Officials from the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) and Menards Inc. announced today that the Wisconsin-based home improvement retailer will once again serve as the presenting sponsor of the ARCA Racings Series, as well sponsor the Menards 200 event at Toledo Speedway.
“Menards has been a great corporate partner for ARCA and a great, long-term, marketing partner for Toledo Speedway,” said Mark Gundrum, ARCA’s Vice President for Business Development and Corporate Partnerships.
The announcement was made as part of a press conference for Toledo Speedway held at Hollywood Casino in Toledo, Tuesday afternoon.
The Menards 200 will feature ARCA Racing Series practice and Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell on Saturday, May 16, along with an ARCA Truck Series race, the “Buckeye Cable 50.” The Menards 200 will start at 2 p.m. on May 17, and is scheduled for live broadcast on CBS Sports Network. It will be the first of three live ARCA races on CBS Sports Network this season.
“We appreciate the opportunity to once again sponsor the ARCA Racing Series and look forward to another highly competitive Menards 200 Race at Toledo Speedway,” said Jeff Abbott, promotions manager and spokesperson. “We’ll be selling discount tickets for this race in our stores and hope to see another full house at the track.”
Six northwest Ohio Menards stores will once again offer race fans the chance to “save big money” on advance ticket purchases. Discount tickets will go on sale April 12 at Menards locations in Defiance, Findlay, Holland, Oregon, Sandusky and Toledo. Menards will offer tickets for $15, a savings of $10 off the gate price.
Menards will also continue their broader marketing presence within the 2015 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, including co-sponsoring the Menards Pole Award presented by Ansell, and serve as co-primary sponsor on the No. 25 Venturini Motorsports team, and drivers Frank Kimmel and Brandon Jones.
Toledo Speedway has a long history of hosting the 63-year-old nationally-touring stock car series. The Menards 200 in May will be the 74th ARCA race at Toledo Speedway.
Six-time ARCA national champion Iggy Katona won the inaugural ARCA race at Toledo on April 21, 1963. Since then, winners over years include Jack Bowsher, Benny Parsons, Ramo Stott, Bruce Gould, Dave Dayton, Bill Venturini, Bob Keselowski, Bob Strait, Ken Schrader, Justin Allgaier, Ty Dillon and Frank Kimmel, to name several.
Kimmel is the all-time Toledo winner with nine wins and is scheduled to drive the No. 25 Ansell-Menards Toyota in the Menards 200, his second race of 2015. Justin Boston won the Toledo ARCA race in 2014 in the No. 25 Venturini Motorsports Toyota. Mason Mitchell, the 2014 ARCA national champion, was the Menards polesitter.
Kimmel picked up his first ever ARCA win at the fast half-mile located in northwest Ohio.
“Toledo’s a very special track for that reason alone,” he said. “I just love the place.”
ARCA Racing PR
