The 2018 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards was the 66th season of the ARCA Racing Series. The season began on February 10 with the Lucas Oil 200 driven by General Tire at Daytona International Speedway and ended on October 19 with the Kansas ARCA 150. Races were broadcast on FS1, FS2 and MAVTV. Sheldon Creed won the championship, ahead of his MDM Motorsports teammate Zane Smith.
Teams and drivers Complete schedule Manufacturer Team Driver Chevrolet Patriot Motorsports Group Darrell Basham Racing 34 Jesse Iwuji Mike Basham Darrell Basham Win-Tron Racing 32 Gus Dean Ford Chad Bryant Racing 77 Bo LeMastus Joe Graf Jr. (R) James Hylton Motorsports Brad Smith Motorsports 48 Brad Smith RFMS Racing 27 Travis Braden (R) Toyota Joe Gibbs Racing 18 Riley Herbst MDM Motorsports 8 Chase Purdy (R) 28 Sheldon Creed 41 Zane Smith (R) Venturini Motorsports 15 Michael Self Christian Eckes Chandler Smith 20 Leilani Münter Chandler Smith Eddie Fatscher Toni Breidinger Logan Seavey 25 Natalie Decker (R) Chevrolet Toyota Ford Fast Track Racing 10 Tony Mrakovich Rick Clifton Rick Clifton was scheduled to drive the No. 10 Toyota at Berlin Raceway on July 21 and the No. 11 Ford at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis on September 7 for Fast Track Racing but since the races were postponed, he didn't return and Tyler Hill replaced him in both races. Dick Doheny D. L. Wilson Tom Berte Ed Pompa Tommy Vigh Jr. Matt Dooley Darrell Basham Tyler Hill C. J. McLaughlin Toyota Chevrolet Ford Hillenburg-Schrader Racing Fast Track Racing 11 Brandon Grosso (R) D. L. Wilson Matt Dooley Ed Pompa Rick Clifton Will Rodgers Tony Mrakovich Morgen Baird Dick Karth Dick Doheny Zach Ralston Tyler Hill Toyota Dodge Chevrolet Ford Wayne Peterson Racing 06 Chuck Hiers Con Nicolopoulos Don Thompson Buck Stevens
Limited schedule Manufacturer Team Driver Rounds ChevroletAllgaier Motorsports 16 Kelly Kovski Bret Holmes Racing 23 Bret Holmes Wayne Peterson Racing Wayne Peterson 6 Dale Matchett Bobby Gerhart Racing 5 Bobby Gerhart Brother-In-Law Racing 57 Bryan Dauzat Chad Finley Racing 51 Austin Hill Chad Finley Grant County Mulch Racing 7 Codie Rohrbaugh Grynewicz Motorsports 40 Tovia Grynewicz KBR Development 35 Carson Hocevar Kimmel-Finney Racing 69 Scott Reeves Mason Mitchell Motorsports 78 Max Tullman Ryan Repko Colby Howard Grant Enfinger Blaine Perkins Quin Houff 98 Blaine Perkins Mason Mitchell Norm Hutton Racing 37 Kirk Horton Our Motorsports 02 Andy Seuss 6 Josh Williams Patriot Motorsports Group 38 Jerry de Weerdt Rob Powers Salvatore Iovino Spraker Racing Enterprises 63 Dave Mader III Win-Tron Racing33 Daniel Sasnett Cole Glasson ZR Racing 1 Zach Ralston Dodge Hixson Motorsports 2 Eric Caudell Ford Chad Bryant Racing 22 Tyler Dippel Josh Berry Tom Hessert III Clubb Racing 03 Alex Clubb Dale Shearer Racing 73 Dale Shearer Darrell Basham Kimmel Racing68 Baden Stewart Scott Melton Kevin Hinckle 69 Will Kimmel Kevin Hinckle David Sear Mike Basham Darrell Basham Jonas Fors Max Force Racing 99 Ronnie Osmer MBM Motorsports 66 Mark Thompson Mullins Racing 2 Andrew Belmont Robert Bruce 3 Willie Mullins Mystic Motorsports 07 Brian Kaltreider Rette Jones Racing 30 Grant Quinlan Scott Melton Racing 67 Scott Melton Toyota DGM Racing 71 L. B. Skaggs DGR-Crosley 