Toledo Speedway

(TOLEDO, Ohio – November 18, 2015) – Toledo Speedway officials have always boasted about the incredible list of open wheel and stock car drivers who have walked through its gates over the years. Now, it has something else to boast about: 75 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards races.

Series and track officials announced today that the high-banked, half-mile will host its 75th all-time ARCA race on May 22, 2016.

“We are very pleased to include the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards event on our 2016 schedule,” said Toledo Speedway General Manager Scott Schultz said. “The race is one of the city of Toledo’s premier sporting events year in and year out.”

Located just a few miles from where the ARCA Racing Series was founded, Toledo Speedway hosted its inaugural ARCA race on April 21, 1963, in a race won by the legendary, six-time ARCA champ Iggy Katona. Since then, winners over years include Jack Bowsher, Benny Parsons, Ramo Stott, Bruce Gould, Dave Dayton, Bill Venturini, Bob Keselowski, Bob Strait, Ken Schrader, Justin Allgaier, Ty Dillon and Frank Kimmel. Current NASCAR XFINITY Series point leader Chris Buescher had a string of four wins in five races in 2010 and 2011.

Toledo may be one of the oldest races on the 2016 schedule, but, ironically, its defending winner is not. In fact, the youngest ARCA Racing Series winner ever, Todd Gilliland, captured his first and only series victory just two day after turning 15 in May of this year, which is the prerequisite for a driver to enter an ARCA race.

“Winning at Toledo and setting the record for the youngest winner in ARCA history was certainly a highlight to our season,” said Venturini Motorsports General Manager Billy Venturini.

For Gilliland, it was a shining moment. He was one of 10 first-time winners to visit victory lane in 2015 and came just two days after he turned 15.

“It’s awesome to me because it’s going to be a hard record to break and in the long history of the ARCA Racing Series, it’s a record that I am happy to say I hold,” Gilliland said.

Driving the No. 55 for Venturini Motorsports, Gilliland said he went into the weekend wanting to get seat time at Toledo and run the full 200 laps.

“We went into the weekend with really no expectations, just finish,” he said. “It was 200 more laps under my belt. We knew our car was going to be good coming from Venturini Motorsports. So, after about 175 laps we knew we had a legitimate chance at the win.

“I was super nervous when I was in second because I knew my job wasn’t over and it was in my hands at that point.”

Gilliland passed veteran Tom Hessert and led the final four laps for the win.

“Having my whole family there, including my dad, made that special and the whole weekend awesome,” he said.

Kimmel is the all-time Toledo winner with nine wins. He, too, picked up his first ever ARCA win at the fast half-mile located in northwest Ohio.

"Toledo's a very special track for that reason alone," he said. "I just love the place."

Only Salem Speedway in southern Indiana has hosted more ARCA Racing Series events than Toledo Speedway.

The annual Toledo stop is the 14th race to be announced on the 2016 ARCA Racing Series schedule. The full schedule will be released on www.arcaracing.com prior to the Thanksgiving holiday. Here are the races that have been announced thus far: