Salem Speedway Fueled by the Hoosier Lottery gears up for 72nd year with full slate of racing action

Salem Speedway Fueled by the Hoosier Lottery enters its 72nd year of existence with an exciting lineup of 11 events scheduled to take place during the 2018 season.
The diverse slate of events includes a mix of national and regional programs, featuring the .555-mile high banked oval, the quarter-mile infield track and the “Roval” road course.
“We believe that our 2018 schedule is one that will provide unlimited excitement and great racing action all season long,” said track General Manager Richard Deaton.
Among traditional events returning to the high banks in 2018 are spring and fall visits by the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards and the 59th annual Joe James/Pat O’Connor Memorial, featuring the USAC Silver Crown Champ Car Series.
The Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA 200 is set for Sunday, April 22, and the Eddie Gilstrap Motors ARCA Fall Classic presented by Meadow View/Salem Crossing will take place under the lights on Saturday, Sept. 15.
The fall ARCA race has once again been designated the official “ARCA Throwback Weekend.” A full weekend of activities including a golf scramble, throwback paint schemes and Friday Night Fan Fest are planned.
The Joe James/Pat O’Connor Memorial presented by the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers, one of the most historic and longest running memorial races in the nation, headlines August action at Salem. The 59th annual open wheel classic is set to unfold on Aug. 11. The honor roll of past James/O’Connor victors reads like a “who’s-who” in open wheel racing history with such names as Bob Sweikert, A.J. Foyt, Parnelli Jones, Mario Andretti, Bobby Unser, Pancho Carter, Rich Vogler and Tony Stewart gracing the list of former winners.
The annual visit by the Midwest Oldtimers Vintage Race Car Club is also scheduled to take place in conjunction with the James/O’Connor.
The tradition rich schedule of events also includes the first ever Salem visit by the Bandit Big Rig Series on July 14. It will be history in the making when the Bandit Big Rig trucks take to the high banks for a night of semi-truck racing on the super-fast Salem oval. As many as 20 big rigs are expected for the inaugural Salem event.
The JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour late model series returns to Salem on June 16 for the Midwest 150. “The JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour features some of the top young talent in the nation,” said Deaton. “Drivers such as Chase Elliott, Erik Jones, Kyle Benjamin and others have honed their skills competing with the JEGS/CRA series.”
The CRA Street Stocks will join the Lucas Oil Great American Stocks (GAS) on June 3 for the second annual GAS/CRA Challenge. The Triple 50 format includes 50-lap feature events for both divisions with the top finishers out of each race advancing to the final 50-lap “Challenge Race”.
Other traditional events planned for 2018 include the 29th annual Firecracker 200 presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts on July 1 and the 30th annual Smoker Friendly Discount Tobacco Halloween 200 on Sunday, Oct. 21.
Salem Speedway will pay tribute to all mothers on May 12 with a special Mother’s Day weekend celebration. The Meadow View/Salem Crossing Mother’s Day Celebration will offer free grandstand admission for all ladies on this night.
Summerfest 2018 presented by ACE Hardware takes center stage on July 28. The summer fun event features on-track activity from both Salem Speedway divisions – Great American Stocks and Front Wheel Drive Stocks – plus the Midwest Thunder Roadsters and Midwest Asphalt Champ Kart Series. A cruise-in, burnout contest and music are also part of the fourth annual event.
The Xtreme Roval 100 returns to Salem on Aug. 26 with the addition of a 20-lap race on the multi-turn layout that will serve as the championship race for the Salem Front Wheel Drive division. The non-points Extreme Roval 100 will take place following the FWD Championship race.
Additional information concerning the 2018 activities at Salem Speedway Fueled by the Hoosier Lottery, including possible schedule additions and ticket information, may be obtained by calling 812-883-6504 or 1-888-246-7223 or by accessing the Speedway web site at www.salemspeedway.com.

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