54 Noah Gragson Bo LeMastus Todd Gilliland Fast Track Racing 22 Ed Pompa Hendren Motorsports 24 Ryan Unzicker J. J. Pack Racing 61 J. J. Pack Jack Dossey Motorsports 99 Jack Dossey III Joe Gibbs Racing 19 Drew Herring MDM Motorsports 12 Harrison Burton Brandon Jones Austin Hill 40 Anthony Alfredo Sam Mayer Venturini Motorsports 55 Tom Hessert III Michael Self Brandon Lynn Eddie Fatscher Toni Breidinger Chevrolet Ford Empire Racing 43 Sean Corr Kaden Honeycutt Ford Chevrolet 46 John Ferrier Thad Moffitt Sean Corr Ford Chevrolet Hixson Motorsports 3 Joe Cooksey Steve Fox Ford Toyota Ken Schrader Racing 52 Will Rodgers Brandon Grosso (R) Ken Schrader Bret Holmes Chevrolet Ford Max Force Racing 9 Thomas Praytor Jesse Iwuji Chevrolet Dodge Wayne Peterson Racing 0 Con Nicolopoulos Wayne Peterson Mark Meunier Don Thompson Ford Chevrolet 1 Dale Matchett Wayne Peterson
Notes
Changes Teams
Cunningham Motorsports, due to the failing health of owner Briggs Cunningham, was put up for sale after the conclusion of the 2017 season. On January 9, 2018, the sale of the team was announced to longtime crew chief Chad Bryant. Bryant formed Chad Bryant Racing but kept the same cars, numbers and personnel that had been with the team previously. Mullins Racing cut ties with Basham Racing, whose owner points they had used in past years. Mullins formed a new alliance with Hixson Motorsports, and Mullins used Hixson's No. 3 in some events. Patriot Motorsports Group formed an alliance with Basham Racing to use Basham's No. 34 in select races. DGR-Crosley debuted with Noah Gragson at Daytona. Kimmel Racing entered an alliance with Finney Racing for Finney to use Kimmel's No. 69. Mason Mitchell Motorsports ceased operations on July 30. Following the deaths of James Hylton and his son James Jr., the team's driver, Brad Smith, took over operations of the 48 team, which was rebranded as Brad Smith Motorsports.
Drivers
Zane Smith drove full-time for MDM Motorsports in 2018. Smith had competed for MDM and Venturini Motorsports in 2017. Natalie Decker drove full-time for Venturini Motorsports in their No. 25 entry. She ran part-time in the No. 25 during the 2017 season. Travis Braden ran full-time in RFMS Racing's No. 27 entry. He ran part-time in the No. 27 last year. Sheldon Creed ran full-time in MDM Motorsports' No. 28 entry. He drove part-time for MDM in multiple cars last year. Chase Purdy full-time in MDM Motorsports' No. 8 entry. He ran part-time for Mason Mitchell Motorsports in 2017. Michael Self raced with Venturini Motorsports for half of the season. He drove part-time for MDM Motorsports and Mason Mitchell Motorsports in 2017. Brandon Grosso took over Ken Schrader Racing's No. 52 car. The entry was previously driven in 2017 by champion Austin Theriault. Grosso began his schedule at Nashville after Will Rodgers piloted the car at Daytona; Grosso was not old enough to compete. Grosso eventually left the team, and the No. 52 team shut down as well. Joe Graf Jr. made his first foray into ARCA, teaming with Chad Bryant Racing for all races except Daytona. Four drivers made their debuts at Salem in the spring: Colby Howard with Mason Mitchell Motorsports, Josh Berry with Chad Bryant Racing, Jack Dossey III with his family team, and Matt Dooley with Fast Track Racing.
