Salem Speedway hosts its largest ARCA field since its two races in 2016. For the 111th time, someone will add their name to the record books, as no previous Salem race winners are entered.
What are the ingredients for success in the 25-driver field?
First, drive a Toyota. Toyota drivers have won every ARCA Salem race since Ford pilots swept the 2017 ones. Chevrolet drivers swept the pair of Salem events in 2015.
While William Sawalich is tied for the series lead in victories with three, he couldn’t beat Jesse Love last year at Salem. Sawalich started on the front row in second, banged fenders with the frontrunners yet finished sixth. It’s his lone ARCA top 10 that did not also result in a top five. Still, the No. 18 team won the fall 2019 and 2022 races there. Sawalich will be tough to beat.
Of the five Venturini Motorsports entries, its pair of part-time drivers, Gus Dean and Jake Finch, are its two best choices to give the organization back-to-back triumphs there.
Dean has four starts at Salem, accruing three top fives, four top 10s and a pair of runner-up finishes.
“I’m so stoked about heading to Salem Speedway this weekend,” Dean said in a press release. “I’ve circled this race on the calendar since we put my 2024 ARCA schedule together with the Venturini Motorsports team. I don’t know what it is about Salem, but it’s just one of my best ARCA tracks. I love the speed and the commitment that the track demands and I’ve always been able to have very fast race cars.
“I’m excited to drive one of the Venturini Motorsports Toyotas on Saturday night at Salem. The team has a spectacular record at the track, and I definitely want to add my name to the team’s success.”
Finch will be visiting Salem for the first time in his career, but he has a dozen short track starts in the ARCA platform. Of those 12, he has six top fives and 10 top 10s. Of note, the banking at Salem tops out at 33 degrees, matching Talladega Superspeedway as the track with the steepest banking on the ARCA schedule. Finch led every lap en route to winning at Talladega this year; can he match that performance with another W?
The Rev Racing duo of Andres Perez and Lavar Scott have run increasingly well over the past two short track races at Berlin Raceway and Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. Scott finished second and fourth in those two races and led 44 laps at IRP. Perez finished fifth and second in those two races, leading…
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