The ARCA Menards Series returns to one of the most historic venues in stock car racing on Saturday, September 12, as Salem Speedway hosts the Spruce 212. The event will mark the 112th ARCA Menards Series race at Salem Speedway since 1955, more than any other track in series history. To commemorate the milestone, the traditional race distance has been extended by 12 laps to 212 laps and 117.66 miles around the high-banked 0.555-mile asphalt oval. The event will also make television history as the first ARCA Menards Series short-track race televised live on over-the-air network television, with FOX carrying the race live beginning at 8 p.m. ET. Musco Lighting has enhanced Salem’s lighting system for the national television debut, including the addition of two LED light towers to better illuminate the speedway’s demanding 35-degree corners.
The Spruce 212 arrives at a critical point in the ARCA Menards Series championship battle. Jake Bollman, driver of the No. 20 Nitro Motorsports Toyota, enters Salem with an eight-point advantage over teammate Thomas Annunziata in the standings. Bollman has collected four runner-up finishes this season but is still searching for his first career series victory, while Annunziata is looking for his first ARCA win on an oval after victories at Lime Rock Park in each of the last two seasons. Several other proven winners headline the 25-car entry list, including Max Reaves, Carson Brown, and Tristan McKee. Brown comes to Salem fresh off a victory at DuQuoin, while McKee won in his most recent national series start at Madison International Speedway. Reaves, meanwhile, returns to a track where he led 111 laps last season before a late crash ended a potential victory bid.
The depth of the field adds plenty of local and regional interest as well. Will Kimmel of Sellersburg, Indiana, Mike Basham of Henryville, Indiana, and Brayton Laster of Greenwood, Indiana are among the Indiana-based competitors entered, while veteran names such as Brad Smith, Ed Pompa, Takuma Koga, Michael Maples and Alex Clubb add experience to the lineup. The CR7 Motorsports organization will field entries for Matt Kemp and Landon S. Huffman, with Huffman substituting for Jason Kitzmiller. The official entry list also includes Bounty Rookie Challenge contenders Reaves, Bollman, Gavan Boschele, Brown, Taylor Mayhew, McKee, Jeff Maconi, Quinn Davis, Austin Vaughn, Huffman and Ben Peterson.
Salem’s reputation has been built on fast, physical racing, and Saturday’s format should once again place a premium on patience, tire management and track position. The Spruce 212 will feature scheduled breaks at laps 75 and 150, when teams may change tires, add fuel and make adjustments or repairs. Salem has also produced plenty of late-race drama, with ARCA events at the track going to overtime on 14 previous occasions. The current qualifying record belongs to Chandler Smith, who turned a lap of 16.844 seconds at 118.618 mph in 2018, while Tom Hessert III holds the Salem race record at 95.736 mph, set in 2014. Saturday’s program also includes Crown Vic Big Track competition, with the 50-lap feature scheduled for 5:30 p.m., followed by the ARCA driver autograph session from 6:45-7:30 p.m. and the green flag for the Spruce 212 at 8 p.m. ET.
- History on the High Banks
Saturday’s Spruce 212 will be the 112th ARCA Menards Series race at Salem Speedway, the most of any track in series history. To recognize that milestone, the traditional 200-lap distance has been extended to 212 laps. Salem’s steep 35-degree banking, narrow groove and long ARCA history make this one of the most distinctive races on the schedule. - Championship Battle Tightens Up
Jake Bollman enters Salem with just an eight-point lead over Thomas Annunziata in the ARCA Menards Series standings. Bollman has four runner-up finishes this season but is still chasing his first career series win, while Annunziata is looking for his first oval victory. With Salem serving as Race 18 of 20, every position could have major championship implications. - Can Max Reaves Finish the Job This Time?
Max Reaves may have unfinished business at Salem. He led 111 laps in the 2025 race before a crash with 27 laps remaining left him with a career-worst 18th-place finish. Reaves has since established himself as one of the top paved short-track racers in the series, with five such victories, and enters Salem looking to rebound from a disappointing 17th at DuQuoin. - Brown and McKee Bring Winning Momentum
Pinnacle Racing Group teammates Carson Brown and Tristan McKee both arrive with recent victories. Brown won last weekend at DuQuoin and has finished in the top three in nearly every start this season, while McKee won his most recent national series start at Madison. McKee also leads the ARCA Menards Series East standings by one point entering that tour’s finale at Bristol. - A National Television First for ARCA
The Spruce 212 will make history as the first ARCA Menards Series short-track race televised live on over-the-air network television, airing on FOX at 8 p.m. ET. Musco Lighting added two LED light towers to help illuminate Salem’s high-banked corners for the national broadcast, giving one of ARCA’s oldest venues one of its biggest stages ever.
- History on the High Banks