The series was founded in Toledo, Ohio in 1953 as the Midwest Association for Race Cars (MARC) by John Marcum, a friend and former competitor of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. and a former NASCAR employee. Marcum conceived MARC as a northern counterpart to the southern-based NASCAR, with early competitors including Iggy Katona and Nelson Stacy.
In 1964, at France's request, the series joined Daytona Speedweeks, opening its season alongside the Daytona 500. That same year, France suggested renaming the organization from MARC to ARCA — Automobile Racing Club of America — to broaden its national profile. The series is currently headed by Marcum's grandson, Ron Drager.
The series has operated under several names reflecting successive title sponsorships:
ARCA Permatex SuperCar Series (1986–1991)
ARCA Hooters SuperCar Series (1993–1995)
ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series (1996–2000)
ARCA RE/MAX Series (2001–2009)
ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards (2011–2019)
ARCA Menards Series (2020–present)
Because of the similarity between ARCA cars and racetracks used in NASCAR's top tiers, the series has long been used to develop young drivers seeking approval to race at superspeedways. Notable graduates include Benny Parsons, Ken Schrader, Kyle Petty, Kyle Busch, Justin Allgaier, Casey Mears, and Sam Hornish Jr. Drivers as young as 17 may race on speedway tracks; those as young as 15 may race at circuits under one mile. A minimum age of 18 applies for the two superspeedway events at Daytona and Talladega.
Not all competitors use the series as a stepping stone: 10-time champion Frank Kimmel and prolific winner Bobby Gerhart built full careers within ARCA rather than advancing to NASCAR.
The series was historically defined by its use of veteran steel-bodied Generation 4 cars from the NASCAR Cup Series, sometimes running chassis more than a decade old. The carbureted V8 engines are built under specifications similar to their NASCAR counterparts, and are occasionally purchased from NASCAR teams, yet the overall budget to field an ARCA car is estimated at roughly ten percent of a NASCAR Cup Series budget.
In August 2014, ARCA president Ron Drager announced the ARCA Ilmor 396 engine as an optional engine package for 2015. Developed by Ilmor — which had also worked on IndyCar engines — the unit uses Holley electronic fuel injection, is based on the Chevrolet LS engine family, produces 700 horsepower and 530 lb-ft of torque, and can run up to 1,500 miles between rebuilds at a rebuild cost of $15,000.
Beginning in 2015, ARCA adopted composite car bodies based on the NASCAR Cup Series Gen 6 models, developed with Five Star Race Car Bodies. These replaceable composite panels reduce fabrication costs and on-track debris from accidents. Steel bodies were mandated out by 2020. The Ford Fusion was replaced by the Ford Mustang in 2022, though the Fusion remained legal under ARCA rules as of 2024.
Core specifications include a 350–396 cubic inch overhead-valve V8, four-speed manual transmission, minimum weight of 3,300–3,400 lb (depending on body type), and approximately 700 brake horsepower unrestricted.
The Rookie of the Year award is presented to the rookie with the most points at season's end; past winners include future NASCAR drivers Benny Parsons, Davey Allison, Jeremy Mayfield, Michael McDowell, and Parker Kligerman.
The Bill France Four Crown award, inaugurated in 1984, rewards the driver accumulating the most points across four specific events spanning dirt ovals, short ovals, superspeedways, and road courses. Frank Kimmel holds the record with seven Four Crown titles. Davey Allison won the inaugural edition.
Starting in 2019, every race in the ARCA Menards Series calendar was broadcast live for the first time in series history, split between FS1, FS2, and MAVTV. From 2023, all races moved exclusively to FS1 or FS2. In 2024, ARCA signed a multi-year television contract with Fox Sports running through 2028.
Gallery · 4 related images
