Off Road Motorsports Hall Of Fame | Frank 'Butch' Arciero Jr, Class of 2019 @ormhof | Uploaded January 2020 | Updated October 2024, 3 hours ago.
Frank ‘Butch’ Arciero Jr is one of the most decorated drivers that has ever been involved in the sport of off-road racing. Arciero excelled at short course and desert racing, on two wheels and four, and he enjoys competing to this day.
Like many off-road racers, Arciero’s love for desert racing began on a motorcycle in the early 1970s. In 1974, he and his brother Al ventured into the 4-wheel vehicles, which is where Frank would make his mark.
Beyond his success and frequent trips to the winner’s circle, Arciero counts the lifelong friendships he has made throughout his career in off-road as one of his greatest accomplishments.
The Arciero family has racing in their blood. Inductee Frank ‘Butch’ Arciero Jr’s late father, Frank Sr, immigrated from Italy in 1949 at the age of 14, realizing the American dream through a successful construction company, and discovering a passion for Ferraris and fine wine along the way. Inductee Arciero’s son, Ryan Arciero, is a third-generation racer, currently campaigning the Levi’s Trophy Truck in Baja and the U.S.
Aside from his accomplished racing career, Frank ‘Butch’ Arciero Jr was instrumental in advancing the sport of off-road through technical achievements. Arciero Racing was one of the first teams to introduce bypass shocks into stadium short course racing. Arciero was instrumental in bringing Toyota/TRD engines and support to the buggy class, and helped Chevrolet develop their 4-wheel drive for desert racing. In addition to Toyota and Chevrolet, Arciero has developed lifelong relationships with companies including BFGoodrich, Bilstein, and Bosch, just to name a few.
Generous and humble are words that have been used to describe Frank ‘Butch’ Arciero Jr. There are many stories of Arciero’s willingness to help his fellow competitors, loaning engines, transmissions, or whatever it took to get them back out on the course. Arciero’s generosity extends far beyond the sport of off-road. We will never know the full extent of his charitable good deeds, which he does quietly and without fanfare. And that’s exactly how he wants it.
Frank ‘Butch’ Arciero Jr Career Highlights, Off-Road:
- 40+ trophy finishes on a motorcycle
- 40+ off-road wins, including The Mint 400, SCORE World Championships, Nevada 400, Baja 500, and Baja 1000
- Gave Toyota their first Unlimited Class win at the 1985 SCORE Baja 500
- 85+ top 5 finishes
- 1980 AMSA Class 1 Points Champion
- 1981 HDRA Class 1 Points Champion
- 1981 HDRA Class 10 Points Champion
- 1984 HDRA Drivers Championship
Frank 'Butch' Arciero Jr Career Highlights, Short Course:
- 50+ wins
- 125+ top 5 finishes
- 1984, 1987, and 1991 Mickey Thompson Drivers Championship
- More wins than any other stadium racer upon his retirement from short course racing in 1993
- Only driver to win a main event in three different classes
Frank ‘Butch’ Arciero Jr is one of the most decorated drivers that has ever been involved in the sport of off-road racing. Arciero excelled at short course and desert racing, on two wheels and four, and he enjoys competing to this day.
Like many off-road racers, Arciero’s love for desert racing began on a motorcycle in the early 1970s. In 1974, he and his brother Al ventured into the 4-wheel vehicles, which is where Frank would make his mark.
Beyond his success and frequent trips to the winner’s circle, Arciero counts the lifelong friendships he has made throughout his career in off-road as one of his greatest accomplishments.
The Arciero family has racing in their blood. Inductee Frank ‘Butch’ Arciero Jr’s late father, Frank Sr, immigrated from Italy in 1949 at the age of 14, realizing the American dream through a successful construction company, and discovering a passion for Ferraris and fine wine along the way. Inductee Arciero’s son, Ryan Arciero, is a third-generation racer, currently campaigning the Levi’s Trophy Truck in Baja and the U.S.
Aside from his accomplished racing career, Frank ‘Butch’ Arciero Jr was instrumental in advancing the sport of off-road through technical achievements. Arciero Racing was one of the first teams to introduce bypass shocks into stadium short course racing. Arciero was instrumental in bringing Toyota/TRD engines and support to the buggy class, and helped Chevrolet develop their 4-wheel drive for desert racing. In addition to Toyota and Chevrolet, Arciero has developed lifelong relationships with companies including BFGoodrich, Bilstein, and Bosch, just to name a few.
Generous and humble are words that have been used to describe Frank ‘Butch’ Arciero Jr. There are many stories of Arciero’s willingness to help his fellow competitors, loaning engines, transmissions, or whatever it took to get them back out on the course. Arciero’s generosity extends far beyond the sport of off-road. We will never know the full extent of his charitable good deeds, which he does quietly and without fanfare. And that’s exactly how he wants it.
Frank ‘Butch’ Arciero Jr Career Highlights, Off-Road:
- 40+ trophy finishes on a motorcycle
- 40+ off-road wins, including The Mint 400, SCORE World Championships, Nevada 400, Baja 500, and Baja 1000
- Gave Toyota their first Unlimited Class win at the 1985 SCORE Baja 500
- 85+ top 5 finishes
- 1980 AMSA Class 1 Points Champion
- 1981 HDRA Class 1 Points Champion
- 1981 HDRA Class 10 Points Champion
- 1984 HDRA Drivers Championship
Frank 'Butch' Arciero Jr Career Highlights, Short Course:
- 50+ wins
- 125+ top 5 finishes
- 1984, 1987, and 1991 Mickey Thompson Drivers Championship
- More wins than any other stadium racer upon his retirement from short course racing in 1993
- Only driver to win a main event in three different classes