Schedule
No. Race title Track Date Time (EDT) TV 1 Lucas Oil 200 driven by General Tire Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach February 10 4:45 p.m. FS1 2 Music City 200 Fairgrounds Speedway, Nashville April 7 9:00 p.m. MAVTV 3 Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200 Salem Speedway, Salem April 22 2:15 p.m. MAVTV 4 General Tire 200 Talladega Superspeedway, Lincoln April 27 6:00 p.m. FS1 5 Menards 200 Toledo Speedway, Toledo May 20 2:00 p.m. MAVTV 6 General Tire 150 Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord May 24 9:00 p.m. FS1 7 General Tire#AnywhereIsPossible 200 Pocono Raceway, Long Pond June 1 5:45 p.m. FS2 8 Zomongo 200 Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn June 8 6:00 p.m. MAVTV 9 Herr's Potato Chips 200 Madison International Speedway, Oregon June 15 9:00 p.m. MAVTV 10 PapaNicholas Coffee 150 Gateway Motorsports Park, Madison June 22 9:00 p.m. FS2 11 Scott 150 Chicagoland Speedway, Joliet June 28 8:00 p.m. FS1 12 Fans with Benefits 150 Iowa Speedway, Newton July 7 9:00 p.m. MAVTV* 13 Sioux Chief PowerPEX 250 Elko Speedway, Elko July 14 9:00 p.m. MAVTV 14 ModSpace 150 Pocono Raceway, Long Pond July 27 4:00 p.m. FS1 15 Allen Crowe 100 Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack, Springfield August 19 2:30 p.m. MAVTV 16 Primera Plastics 200 Berlin Raceway, Marne August 25 8:30 p.m. MAVTV 17 General Tire Grabber 150 DuQuoin State Fairgrounds Racetrack, Du Quoin September 3 4:00 p.m. MAVTV 18 Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA Fall Classic Salem Speedway, Salem September 15 7:15 p.m. MAVTV 19 Shore Lunch 200 Lucas Oil Raceway, Brownsburg October 6 9:00 p.m. MAVTV 20 Kansas ARCA 150 Kansas Speedway, Kansas City October 19 8:30 p.m. FS2
*Tape delayed
Changes
Charlotte Motor Speedway, Gateway Motorsports Park, and Berlin Raceway all return to the schedule. The series had last visited Gateway in 2007 and Charlotte in 2004. The only road course on the 2017 schedule, Road America, was taken out for 2018. The races at Winchester Speedway and Kentucky Speedway were also taken off the schedule. The races at Elko Speedway and Lucas Oil Raceway shifted significantly. Elko moved to the middle of July because the first Pocono date was moved to the weekend that Elko had in 2017, and Lucas Oil moved to September because the NASCAR Indianapolis weekend was moved to September.
Results and standings Races No. Race Pole Position Most laps led Winning driver No. Winning team 1 Lucas Oil 200 driven by General Tire Natalie Decker Sheldon Creed Michael Self Toyota 15 Venturini Motorsports 2 Music City 200 Chandler Smith Zane Smith Zane Smith Toyota 41 MDM Motorsports 3 Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200 Chandler Smith Chandler Smith Christian Eckes Toyota 15 Venturini Motorsports 4 General Tire 200 Michael Self Sheldon Creed Zane Smith Toyota 41 MDM Motorsports 5 Menards 200 Chandler Smith Chandler Smith Zane Smith Toyota 41 MDM Motorsports 6 General Tire 150 Todd Gilliland Todd Gilliland Brandon Jones Toyota 12 MDM Motorsports 7 General Tire#AnywhereIsPossible 200 Noah Gragson Noah Gragson Harrison Burton Toyota 12 MDM Motorsports 8 Zomongo 200 Brandon Jones Sheldon Creed Sheldon Creed Toyota 28 MDM Motorsports 9 Herr's Potato Chips 200 Chandler Smith Chandler Smith Chandler Smith Toyota 15 Venturini Motorsports 10 PapaNicholas Coffee 150 Sheldon Creed Sheldon Creed Sheldon Creed Toyota 28 MDM Motorsports 11 Scott 150 Sheldon Creed Michael Self Michael Self Toyota 15 Venturini Motorsports 12 Fans with Benefits 150 Sheldon Creed Sheldon Creed Sheldon Creed Toyota 28 MDM Motorsports 13 Sioux Chief PowerPEX 250 Christian Eckes Chandler Smith Gus Dean Chevrolet 32 Win-Tron Racing 14 ModSpace 150 Gus Dean Zane Smith Zane Smith Toyota 41 MDM Motorsports 15 Allen Crowe 100 Gus Dean Christian Eckes Christian Eckes Toyota 15 Venturini Motorsports 16 Primera Plastics 200 Carson Hocevar Sheldon Creed Joe Graf Jr. Ford 77 Chad Bryant Racing 17 General Tire Grabber 100 Sheldon Creed Sheldon Creed Logan Seavey Toyota 20 Venturini Motorsports 18 Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA Fall Classic Zane Smith Chandler Smith Chandler Smith Toyota 20 Venturini Motorsports 19 Shore Lunch 200 Christian Eckes Christian Eckes Christian Eckes Toyota 15 Venturini Motorsports 20 Kansas ARCA 150 Drew Herring Drew Herring Sheldon Creed Toyota 28 MDM Motorsports
Drivers' championship (key) Bold – Pole position awarded by time. Italics – Pole position set by final practice results or rainout. * – Most laps led.