Other Series Racing

The ARCA Menards Series returns to Talladega Superspeedway for the General Tire 200, its 57th event at the high-banked 2.66-mile tri-oval since 1969.

Munford, Alabama is not one of the most easily-recognizable names to most citizens. It’s a tiny town in Talladega County, and at last count had approximately 1,300 people that lived there. Perhaps the only reason many would know its significance was if they were a Civil War buff, noting one of the last major battles east of the Mississippi River was fought there on April 23, 1865.

Intermittent rain played havoc with the first official on-track activity for the 103rd running of the Indianapolis 500. But, with patience and determination the NTT IndyCar Series teams and drivers were able to get the veteran drivers significant track time to get their preparations for the 500 well underway.

The ARCA Racing Series continues its diverse and unique schedule this weekend at the historic Talladega Superspeedway for the annual running of the General Tire 200.

For the first time in his ARCA Menards Series career, Travis Braden (No. 27 MatrixCare/Consonus Health Care/Liberty Village Ford) leads the series championship standings. Braden, a two-time champion in the ARCA/CRA Super Series for late models, assumed the series lead after a 12th-place finish at Salem Speedway.

In less than two weeks, Joe Graf Jr. will be headed back to Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, a track that was the background for the closest finish in the 67-year history of the ARCA Menards Series. The margin was so narrow it was a statistical dead heat, the margin of victory on the computerized scoring monitors showing 0.000 seconds. Only a video replay and the photo finish camera were able to determine Graf finished second by a matter of millimeters.

The ARCA Menards Series has been a part of Talladega Superspeedway’s history since the track’s inaugural season in 1969. Over the course of those 50 years, the series has run 55 races on the daunting 33-degree banks that sees speeds approach 200 miles per hour. The list of previous winners reads as a mixture of a who’s who of racing, and the greatest underdog stories in stock car racing.

Sam Mayer and the GMS Racing team was racing with heavy hearts at Salem Speedway this weekend, as a co-worker, Jonathan Morrison, known as "Outlaw," passed away this weekend.

It was supposed to be an off weekend for Harrison Burton, the NASCAR Gander Outdoor Truck Series driver. However, Burton got a call late Saturday night and flew to Salem, Indiana to substitute for Christian Eckes.

After a 30 minute red flag, the ARCA officials called it official and Michael Self was declared the winner.