Other Series PR

The 2019 ARCA Menards Series season has been one of firsts for Michael Self (No. 25 Sinclair Lubricants Toyota). For the first time in his career, after several seasons of running a partial schedule, Self is pursuing the series championship. That means Self is visiting many race tracks he’s never seen before.

As it has every season since 1983, the ARCA Menards Series heads to the Illinois State Fairgrounds for the Allen Crowe 100 on Sunday August 18, part of a huge racing weekend that also includes a Saturday afternoon 100-mile race for the USAC Silver Crown Champ Car Series. And as it has every season since 1983, the fair’s one-mile dirt track will present the drivers and teams one of the most unique challenges they face all season long.

Christian Eckes (No. 15 JBL Audio Toyota) made a statement that he will be a threat for the ARCA Menards Series championship with a dominant victory in Friday’s FORTS USA 150 at Pocono Raceway. Eckes took control on lap 35 when the dominant driver in the early stages of the race, General Tire Pole Award winner Todd Gilliland (No. 18 Frontline Enterprises Toyota), was penalized for a blend line violation after his only pit stop of the afternoon.

On the strength of an impressive 11 victories in the first 14 races this season, Toyota has captured its fourth manufacturer’s championship in the ARCA Menards Series.

It’s no secret that South Boston Speedway has some of the most difficult competition of any weekly racetrack in the country, but the 2019 season has proven it’s not too tough for newcomers to have an impact.

The nickname for Pocono Raceway is a cute and fitting slogan. And it might win the “overly obvious award” because the speedway’s triangular layout is indeed tricky for drivers and teams alike.

After leading the afternoon's practice session and winning the General Tire Pole Award, Chandler Smith (No. 20 Craftsman/828 Logistics Toyota) put a period on a clean sweep of the ARCA Menards Series Fans with Benefits 150 with a dominant victory Friday night at Iowa Speedway. Smith led the first 106 laps before losing the lead on pit road during the penultimate caution flag of the night. Once back under green, it took him just 10 laps to knife his way through the field to retake the lead from Ty Gibbs (No. 18 Monster Energy/ORCA Coolers/Terrible Herbst/Advance Auto Parts Toyota) to lead the final 35 laps.

Chandler Smith (No. 20 Craftsman/828 Logistics Toyota) backed up his performance in practice by taking his forth General Tire Pole Award of the season for tonight's ARCA Menards Series Fans with Benefits 150 at Iowa Speedway. Smith turned a fast lap at 24.182 seconds/130.262 mph to edge his Venturini Motorsports teammate Michael Self (No. 25 Sinclair Lubricants Toyota) by just one one-thousanth of a second. In addition to being Smith's fourth pole of the season, it is Venturini Motorsport's 13th pole in 14 races so far.

At any given point in a season, drivers that chase the points championship in any racing series often look back and see where they left a significant number of points on the table. Whether it was an early-season crash that put the car out of the race early or a mechanical failure that resulted in being many laps down, when the season is over those points all add up.

The ARCA Menards Series annual visit to the seven-eighths mile Iowa Speedway is, as often the case, part of a double-header with another racing series. Most of the time, the ARCA teams race in conjunction with series that have fenders over their wheels such as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the NASCAR XFINITY Series, the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series, and even short track touring series such as the ARCA/CRA Super Series and occasionally the open wheel USAC Silver Crown Series. But at Iowa, it’s perhaps the most unique doubleheader of the entire season.