Speedway opens with Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA 200 Sunday

Natalie Decker is all smiles after winning the pole for the 2018 Daytona ARCA 200.  The 20-year-old Decker of Eagle River, Wis., is set to make her Salem Speedway debut during Sunday's Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA 200. 

SALEM, IN, April 16 – It’s anybody’s race when the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards rolls into Salem Speedway Fueled by the Hoosier Lottery.

And this year will be no exception when the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA 200 unfolds on Sunday afternoon, April 22nd.

Sixteen different drivers have won the last 20 ARCA races on the lightning-fast high banks, which has produced some memorable races since Jack Harrison won the inaugural event back in 1955.

“The overall level of competition in the ARCA Racing Series is arguably as strong as it has ever been,” said Salem Speedway general manager Richard Deaton.  “We are legitimately looking at 15 to 20 different drivers that are capable of winning this race.”

With an entry list that is stacked full of talented young drivers and Salem rookies the competition level is sure to be intense.

Heading the list of young chargers is a couple of California drivers and MDM Motorsports teammates, 18-year-old Zane Smith of Huntington Beach and 20-year-old Sheldon Creed of Alpine.

Smith is coming off an impressive victory in the Music City 200 back on April 7th at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway and Creed, who is currently second in the ARCA point standings, finished third at Daytona in February and backed that up with a strong second place showing at Nashville.

Smith and Creed face a challenge from a host of other young guns.  They are led by 20-year-old Natalie Decker of Eagle River, Wis., winner of the pole for the 2018 Daytona ARCA 200.  Decker, who went on to finish fifth in the race, is currently third in the ARCA Racing Series point standings.

Other entries include Nevada’s Riley Herbst, West Virginia’s Travis Braden, South Carolina’s Gus Dean, New York’s Christian Eckes, Alabama’s Bret Holmes and Thomas Praytor, Mississippi’s Chase Purdy and Georgia’s Chandler Smith, among others.

Will Kimmel of Sellersburg, Jack Dossey III of Wanamaker, and Mike Basham of Henryville will add Hoosier flavor to the event as all three Indiana drivers have filed race entries.

Also expected for the 103rd ARCA race at Salem is third generation driver Thad Moffitt of Trinity, NC.  Moffitt is the grandson of seven-time NASCAR champion “The King” Richard Petty.

Sharing the high banks with the ARCA Racing Series will be the Lucas Oil Great American Stocks.

The Ford Go Further 50 that serves as a prelude to the ARCA 200 on Sunday is the first race of the season for the popular Salem division.

Kimmel is planning on doing double-duty on Sunday, racing with both the Great American Stocks and the ARCA Series. 

The Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA 200 is the first of three Hoosier Lottery Days scheduled for the track in 2018.  Several lucky race fans, age 18 and over, will receive Hoosier Lottery prize packs, compliments of the Hoosier Lottery.  Race fans are also invited to visit the Hoosier Lottery trailer for a chance at winning additional prizes.

The Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA 200 is spread out over the weekend with ARCA practice and pole qualifying scheduled for Saturday afternoon.  Practice and qualifications for the Lucas Oil Great American Stocks will also take place on Saturday.  The ARCA 200 is slated to roll off at 2:15 on Sunday afternoon.  The Lucas Oil Great American Stocks kicks-off Sunday’s action with the Ford Go Further 50 at 1 p.m.

The First Harrison Bank on-track autograph session is scheduled to get underway at 11:30 a.m.

Tickets, both reserved and general admission, are now selling for the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA 200 and can be purchased by calling 812-883-6504 or 1-888-246-7223.  Tickets are also available on-line at www.salemspeedway.com

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