TOLEDO, Ohio (March 8, 2016) – After a 23-year hiatus, the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards returned to the tradition-rich Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville in 2015. By popular demand, it’s coming back in 2016 – April 8-9 for a stock car double-header featuring the 200-lap ARCA national tour finale Saturday night preceded by a combined ARCA/CRA Super Series-Southern Super Series late model clash to set the stage beginning Friday.
The second event of the season for the ARCA Racing Series, on the heels of Daytona, will mark the 25th ARCA appearance at Nashville since its debut on the historic short track in 1959 when three-time ARCA champion Nelson Stacy won the inaugural 300-lap race.
Current ARCA Racing Series point leader John Wes Townley hopes to add his name to the impressive list of ARCA winners at Nashville, and he’s off to a great start. The Watkinsville, Georgia driver opened the season with a victory at Daytona Int’l Speedway, his second career win at Daytona. He’ll now look toward Nashville for what would be his career-first ARCA short track triumph.
“Our Nashville car’s done, ready to go,” Townley said. “I know we have a plan in place for a two day test at Nashville the 23rd and 24th (of March). I’m really looking forward to racing there. Raced a late model there but it’s been a while.”
Townley’s in the middle of a very busy race season, running the full NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule, several XFINITY Series races and at least 17 of the 20 ARCA races, including Nashville.
“Coming back to ARCA is really stress-free. I don’t mean to say there’s no pressure in ARCA, but for me coming back and running with ARCA is stress-free in comparison to everything else we’re doing. There’s nothing I don’t love about coming back and running with ARCA. It’s competitive…I love all the tracks…it’s getting back to my roots, and I love it. Nashville is one of those iconic short tracks, and I’d love to be able to say I won there.”
Townley will be campaigning a brand new Composite Body car at Nashville straight out of his Athenian Motorsports shop.
In addition to being one of those “iconic” tracks, Nashville builds champions, especially for those who steer their way into the winner’s circle on the seasoned 5/8ths-mile banked oval.
After Stacy’s ARCA win in ’59, other notable race winners/champions at Nashville include Jack Bowsher (ARCA champion), Don White (USAC Stock Car champion), Harold Smith (ARCA champion), Ramo Stott (ARCA champion), Moose Myers (ARCA champion), Marvin Smith (ARCA champion), David Green (NASCAR Xfinity champion) and most recently 2015 ARCA champion Grant Enfinger who won last year’s ARCA 200. Other ARCA winners at Nashville include Andy Hampton, Red Farmer and Coo Coo Marlin, all of whom were track champions in their own locales. Nineteen-time ARCA winner Bob Schacht won three consecutive at Nashville in 1981, ’82 and ’83.
While racing began at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds as early as 1904, the track which evolved into the current day Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville held its first race in 1958. The track was also home to 42 NASCAR Sprint Cup races from 1958-1984 with Richard Petty leading all drivers with nine wins followed by Darrell Waltrip with eight. Other Cup winners include Joe Weatherly, David Pearson, Bobby Isaac, Cale Yarborough, Buddy Baker, Bobby Allison, Benny Parsons and Dale Earnhardt. The NASCAR Xfinity Series raced there nine times from 1984-2000, and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series held five races from 1996-2000.
ARCA / CRA & Southern Super Series late models to join ARCA national tour at Nashville:
Though last year’s ARCA Racing Series event was huge, this year’s will be even bigger with the addition of the ARCA/CRA Super Series and the Southern Super Series late models. The Friday, April 8 event will feature the Southern Super Series and the ARCA/CRA Super Series competing in separate points-paying events, which will determine the line-up in a combined North-South Super Late Model Challenge on Saturday night, just prior to the ARCA 200.
Discounted tickets on sale now:
Discounted advance reserved tickets for the top eight rows along with general admission passes for the Saturday, April 9 portion of the event are now on sale in the Track Enterprises office. Pre-sale reserved tickets for Saturday are $25 each, which includes a $5 discount per pass. Friday tickets will be sold general admission at the gate. To order your tickets to this year’s ARCA 200 along with the North-South Super Late Model Challenge, visit call Track Enterprises attrackenterprises.com
The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is among the leading auto racing sanctioning bodies in the country. Founded in 1953 by John and Mildred Marcum, the organization administers more than 100 events each year in multiple racing series, including the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, the ARCA/CRA Super Series, the ARCA Truck Series and the ARCA Midwest Tour, plus weekly racing at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways.
About Automobile Racing Club of America:
The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards features 20 events at 18 tracks on its 2016 schedule. The series has crowned an ARCA national champion each year since its inaugural season in 1953, and has toured over 200 racetracks in 28 states since its inception. The series tests the abilities of drivers and race teams over the most diverse schedule of stock car racing events in the world, annually visiting tracks ranging from 0.4 mile to 2.66 miles in length, on both paved and dirt surfaces as well as left- and right-turn road courses.
Founded by John and Mildred Marcum in 1953 in Toledo, Ohio, the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is recognized among the leading sanctioning bodies in the country. ARCA administers over 100 race events each season in four professional touring series and local weekly events.
