DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR has acquired the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA), putting the nation's two major stock-car racing sanctioning bodies under one roof.
Financial terms were not disclosed. The ARCA Series will continue to operate under its current structure through the 2019 season, including its use of General-brand race tires, NASCAR said.
The move is designed to strengthen a relationship that dates back more than 60 years, NASCAR said, referring to a personal and professional relationship ARCA Founder John Marcum had with Bill France Sr., a founder of NASCAR.
The ARCA series, which features late-model stock cars using bodies of Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota sedans powered by identical 396-cubic-inch V8 racing engines, provided a valuable platform for talented drivers looking to make it to NASCAR's national series, NASCAR said.
ARCA President Ron Drager said the deal provides ARCA with sustainability.
"Our position in the industry over all these years — 67 years — has been really intertwined with NASCAR,'' Mr. Drager said.
"Before there was a NASCAR, before there was an ARCA, there was a relationship between the Marcum and France families. And over all these years and over all this period of time, we at ARCA have been fortunate to carve out a spot in the industry and to be able to be a constructive part of our sport. I think this is really just coming back full circle to where things started out.
"We're all looking toward the future and trying to figure out where we need to be and how best to stabilize and come together to make the sport stronger," he added. "I think a coming-together is a good way to do it."
Jim France, NASCAR vice chairman, executive vice president and member of the sport's founding family, said, "Our NASCAR family has long had a special connection with our friends at ARCA, and this is a logical step in demonstrating our commitment to the next generation of racers.
"This continues the legacy our sport was built upon and will deliver the great racing our fans expect."
Travis Roffler, director of marketing for General Tire, said, "We've enjoyed a great relationship with both ARCA and the France family over the last several years. The new deal doesn't affect our partnership with ARCA and we look forward to the future together as we continue to build ARCA and the sport of racing."
This year's ARCA series schedule of 20 races includes nine events at NASCAR national series venues, and three others at NASCAR Whelen All-American Series tracks.
Continental Tire the Americas' General brand has been the ARCA series' spec tire since the 2016 season, and ARCA renewed General as the tire supplier last year through the 2019 season.
NASCAR sanctions a multi-tiered array of stock-car racing series, starting with the Monster Energy Cup — considered the pinnacle of stock car racing in North America — and followed by the Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series.
It also sanctions NASCAR-inspired series in Mexico, Canada and Europe and is involved in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
Goodyear is the designated tire supplier for NASCAR stock-car racing in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, while Continental supplies the bulk of the WeatherTech series.