ARCA series heading to dirt track of the Illinois State Fairgrounds

With all the hoopla over the Camping World Truck Series racing on dirt at Eldora none of the big racing news mentions much, if anything, about the ARCA race on the .4 mile clay oval of the Illinois State Fairgrounds, racing since 1983. You can catch the Tape delayed raceon NBC Sports Network August 23 at 11 PM ET

ARCA has been racing on dirt for years but it never got the attention that Tony Stewart's race got at Eldoro. Clint Boyer acted like it was the greatest thing since ketchup on hotdog, like it was a novelty yet, the ARCA series has been racing on dirt for YEARS and gets little notice.

I'm just as guilty, it wasn't until recently that a friend started working with rookie driver Bill Cataniathat I've taken notice. Now, I think I'm jumping ship from NASCAR Cup to ARCA to watch a more diverse style of racing, from asphalt and concrete ovals, road courses, and DIRT!!

This past weekend the ARCA series raced at the famed and hollowed ground of Berlin Raceway, Marne, Michigan which can be seen Tape-delayed on NBC Sports Network August 15 at 11 PM ET. ARCA has been racing at Berlin since 1958, one year longer than DIS, there is so much rich history with the ARCA series, it deserves so much more recognition than it gets.

Last Saturday night's ARCA race at Berlin Raceway, Marne, Michigan which can be seen Tape-delayed on NBC Sports Network August 15 at 11 PM ET

You are so Right i try to keep up with ARCA as much as i can

Again, the ARCA series races Aug. 18 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. From Speed51.com "

http://www.agr.state.il.us/isf/webcam/midway.php?webcam=1&cam=11

Live feed from the ARCA race at Illinois State Fairgrounds

Cool.

RESULTS:

http://timing1.arcaracing.com/

ARCA and dirt - been together for ever. Sure hope they continue to carry on the tradition of these previous races. It's a pity most of the tracks shown below are long gone now - All but the Big E.

Ron Fike, Gene Crittenden, and Bob Thomas wait to qualify at Northern Kentucky Speedway

Ralph Latham and Andy Hampton ready to qualify at Eldora. (Sure looked different back then...)

Jim Clark qualifies on the Springfield, Ohio, Fairgrounds Track.

The GREAT Benny Parsons goes out to qualify at K.I.R. (Kentucky International Raceway, in Florence, KY.)

Tom Bowsher, in #1, Gary Weinbroer in # 89 and Jim Malloy in # 26 at Tri County Speedway (Later became Queen City speedway.)

Hope everyone enjoys these.

Steve, thanks for sharing the photos and yes, especially the one from Northern Kentucky, really captures the era, it's like bulls entering the arena.

Great photos Steve, thanks for sharing.

One of our own Featured RacersReunion Members, David Boggs brought the love of ARCA Racing to me, quite a few years ago!

What is really cool about "old time" ARCA is that there are still many of the drivers lurking around. I have been contacted by three of them that are here on Racer's Reunion - "You have any photos of me ??" Of course, I've forwarded on what I had. The other cool thing is when a son/daughter or grandson/granddaughter asks if you have any photos or info on a deceased relative. I always try to help them out or point them to someone who might be able to help.

I am SO glad I kept that shoe box full of 35MM negatives from 40-50 years ago.....

You are so right, Steve! And we are glad that you kept that box as well. That is one thing...that I have found here. The history, pictures, and archived records are unlike anywhere else. After losing my Daddy, RacersReunion became my Home. For they could give me the closest thing to him...and that was memories. And everytime, I see a familiar name from years past I get so excited, because to me it is like a Family Reunion! And thanks to Jeff Gilder and the dedicated members here, we continue to grow not only in numbers, but in the capability of what we can preserve here.

One of my pastplatoon members (soldier)fromFort Braggand friend, Chad York, Race Director for ARCA rookie driver Bill Catania, text me last night and said NBC Sports interviewed him at the track, he thinks theinterview will be aired in the tape-delay race Aug. 15 at 11pm on NBCSports channel.

Spread the word about this airing of the ARCA race on NBC, the more that tune in the greater the chance NBC will continue to air the tap-delayed ARCA races. NBC is airing 4 races this season on a trial bases.

If you have a DVR go to your search option type in "Auto Racing" INSTEAD of "ARCA Racing" if you're having trouble finding the channel to record.

You can also keep up on the ARCA series by visiting and saving their site website. Read last night recap here for the dirt race at Illinois State Fairgrounds. http://www.arcaracing.com/news.php?contentid=16158

If you missed last night tape-delayed coverage of the ARCA race at the Illinois State Fairground 1-mile dirt track, you missed a lot!!! Late race bump and pass, door to door lead changes, 3-wide racing (on dirt no doubt), exciting last lap finish where it was anybody's race, and the a surprise ending with the "winner" being black-flagged handing the victory to Brennan Poole for his second straight win.

Next race...again, on dirt...

What was he black flagged for Jim?

Well Johnny Mack,

ARCA restarts in a single file, when the 3rd place car jumped the green flag with 5 laps remaining, the 4th place car assumed the greenflag dropped and followed the 3rd place car to the outside. The 3rd place car obviously passed the 1st place carbefore the start line but, it wasn't apparent (on TV)that the 4th place car also advanced a position on the 2nd place car before thegreen flag dropped. Therefore, both 3rd and 4th place restarters were black flagged.

Now, those of us watching on TV knew 3rd place was black flagged, it was obvious he jumped the start. But, what you couldn'tsee on TV and, even the announcers and fansdidn't catch it was the 4th place car also jumping the restart and advancing a position.

So, to the TV viewer, the announcers, and EVEN the Grandstand audience saw the 4th place car take the green flag andovercome 2nd place in one straight-away and, with one lap remaining pulled a bump-and-run on 1st place coming out of turn 4 for the checkers. The crowd went wild, the announcers were nearly peeing themselves with excitement, and I was hoopin' and hollerin' on my couch "WOW! What a race!"

However, when the cars came back around the original 1st place car stopped at the flag stand, took the flag, and did his victory lap, while the rest of us at home, in the stands, and holding microphones were left scratching our heads wondering what happened.

It was all explained shortly that both the 3rd and 4th place cars jumped the restart.

With about 10 laps to go there was another great pass by the eventual 2nd place car, and rookie driver, but he got over anxious and went into the turn too hard and slid high (see center photo) allowing the eventual winner #15to take the lead.

I hope this explains it, if not, I can go over it again.