NASCAR on Saturday unveiled the framework of how its recent acquisition of the ARCA Racing Series will fit into the sport’s competitive structure.
According to a NASCAR release, senior leadership of both ARCA and NASCAR have elected to try to preserve the historic lineage of both ARCA and the K&N Pro Series East and West.
“We are continuing to gather feedback from teams, competitors and industry stakeholders to ensure the next step in the series’ evolution provides a lasting and healthy competition platform for accomplished veterans battling rising stars at iconic short tracks and diverse speedways across the country,” the statement said.
The following outlines the basic new competitive structure of all of the series:
Drivers will have the opportunity to compete for four championships
– The K&N Pro Series West and East championship calendars will feature approximately six to eight events each, competing on historic short tracks (under 1 mile) within their traditional regional footprint.
– The ARCA Racing Elite Series will be made up of approximately 20 races, with at least half on speedways (over 1 mile) that include traditional companion events in both the ARCA and Pro series.
– The fourth championship will be the Stock Car Invitational. This championship will consist of the remaining approximately 10 races of the Elite Series, and will be on premier short tracks that have long been part of both ARCA and the K&N Pro series. To be eligible for the championship in this three-way combination series, East and West competitors must compete in a minimum number of races across those series.
– The chassis and body will be roughly the same across all four championships. Teams competing in the Elite Series will run the current ARCA engine package, while teams competing in the Pro Series East and West will run the existing engine package in those series. Teams choosing to compete for the Stock Car Invitational title will use the same engine they use in the Elite or Pro Series East/West.
– Drivers must be at least 15 years old to compete in the Pro Series East and West as well as the Stock Car Invitational. Drivers must be at least 18 years old to compete in the Elite Series on tracks over 1-mile in length (15 or higher on the rest).
Many details – from series’ names and television coverage, to the exact venues the series will race at – will be finalized over the coming months.
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