ARCA's national tour heads home to Toledo Speedway; Menards 200 coming May 20-21

ARCA's national tour heads home to Toledo Speedway; Menards 200 coming May 20-21

TOLEDO, Ohio (May 3, 2017) – The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards national tour is heading home to Toledo Speedway for the Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care Saturday and Sunday, May 20-21.

On the heels of the race event at Talladega Superspeedway, the circuit’s biggest track at 2.66-miles, the versatile ARCA Racing Series returns to its hometown roots for another short-track classic on the Toledo half-mile oval, the 76th running since 1963.

Current point leader Austin Theriault, of Fort Kent, Maine, has never seen the place.

"Like most of the tracks ARCA races at, Toledo will be another new one for me," said Theriault.

"But that's nothing new…there are several tracks that ARCA goes to that I haven't been to yet...I've never raced on a dirt track. But that's where the experience of this team can pay big dividends."

The "experience of this team" is a reference to Ken Schrader Racing, the team that the 23-year-old racer drives for. That experience paid big dividends in the season-opener at Daytona where Theriault won the Daytona ARCA 200.

"It's also about adaptability...this team's very adaptable. There are a lot of tracks I'm going to have to figure out in practice, and do my homework before I get there. But being around all this experience is going to help me figure it out faster. I know it's going to be difficult, but everyone at Ken Schrader Racing brings something that can make us stronger and compete all year, whether it's Toledo or Talladega.

"But it's still going to be exceptionally challenging. There are a lot great drivers and great teams in ARCA...probably the strongest season in a while."

No matter what happens from here, Theriault knows he's getting a second chance in the sport he loves. Theriault was coming through the ranks and had worked into a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series ride with Brad Keselowski Racing in 2015. But it all came tumbling down at Las Vegas Motor Speedway when a devastating crash left with him with a compression fracture of the lower back. After several rounds of physical therapy, Theriault returned in 2016 with lackluster results in mediocre rides. Then he bumped into Schrader over the off-season, and one thing led to the next. He's now Schrader's full-time ARCA driver for the '17 season.

"I'll never lose sight of that. Second opportunities don't always come. Believe me...I wake up every day with a grateful attitude. It's not just a second chance...it's an opportunity to race for an industry icon and to run for a championship in a highly-respected and well-known national tour. It's just a great opportunity to come back stronger than ever."

Among the drivers expected to race are current point leader Austin Theriault (Ken Schrader Racing), Kyle Weatherman (Mason Mitchell Motorsports), Dalton Sargeant and Shane Lee (Cunningham Motorsports), Zane Smith, Christian Eckes and Raphael Lessard (Venturini Motorsports), Riley Herbst (Joe Gibbs Racing) and several more.

The Menards 200 also marks the third among the 11 races that make up the Sioux Chief Short Track Challenge.

Weekend Schedule of Events The Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care will spread out over two days, Saturday and Sunday, May 20 and 21. Practice for the Menards 200 is from 12:30 - 2 p.m. Saturday with General Tire Pole Qualifying following at 4. Saturday also includes a 35-lap ARCA Sportsman feature finale race after ARCA Racing Series qualifying. Menards 200 raceday festivities get underway Sunday with an on-track ARCA driver autograph session from 12 to 1 p.m. Pre-race ceremonies and driver introductions follow at 1:30, with the green flag coming just after 2.

Media Coverage The Menards 200 will air same-day-delay at 5 p.m. Eastern on FS1. ARCAracing.com will feature live timing and scoring, and live chat of all ARCA Racing Series on-track activity.

Discounted Tickets on Sale Now at Menards Discounted tickets for the 76th running of the May 21 Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care at Toledo Speedway are now on sale at six Menards stores in northwest Ohio. The tickets are on sale for the special price of $15 between now and Saturday, May 20 if purchased at Menards.

The Menards stores selling the discounted tickets include Defiance, Findlay, Holland, Oregon, Sandusky and Toledo, Ohio. Children under 6 are free.

 

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