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__NOTOC__The ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards is an American stock car series, the premier division of the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA). It is considered a minor but professional league of stock car racing, used as a feeder series into the three national touring series of NASCAR,〔 and hosts events at a variety of track types including superspeedways, road courses, and dirt tracks.〔 The series has a longstanding relationship with NASCAR, including using former Sprint Cup Series cars, hosting events in the same race weekend such as Daytona Speedweeks, and naming an award after NASCAR founder Bill France, Sr.〔 The series is not officially affiliated with NASCAR.〔 The series was known as the ARCA Permatex SuperCar Series from 1986 until 1991, the ARCA Hooters SuperCar Series from 1993 until 1995, and as the ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series from 1996 to 2000.〔〔 The series was sponsored by real estate company RE/MAX as the ARCA RE/MAX Series from 2001 until 2009.〔 Midwest-based home improvement company Menards began sponsoring the series in 2010 jointly with RE/MAX, and became the lone title sponsor in 2011. ==History== The series was founded in Toledo, Ohio in 1953 as the ''Midwest Association for Race Cars'' (MARC), a local touring group in the Midwestern United States.〔 The series was founded by John Marcum, a friend and former competitor of Bill France, Sr. and former NASCAR employee, who created MARC as a northern counterpart to the southern-based NASCAR. Early drivers included Iggy Katona and Nelson Stacy.〔 The series became a part of Daytona Speedweeks in 1964 at the request of Bill France, allowing the series to open its season alongside the Daytona 500.〔()〕 The same year, the series name was changed from MARC (Midwest Association for Race Cars) to the current ARCA (Automobile Racing Club of America) as a suggestion from France to give the series more national exposure.〔 The series races on a variety of tracks from small ovals to superspeedways such as Daytona International Speedway. It is one of the last major oval track circuits to still compete on dirt tracks. In 2008 the series returned to racing on a road course.〔()〕 The series is currently headed by Marcum's grandson, Ron Drager.〔 Due to the similarity between the cars and racetracks of the two series, the ARCA Racing Series is frequently used to develop young drivers looking to break into the top three series of NASCAR. The series has spawned such drivers as Benny Parsons, Ken Schrader and Kyle Petty, and helped more recent Sprint Cup Series drivers Kyle Busch, Justin Allgaier, Casey Mears, and Sam Hornish, Jr. get acclimated to stock cars.〔 Young drivers will often race in the series opener at Daytona International Speedway to gain NASCAR approval to run at superspeedways in the Truck or Xfinity Series. Other drivers, such as 10-time champion Frank Kimmel and 9-time race winner Bobby Gerhart remain in the series as opposed to pursuing a full-time career in NASCAR. NASCAR regulars, notably Ken Schrader, are known to frequent the series as well.〔 The general minimum age for drivers is 18. However, drivers as young as 17 may be approved to drive on speedway tracks, and drivers as young as 15 years can be permitted to drive at courses less than one mile in length and road courses. This is one year younger than the minimum age of 16 in the Camping World Truck Series (also for short tracks and road courses only). 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「ARCA Racing Series」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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