, and the St. Louis market,” said Jeff Abbott, promotions manager and spokesperson for Menards. “St. Louis is a growth market for Menards, and Gateway is a great race track.”

The PapaNicholas Coffee 150 is one of six ARCA races promoted by Track Enterprises in 2018.

“Track Enterprises is looking forward to our expanded role with ARCA, in partnership with Gateway Motorsports Park,” said Bob Sargent, Track Enterprises president. “We have a great relationship with ARCA, and promote other exciting events in several markets. We are looking forward to helping bring the ARCA Racing Series back to Gateway, a great facility in the heartland of the country.”

For more information about the PapaNicholas Coffee 150 or where to buy discounted tickets, visit www.arcaracing.com, www.trackenterprises.com or http://www.gatewaymsp.com/

For over 100 years and 4 generations, the Papanicholas family has worked to perfect the art and science of roasting coffee. Our founder, Nicholas A. Papanicholas, had a goal to give the world the freshest premium whole bean and ground coffees at a reasonable price. The highest level of this commitment is what we work hard to live up to every day.

Gateway Motorsports Park is the home of INDYCAR, NASCAR and NHRA racing in the St. Louis region. Located just five minutes from downtown St. Louis and covering more than 340 acres, Gateway Motorsports Park is the largest outdoor entertainment facility in the area. Gateway Motorsports Park’s facility’s include a 1/4-mile drag strip, 1.25-mile superspeedway, 1.6-mile road course, a state-of-the-art karting facility and a 14-acre, multi-purpose dirt off-road venue.

Menards home improvement stores are well known throughout the Midwest for a complete selection of high-quality, name brand merchandise and all the tools, materials and supplies for any job. Menards offers full-service lumberyards, beautiful garden centers, name brand appliances, pet & wildlife products and even a line of convenience groceries to provide a one-stop shopping experience. Whether just needing a light bulb, a gallon of paint or household supplies, or building a deck, fence or new home, there is something for everyone at Menards whether a beginning do-it-yourselfer or more experienced contractor.

A family-owned and run company started in 1958, Menards currently operates 306 stores located in 14 Midwestern states. Menards is known throughout the home improvement industry as the low price leader; it’s no wonder their famous slogan – “SAVE BIG MONEY” – is so widely known and easy to remember. Menards does things right – the company’s strength and success can be seen in the well-stocked and maintained stores, the lowest prices in town, and the way guests are always treated like family.

Track Enterprises is a racing promotion company that oversees popular events that feature top touring series like the ARCA Racing Series, USAC Racing, Dirtcar UMP, POWRi Racing, All Star Circuit Of Champions, Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, CRA, Southern Super Series, and more. The company also oversees all racing promotions at Macon Speedway, Lincoln Speedway, and the Terre Haute Action Track. For more information on the upcoming racing schedule, visit www.trackenterprises.com.

The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is among the leading and most versatile auto racing sanctioning bodies in the country. Founded in 1953 by John and Mildred Marcum, the organization administers more than 100 events each year in multiple racing series, including the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, the ARCA/CRA Super Series and the ARCA Midwest Tour, plus weekly racing at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways.