Salem Speedway Tag

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer The last time Christian Eckes made a start in the ARCA Racing Series, it was one to remember for the teenage driver as he got the infamous kiss from Big Bill Venturini in victory lane. Eckes put on a dominating performance at Salem Speedway four weeks ago, battling teammate Chandler Smith down to the last lap to earn the first checkered flag of his ARCA career in his 16th start. The 17-year-old driver is running 13 of the 20 races this season, so he wasn’t inRead More

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer SALEM, Ind. – Salem Speedway, a 0.555-mile oval with 33-degress of banking, is a difficult track for seasoned veterans and even more so for rookie drivers. Sixteen-year-old Colby Howard made his ARCA Racing Series debut in the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200 behind the wheel of the No. 78 Mason Mitchell Motorsports Chevrolet. When the checkered flag flew after 200 laps on Sunday afternoon, Howard crossed the line in the eighth position. “Salem is so different compared to anywhere else I have ever raced. It is reallyRead More

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer SALEM, Ind. – When the first caution flew in Sunday afternoon’s ARCA Racing Series event at Salem Speedway, the leaders hit pit road for the first round of pit stops and some fresh General Tire rubber. Bret Holmes exited his pit box as Christian Eckes and Chase Purdy were going past and three-wide usually doesn’t work on the race track, much less on the already tight quarters of pit road at Salem. Holmes’ No. 23 Chevrolet slammed into a crew member pitting the Gus DeanRead More

By Don Radebaugh, ARCA Communications Manager SALEM, Ind. – It was one for the ages, especially for Middletown, N.Y.’s Christian Eckes who held off a hungry pack over the final 50 laps to earn his career-first ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards victory Sunday afternoon at Salem Speedway. Eckes, in the No. 15 JBL Audio Toyota for Venturini Motorsports, first fought off Zane Smith, then held back the non-stop hard charge from Chandler Smith to win the 103rd running of the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers 200. “I can’t believe this…I really can’t,” saidRead More

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer SALEM, Ind. – Chandler Smith was evaluated and released from a local hospital on Sunday after a hard crash on the last lap of the ARCA Racing Series event at Salem Speedway. Smith’s No. 20 Toyota was the dominant car of the race, leading 117 of the 200 laps. But his Venturini Motorsports teammate Christian Eckes was the first car off pit road during the money stop and Smith was left chasing Eckes down over the final laps. The duo were nose-to-tail and side-by-side throughoutRead More

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer The ARCA Racing Series heads to arguably the best track on the schedule and the one most-perfect for the series this weekend for the third race of the 2018 season. With a race day forecast of 63 degrees and a zero percent chance of rain, the stands should be packed at the high-banked half-mile in Indiana. The Track Salem Speedway is a 0.555-mile paved oval with 33 degrees of banking in the turns. The old, bumpy, worn-out surface typically produces fantastic racing and is aRead More

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer This weekend’s ARCA Racing Series event at the historic Salem Speedway will feature another young up-and-coming driver when Colby Howard climbs behind the wheel of the No. 78 Mason Mitchell Motorsports Chevrolet. Howard is a third-generation racer whose grandfather Buddy and father Rodney achieved great success running on the short tracks of South Carolina. The 16-year-old Howard began his career racing dirt bikes before switching to mini stocks and limited late models. In 2016, Howard earned seven wins and finished runner-up in the Southeast LimitedRead More

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer Zane Smith began competing in BMX at the age of three, moving up to Karts and Legend cars before gaining national recognition in 2015 when he won the overall Super Late Model championship at the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna Speedway. Smith capped a fantastic 2015 season with a second-place finish in the Snowball Derby behind current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rookie Chase Elliott. Smith will make the next step in his career in 2017, competing in 18 races inRead More