NASCAR is stepping up support for grassroots racing in 2025. The sanctioning body is working closely with the ARCA Menards Series (a regional stock-car circuit) and with weekly Late Model short-track racing to make the sport more affordable and accessible. For example, NASCAR and sponsor Advance Auto Parts announced earlier this month a new “Night at the Races” program to boost local short-track events in 17 markets. The goal is to celebrate racing at the track level and draw fans and drivers into the sport.
NASCAR’s ARCA Menards Series is a key part of its driver-development ladder. The ARCA series is one of the “three pillars” of NASCAR’s regional platform and is known as the primary feeder to the national NASCAR series. In fact, NASCAR even says ARCA “builds champions”: every one of the last seven NASCAR Cup Series champions raced on ARCA tracks. The ARCA Menards platform includes a national series (20 races at 19 tracks) and two regional tours (East and West).
The East tour is returning to some classic venues in 2025 – its schedule includes races at Rockingham Speedway in North Carolina and at the old Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway in Tennessee, reconnecting with fans at those historic short tracks. This mix of tracks (short ovals, superspeedways, dirt and even road courses) gives young drivers a broad education before they move up.
NASCAR has also expanded ARCA’s profile in 2025. The ARCA schedule is fully televised – NASCAR extended its TV deal so every ARCA race airs live on FS1 or FS2. Notably, the season-opening ARCA race at Daytona in February aired live on FOX – the first time any ARCA race appeared on broadcast television. The ARCA national series runs 20 races at 19 tracks, beginning with Daytona for the 62nd consecutive year.
It includes companion events alongside NASCAR’s Cup and Xfinity Series at many big tracks (Phoenix, Talladega, Charlotte, Michigan, Dover, Iowa, Watkins Glen, Bristol, and more). It also features standalone events at smaller short tracks such as Berlin, Elko, and Salem, along with its traditional dirt races at the Illinois State Fairgrounds and DuQuoin. For the first time, ARCA will also race on a road course in 2025, adding Lime Rock Park in Connecticut to the schedule. These varied events give developing drivers crucial experience on all kinds of tracks.
Alongside ARCA, NASCAR’s Late Model racing – the cars that run weekly on local short tracks – remains a centerpiece of its grassroots program. Each NASCAR-sanctioned track designates a top class as its feature for weekly points. In many areas, especially in the Southeast, that feature class is Late Model stock cars. NASCAR notes that affordable Late Model divisions are ideal for new talent. For example, Dominion Raceway in Virginia elevated its crate-engine Late Models as its top division for 2025.
These cars use simpler rules and 450-horsepower “crate” engines to keep costs low, so the series “attracts a wide array of drivers” and is a “perfect proving ground for up-and-coming talent.” In other states, local tracks are renewing their NASCAR ties. Ace Speedway in North Carolina, for example, regained NASCAR sanctioning for 2025. That means its Late Model drivers can now earn points toward NASCAR’s national weekly championship again – a prize that was last won by an Ace Speedway driver in 1993. In this way, NASCAR keeps a path open from neighborhood tracks to national titles.
NASCAR and its partners are hosting special events throughout 2025 to highlight these series. The “Advance Auto Parts Night at the Races” program includes fan activities at tracks like Dominion Raceway and South Boston Speedway (Virginia) this April, and at Grandview Speedway (Pennsylvania) in September.
Each event is tied to promotions at local Advance Auto Parts stores to connect the stores with their racing communities. Even NASCAR’s biggest events are spotlighting grassroots racers. For the 2025 NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, the Thursday and Friday of All-Star week will feature Late Model touring series races: the zMAX CARS Tour Pro Late Model race and a Late Model Stock Car race. This gives local Late Model racers a chance to compete in front of a national audience during All-Star weekend.
NASCAR officials say these steps reflect a serious commitment to the grassroots level. NASCAR’s regional director Joseph Dennewitz called Advance Auto Parts a “tremendous partner” and said the new programs are an “exciting next step” to grow the sport at the local level. He noted that it’s a great chance to “show appreciation” for the fans who cheer on their drivers each week at local tracks. By backing the ARCA Menards Series and the weekly Late Model clubs, NASCAR hopes to keep developing the next generation of stars – and keep fans engaged from their home tracks all the way up to the Cup Series.
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