INDIANAPOLIS — The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards is headed back to Lucas Oil Raceway, and it’s bringing along the ARCA CRA Super Series for an all-ARCA double header Friday night, July 25.
The 100-lap ARCA CRA Super Series race will kick of the big night of stock car racing, culminating with the ARCA Racing Series SCOTT Get Geared Up 200 presented by Federated Car Care under the lights.
NASCAR/ARCA veteran Ken Schrader, 10-time ARCA Racing Series champion Frank Kimmel, ARCA point leader Grant Enfinger and red-hot Mason Mitchell highlight the ARCA Racing Series entries while NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver David Ragan is entered in the ARCA CRA Super Series event.
“The cool thing about going short track racing…it’s different, and it’s what I grew up doing,” Ragan said.
“You go and have fun…we certainly want to run well; we take our short track racing very serious. The ARCA family has always been real, real close to our racing family over the years. We’re just looking forward to getting back to the local short tracks and communities; it’s sometimes the best racing of the weekend. Lucas Oil Raceway is a great little short track with a lot of great history; I’m looking forward to it.
“I keep my ARCA CRA car in my shop; it’s kind of my hobby. I do most of the work on it myself along with a few volunteer guys; it makes it fun.”
Tickets, for $20 – which is $10 off the gate price – are now on sale at Menards stores in Anderson, Avon, Bloomington, Camby, Carmel, Columbus, Fishers, Fort Wayne East, Fort Wayne South, Fort Wayne West, Greenwood, Indy East, Indy South, Kokomo, Lafayette South, Lebanon, Muncie, Richmond, Terre Haute and West Lafayette. Tickets for anyone 11 and under will be $10 at the gate.
The ARCA Racing Series last ran at Lucas Oil Raceway in 2012, with Kimmel taking the checkered flag. The 2014 race will be the 10th ARCA Racing Series race at the track since 1971.
The return to the Indianapolis area by the series is important for the series presenting sponsor, Menards. Indianapolis is the fifth-largest market for Menards, which has 287 stores in 14 Midwestern states.
There are several events taking place in the Indianapolis area to coincide with the ARCA race.
On Thursday, July 24, show cars for the Menards-sponsored No. 27 NASCAR Sprint Cup and No. 88 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series cars will be at the Indy South Menards from noon to 8 p.m. Drivers Paul Menard and Matt Crafton will appear at the store from 7 to 8 p.m.
Kimmel and the ARCA No. 44 Ansell-Menards Toyota will be at the Camby Menards from 4 to 5:30 p.m. that same day plus at the Avon Menards from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
The No. 27 and No. 88 show cars will be at Lucas Oil Raceway from noon to 9 p.m. on race day,Friday, July 25.
ARCA history at LOR reaches back decades; Allison, Stott, Schacht, Dillon, former ARCA Winners
Two-time ARCA Racing Series champion Ramo Stott won the inaugural ARCA race at Lucas Oil Raceway in 1971. Ralph Latham followed as victor in 1972, and Bruce Gould was victorious in 1974. Nearly 10 years would go by before ARCA would return in 1983 when two-time Series champ Marvin Smith was the race winner. Bob Schacht won at LOR in 1984. In 1985, a pair of ARCA races was on Lucas Oil’s schedule, with Schacht and Davey Allison claiming victories. It would be 26 years before the ARCA tour would return to Lucas Oil Raceway in 2011 when Ty Dillon, driving for Richard Childress Racing, won the 200-lap event. Frank Kimmel is the most recent winner at LOR in 2012.
Raceday Schedule/Media Coverage
ARCA Racing Series Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell begins at 5:30 p.m. with the ARCA CRA Super Series 100-lap race following at 7. The SCOTT Get Geared Up 200 is scheduled for a 9 p.m. start, and is live on FOX Sports 1. ARCAracing.com will feature live timing and scoring of all ARCA Racing Series on-track activities, starting with the first of two practice sessions at 1:35. All times listed are Eastern.
For more ticket information, visit www.LucasOilRaceway.com.