The ARCA Menards Series and NASCAR have been linked together for decades, though many race fans don’t know the nature of that relationship.
What is the ARCA Series? Is it yet another “minor league” program for NASCAR? What cars do they use, what tracks do they race, and who in the world is behind the wheel? Those are just a few questions that inevitably come up when you talk ARCA.
So, let’s go ahead and knock them all out in one spot. Here you go — your one-stop-shop for everything NASCAR and ARCA.
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What is the difference between ARCA and NASCAR?
Well, let’s start with the basics … ARCA is short for Automobile Racing Club of America.
The series has a long relationship with NASCAR, but was not officially affiliated with it until NASCAR bought the series in 2018. The ARCA Menards Series is generally viewed as a feeder program into NASCAR’s three national series — Trucks, Xfinity and Cup.
The cars are similar but different (we’ll get to that in a bit), the tracks are mostly the same (not all, however — again, in a minute), and the drivers sometimes become familiar names (yep, again, in a minute!).
Does the ARCA Series use the same tracks as NASCAR?
Yes, quite often.
For example, both were at Talladega Superspeedway last weekend, and both always open the season at Daytona International Speedway.
The series actually joined Daytona Speedweeks way back in 1964, at the request of Big Bill France. That same season it also became known as “ARCA,” switching its name from MARC (Midwest Association for Race Cars).
Sure, there are some places ARCA goes that the bigger NASCAR Series’ don’t (they race on a pair of one-mile dirt ovals, for instance), but there is plenty of crossover.
What is an ARCA car?
Well, it’s an old NASCAR stock car.
The ARCA Series generally uses older-generation stock cars from NASCAR. For example, when NASCAR went to the Car of Tomorrow back in 2007, ARCA continued to use the older model Chevys, Fords, Toyotas and Dodges that the bigger series was no longer using.
In 2014, ARCA began transitioning away from steel bodies to composite, a move that was more cost-effective, safer and durable.
NASCAR drivers in ARCA
Yep, there’s been plenty of them.
Hailie Deegan got her start in the ARCA Series before graduating to a truck, while Ty Gibbs, the grandson of Joe Gibbs and current Xfinity Series wins-leader, is also the reigning ARCA champion.
Other names you may recognize from the current crop of active Cup drivers include: Chase Briscoe, Alex Bowman, Chris Buescher and Michael McDowell. Benny Parsons is the only driver to win both an ARCA and NASCAR Cup Series championship.
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