ARCA approves use of NASCAR Nationwide cars for 2010 season
ARCA also said the 105-inch wheelbase cars used in the Camping World East and West series will be approved for the Re/Max Series, too.
The 105-inch wheelbase chassis will be approved for all ARCA tracks, except Daytona and Talladega.
The move gives team owners in NASCAR another venue to sell their older chassis as the sanctioning body moves to its certified 110-inch wheelbase chassis in the Nationwide Series full time in 2011. The new car will be used in four Nationwide races next year.
ARCA officials said its 2010 rules package will be “designed to create parity" between 105-inch and 110-inch wheelbase cars currently eligible. ARCA also said all cars will bear the same sheet metal configuration as the present lineup, including Chevrolet Monte Carlo and Impala SS, Dodge Charger, Ford Fusion and Toyota Camry body styles.
"Since the inception of our series in 1953, we've kept an open line of communication with NASCAR and others to monitor industry trends," ARCA President Ron Drager said in a news release. "At the time of the evolution of the NASCAR Sprint Cup [car of tomorrow] technology, ARCA team owners represented a market for NASCAR team owners to sell the race cars they were cycling out of inventory.
“We're positioned to accommodate a similar situation with the NASCAR Nationwide team owners. We've invested a great deal of research and interaction into this move with several groups, in particular our ARCA team owners, and we feel this is the right step with the proper timing for everyone involved."