(DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - December 7, 2012) - The road to Daytona is officially open, and the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards is first up on the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway with three days of open testing, December 14-16.

The open test is in preparation for the 50th annual Daytona ARCA 200, which will air live on SPEED at 4:30 on Saturday, February 16. The series made its superspeedway debut at Daytona in 1964. This afternoon, officials from Daytona International Speedway and the 2013 race sponsor will unveil the name for the race at the International Motorsports Industry Show in Indianapolis, where ARCA will hold its Championship Awards Banquet tomorrow night.

Eight-time Daytona winner Bobby Gerhart and 2011 series champion Chris Buescher highlight the list of well over 30 drivers already signed up.

Gerhart, from Lebanon, Pa., will be going for his fourth consecutive Daytona victory, a feat never before accomplished in ARCA competition at Daytona. Gerhart is already the first ARCA driver to ever win three consecutive at the "World Center of Racing," achieving that for the first time in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Gerhart is also expected to test a second car with Mooresville, N.C.'s Brian Smith driving.

Buescher, of Prosper, Texas, finished second to Gerhart at Daytona in 2011, one year before winning four races to seal his first championship and the first title for Roulo Brothers Racing.

Venturini Motorsports currently has two drivers entered, with rookie Justin Boston signed up for the team's No. 25 car. ARCA and NASCAR veteran John Wes Townley is also expected to test for Venturini Motorsports.

The garage will open each day at 7 a.m. and close at 5:30 p.m. The track will be open for practice from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a break for lunch from noon to 1 each day.

ARCAracing.com will feature live timing and scoring for all on-track activity. The current list of expected test entries is below.