Sioux Chief PowerPEX 200 News and Notes

The Sioux Chief PowerPEX 200 presented by Federated Car Care is the sixth race of the 2019 ARCA Menards Series, and it’s the fourth race of the Sioux Chief Short Track Challenge for races held on tracks one mile and under. The championship-within-the-championship allows drivers as young as 15 years old to compete for a championship, as per ARCA rule, drivers under 18 are not eligible to compete at the series’ biggest and fastest racetracks and therefore aren’t eligible to race for the overall series title. Sixteen-year-old Ty Gibbs (No. 18 Monster Energy/ORCA Coolers/Terrible Herbst/Advance Auto Parts Toyota), grandson of NFL Hall of Fame coach and NASCAR team owner Joe Gibbs, currently leads the Sioux Chief Short Track Challenge standings by five points over Chandler Smith (No. 28 Craftsman/828 Logistics Toyota). Two-time winner Michael Self (No. 25 Sinclair Lubricants Toyota) is third, 40 points out of the lead.

Several ARCA Menards Series drivers will be making appearances throughout the Toledo area on Friday, prior to the start of track activities for the weekend on Saturday. Series championship leader Travis Braden (No. 27 MatrixCare/Consonus Healthcare/Liberty Village Ford) and Carson Hocevar (No. 28 Scott’s/KBR Development Chevrolet) will visit Mercy Heath Children’s Hospital at 1 pm. Braden and Hocevar will be joined by Tommy Vigh, Jr. (No. 10 Extreme Kleaner/Menards Ford) to visit with fans and sign autographs at Menards at 1415 E. Alexis Road from 5 to 7 pm. Bret Holmes (No. 23 Holmes II Excavation/Toledo Mud Hens Chevrolet) will throw out the first pitch as the Mud Hens take on the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders at 6 pm.

Active and retired military members can spend Armed Forces Day at the track and attend Saturday’s track activities at Toledo Speedway for free with military ID courtesy of Brad Keselowski’s Checkered Flag Foundation. Military can also purchase discounted tickets to Sunday’s Sioux Chief PowerPEX 200 at the track on Saturday for just $15, a savings of $10. Saturday’s schedule includes ARCA Menards Series practice at 12:30 pm, General Tire Pole Qualifying at 4 pm, and a 35-lap ARCA Late Model Sportsman feature to follow.

Fans in attendance on Sunday will also witness a pre-race flyover by a C-17 Globemaster III from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton. Weather permitting, Jeffrey Guillotte will fly over the speedway at the conclusion of the Star Spangled Banner, just prior to the command to start engines.

There have been four General Tire Pole Award winners in the first five ARCA Menards Series races so far in 2019. Chandler Smith leads the way with two, at Five Flags Speedway and Fairgrounds Raceway Nashville. Smith is the defending pole winner of the Sioux Chief PowerPEX 200, one of four consecutive poles earned in his first four career ARCA starts which is a modern era record. Christian Eckes (No. 15 JBL Audio Toyota) won the pole at Daytona, Brandon Lynn won the pole at Talladega, and Carson Hocevar started from the pole at Salem Speedway.

There will be a Fan Fest in the parking lot at Toledo Speedway on Sunday morning leading up to the start of the Sioux Chief PowerPEX 200, including displays of Menards-sponsored racecars and hauler. Michigan International Speedway will also have its pace car on display promoting their upcoming ARCA/NASCAR race weekend on June 9-11. The track will also be promoting the Faster Horses music festival on July 19-21 which features Keith Urban, Toby Keith, and the Zac Brown Band among others. The Army, Navy, and Air Force will also have recruiting booths. Race sponsor Sioux Chief will have a display, as will the American Sportsmen for Veterans and Little Blessings Veteran & Community Outreach which will have another racecar on display.