ARCA Book Review/Pocono release

The following release, authored by Hazleton, Pennsylvania freelance writer Dino Oberto, is first in regards to the ARCA RE/MAX Series running back-to-back events at Pocono Raceway July 25 & 26. The second part is a book review about ARCA's new 50th Anniversary Hard Cover Book. Thanks, Don Radebaugh



ARCA Doing Double Duty at Pocono

ARCA 50th Anniversary Book is a "Must Read"

By Dino Oberto 

 

HAZLETON PA (7-20-03) The second big race weekend at Pocono Raceway is almost upon us and when the action gets underway the weekend of July 25-27, race fans are in for a real treat as not only will the NASCAR Winston cup cars be gearing up for the Pennsylvania 500, there will also be two ARCA RE/MAX Series races as well.

 

Along with the regularly scheduled Pennsylvania 200 on Saturday, July 26, the ARCA stars will be racing in the make-up ARCA Giant 200 that was washed out from last month. That race will be held immediately following Friday's Winston Cup Bud Pole Qualifying. 

 

This will mark the very first time the eastern supermarket chain will be sponsoring a major auto racing event and judging by the marketing campaigning that Giant Foods has been doing to promote the Giant ARCA 200, it's showing all the signs of an unqualified success.

 

The twin ARCA races means fans will be getting a double dose of some of the best stock car racing next to Winston Cup itself.

 

It seems racing fans more so than any other type of sport fans, love to fill their shelves with every type of so-called collectable, be it in the form of die cast replicas, wearing apparel or just about anything that carries some sort of insignia of their favorite driver or team.

 

Over upcoming Pocono race weekend, tens of thousands of race fans will be converging on Pocono Raceway and aside from seeing the best stock car racers in the land many of the visitors will be hitting the loads of vendors that border every available space around the sprawling speedway.

 

This year if you feel like you've done the die cast scene and everything else to the hilt, there is a great new item that any race fan would truly appreciate owning.

 

A new book entitled, "ARCA 50 Years of Racing," has recently been published and entails in depth the 50-year history, 1953-2002, of one of the most versatile racing organizations anywhere.

 

A hardcover book approximately 300 pages with 600 photos and multiple stories of the cars and stars of the Automobile Racing Club of America, or better known as ARCA. The book chronicles the storied history of America's second oldest stock car touring series, from its beginning when the organization was referred to as the Midwest Association for Race Cars (MARC) and all of the sanctioned touring series and tracks that make up its long history.     

 

The book is excellently done and readers will appreciate the detailed accounts and excellent photography throughout its pages. There is a forward by two-time ARCA champion Benny Parsons and the editorial team of Bob Costanzo, Tom Davidson, Zachary and Ron Drager, Brian Norton and Don Radebaugh did not miss any aspect of the past 50-years.

 

Some of the best reading comes in the first chapter, "From the Start." It covers the history of ARCA with founder John Marcum and his wife Mildred. How they first worked for NASCAR founder Bill France, Sr., built a lasting friendship in the process and the humble beginnings of the organization.

 

When NASCAR was founded in 1948, Marcum worked as a regional supervisor and also helped out other area racing groups that began to sprout up at that time. His focus changed to promoting with the blessing and help from France as the 1950's rolled around. 

 

Based out of his hometown of Toledo, Ohio, the early years of ARCA was billed under the MARC Circuit of Stars banner as the series maintained a primary region of mid-west race tracks.

 

It wasn't until 1964 when France invited Marcum and his gang down to Daytona to be a part of Speedweeks. It was that same time that France convinced him to make the name change to ARCA as to more accurately reflect the increasing national scope of the organization's racing activities. 

 

Readers will be pleasantly surprised to see just how many past and current NASCAR and Indy Car drivers have been a part of ARCA.

 

"The Big-5" is a chapter spotlighting what ARCA feels is the five biggest names over the past half century. Jack Bowsher, Joy Fair, Iggy Katona, Tim Steele and Frank Kimmel.

 

Every driver to ever turn a lap is mentioned and a memoriam page lists the drivers that lost their lives.

 

There is a section on Toledo Speedway and Flat Rock Speedway, both run by ARCA. Virtually every track that ever hosted both a MARC or ARCA race and a complete listing of all national championship race venues is within the folds of this great hardback. 

 

The book also covers all of ARCA's touring series which included Midgets, Trucks, Pro-4 and Figure-8.

 

ARCA has been very much a part of racing at Pocono and has run annually over the past 20 years the Saturday prior to each NASCAR 500 miler. This year's race is sponsored for the first time by Giant Food Stores. The 200-mile race will mark the 36th ARCA RE/MAX Series event on the 2.5-mile Pocono triangle since 1983. However, the first ARCA race staged at Pocono was in 1969 on the ¾-mile oval won by Bobby Watson in a Dodge.

 

If you consider yourself a true consummate race fan or maybe someone who enjoys a good read and wants to learn more about the history of the sport, then this book is a must and will add nicely to your library collection.

 

Moderately priced at $29.95 the book is available at the ARCA trailer or you can order a copy from Carolina Motor Sports by phoning 800-546-8788.



CONTACT: ARCA PR (734) 847-6726