Citing the “bigger is better” philosophy, NASCAR bought the Midwest-based Automobile Racing Club of America, better known as ARCA, this week in an effort to consolidate major-league, stock-car racing.
The deal was announced Friday morning at Talladega Superspeedway, where NASCAR and ARCA are holding races this weekend. The terms of the contract were not disclosed.
ARCA president Ron Drager said his sanctioning body was more like a mom and pop store trying to survive in an Amazon-like environment.
“Our world continues to get more and more complicated and complex,” Drager said at the press conference. “There are times when I feel like I'm a little rowboat out in the middle of the ocean.
“The ocean liners go by, and they rock the boat. A big storm comes along, and it rocks the boat. So far, we haven't turned over. I want to be on a bigger boat.”
NASCAR vice chairman Jim France, who in 2012 engineered the merger of Grand-Am and American Le Mans into the IMSA sports-car organization, said ARCA will continue as a stand-alone entity through the 2019 racing season.
“Ron is going to continue to direct ARCA,” France said. “It will continue with its history and its championships.
“We'll be working together to develop the next steps. Ron is going to be helping direct that with our NASCAR leadership team.”
The two organizations have worked hand in hand for more than 60 years.
ARCA founder John Marcum raced against NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. in the 1930s, and then worked as a NASCAR official.
The Lucas Oil 200 ARCA race began at Daytona International Speedway in 1964 at the request of “Big Bill,” Jim France’s father.
The ARCA Series kicked off its 66th season with 20-year-old Natalie Decker becoming the third female in the series to win a pole at Daytona and NASCAR Next alumni Michael Self winning the race in February.
This year’s schedule of 20 races includes nine events at NASCAR national series venues, and three others at NASCAR Whelen All-American Series tracks.
“That's a big part of us joining NASCAR,” Drager said. “Our ability to make our product the best that it can be, and strengthening it, just bring it together. I mean, I think the industry is stronger together than individually.”
France praised Drager for his cost-saving initiatives in ARCA that include crate-engines (one type of engine built by the same company) to taking the lead on composite bodies, which can withstand more of a beating.
Various NASCAR series have adopted those concepts.
“Ron and ARCA have been at the forefront of some of the development of trying to bring some efficiencies and cost savings for motorsports teams, stock-car teams in America,” France said.
“NASCAR has a similar effort going. Ron has been a leader in that area. It really allows both companies to go forward working together to try and improve the economics for our teams and our series.”
Drager said for the time being he will keep ARCA’s headquarters in Michigan. NASCAR is headquartered in Daytona Beach with its competition arm stationed in Concord, North Carolina.
“I own two little race tracks up there (Midwest) and I can't pick them up and move them,” he said. “I'm pretty sure I'm staying where I'm at.
“But we're deeply committed to the future of the ARCA Racing Series. We want it to grow and to stabilize and be a series that carries forward into the future.”
ARCA has long been a feeder series for NASCAR. The list of drivers, who started in ARCA and moved on to NASCAR, is endless.
Some of the more recognized drivers include Benny Parsons, Nelson Stacy and Charlie Glotzbach.
More recently, ARCA champions Ty Dillon, Chris Buescher and Ty Dillon have transitioned to NASCAR.
Clint Bowyer, who has nine Cup Series victories, was “discovered” in ARCA by NASCAR team owner Richard Childress.
ARCA stock cars are very similar to NASCAR K&N Pro Series machines. There are a handful of teams which race in both those series.
“There's some crossover with teams as it is now,” France said. “So it's a work in progress right now. We just formalized the first step of it. We'll be developing the plan in the future. Ron's critical to that process."