ARCA: Winchester Speedway returns to 2011 schedule

The ARCA series will return to Winchester Speedway in 2011, four years after it last raced on the half-mile oval.

The stock car championship first visited the Indiana venue in 1957 and has competed there sporadically since. A total of 21 races have been run at the circuit to date, the last in 2007.

"It's important for the ARCA Racing Series to be at Winchester Speedway,” said series president Ron Drager. “It's exactly the type of Midwestern facility where the ARCA brand is well-known and has the chance to be successful. Winchester is big enough and fast enough to play to the very nature of our cars."

The venue's owner, Charlie Shaw, also spoke positively about the series' return to his facility.

"I think ARCA has a good name, and is known really well country-wide. It’s an asset to Winchester Speedway, and I think Winchester Speedway can be an asset to ARCA too," said Shaw.

Featuring 37-degree banking the Winchester venue is acknowledged as one of America's fastest half-mile circuits. Debuting in 1914 as a flat dirt oval, it remained that way until the high-banks were added in time for the 1922 season, though the track would not be paved until 1952. It was subsequently re-paved in 1995.

Nine-time series champion Frank Kimmel holds the record for most ARCA wins at the venue, having triumphed at Winchester five times between 1996 and 2006.

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James Weeks.