ECHO and ECHO Bear Cat to Continue Involvement
February 20, 2013 – As the highly anticipated 2013 season approaches for the ARCA Midwest Tour presented by SCAG Power Equipment and Lester Buildings, tour officials have opened registration for the 2013 ECHO and ECHO Bear Cat Touring Stars bonus program.
Drivers must register to participate in the Touring Star bonus program by the March 15th deadline and can do so by contacting the series office to request an application or contract. Drivers who do not sign the eligibility contract by the deadline date will forfeit their spot in the bonus program for all of the 2013 season.
Eligibility Rules will be as follows:
- All past Champions
- All current ECHO and ECHO Bear Cat Touring Stars from the 2012 race season
- All past ECHO and ECHO Bear Cat Touring Stars from previous years may apply for acceptance but may not be guaranteed a position in the program
- Highest Finishing Rookie of every race
- All remaining positions will be considered “open” positions and will be filled based on the ARCAMT Point system after each event beginning in 2013. Drivers that are highest in points and are not currently in the program will be eligible for the bonus following each event. The positions can rotate based on the final standings after each event and may entitle new competitors the opportunity to race into the program.
- All eligible drivers must have entered the event at the Touring Star Entry Rate in order to be eligible for bonuses.
“When we were re-evaluating the bonus program for 2013, we really wanted to set up a system to reward the drivers that are very loyal to the Midwest Tour. We are lucky enough to have some of the best super late model racers around compete in our series and we want them to have a bonus program where they can earn money from the series to help them stay competitive,” stated ARCAMT President Tim Olson.
In order to better reward participating drivers, the criteria that drivers will have to meet to be eligible for the event bonuses has been refined and the standards have been raised. Touring Star’s attendance throughout all 2013 events is mandatory unless excused by the series president and vice president. Drivers that miss an event will no longer be allowed to continue in the program during the same calendar year.
All ECHO and ECHO Bear Cat Touring Star drivers will be heavily promoted throughout the 2013 season. Touring Star drivers will also be awarded one additional provisional during the season above and beyond the current (2) that are allowed.
The new bonus payout system is based off of the number of cars that enter each race. The more cars that enter the event, the higher the bonus pay out will be. Touring Stars are guaranteed a $200 bonus at each event but can win up to $1000 at each event. All bonuses will be paid out at the following event. The full bonus payout is listed below.
| 1st place | 1000 | 900 | 800 | 700 | 600 | 600 | 600 | 600 | 550 | 550 | 500 | 450 | 450 | 400 | 400 |
| 2nd place | 500 | 450 | 450 | 450 | 450 | 425 | 425 | 400 | 400 | 375 | 375 | 350 | 325 | 300 | 300 |
| 3rd place | 400 | 400 | 400 | 400 | 400 | 400 | 400 | 375 | 375 | 350 | 325 | 325 | 300 | 275 | 275 |
| 4th place | 375 | 375 | 375 | 375 | 375 | 350 | 350 | 350 | 325 | 325 | 300 | 300 | 300 | 250 | 225 |
| 5th place | 350 | 350 | 350 | 350 | 350 | 325 | 325 | 325 | 300 | 300 | 275 | 250 | 250 | 250 | 225 |
| 6th place | 325 | 325 | 325 | 325 | 325 | 300 | 300 | 300 | 275 | 275 | 250 | 250 | 250 | 250 | 225 |
| 7th place | 300 | 300 | 300 | 300 | 300 | 300 | 300 | 275 | 275 | 250 | 225 | 225 | 225 | 225 | 200 |
| 8th place | 300 | 300 | 300 | 300 | 300 | 300 | 275 | 250 | 250 | 250 | 225 | 225 | 225 | 225 | 200 |
| 9th place | 300 | 300 | 275 | 275 | 275 | 275 | 225 | 225 | 250 | 225 | 225 | 225 | 225 | 225 | 200 |
| 10th place | 300 | 275 | 225 | 225 | 225 | 225 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 |
| 11th place | 300 | 225 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 |
| 12th place | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 |
| 13th place | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 |
| 14th place | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 |
| 15th place | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 200 |
| Total Bonus Payout | 5250 | 5000 | 4800 | 4700 | 4600 | 4500 | 4400 | 4300 | 4200 | 4100 | 3900 | 3800 | 3750 | 3600 | 3450 |
Be sure to follow the ARCA Midwest Tour on Facebook (midwesttour) and Twitter (@midwesttour).
To learn more about the Automobile Racing Club of America Midwest Tour, log on to arcamidwesttour.com. For questions call the ARCA Midwest Tour office at (630) 212-6022 or Tim Olson at (612) 327-5831 or Steve Einhaus at (262) 729-4111 or e-mail Tim Olson at tim@arcamidwesttour.com or Steve Einhaus at steve@arcamidwesttour.com.
The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards has crowned 30 ARCA national champions in 60 seasons since 1953, and has toured over 200 race tracks in 26 states since its inception. The series has tested the abilities of drivers and race teams over the most diverse schedule of stock car racing events in the world, visiting tracks ranging from 0.375 mile to 2.66 miles in length, on both paved and dirt surfaces as well as a left- and right-turn road course in its most recent season.
Founded by John and Mildred Marcum in 1953 in Toledo, Ohio, the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is recognized among the leading sanctioning bodies in the country. Closing in on completing its sixth decade after hundreds of thousands of miles of racing, ARCA administers over 100 race events each season in four professional touring series and local weekly events.
