With one throwback weekend down, there’s one more to go. The ARCA Menards Series will have their own throwback race in a few weeks at Salem Speedway.
Salem Speedway has been home to some interesting throwbacks in the ARCA Menards Series over the past couple of years and this year’s race will be no exception.
Already revealing their paint schemes for the 2019 race is the dominant powerhouse Venturini Motorsports team. So far, two of its drivers, Christian Eckes and rookie Chandler Smith, will be paying homage to the team’s heritage at the short-track in Salem, Indiana.
Christian Eckes who currently sits second in points, will have a throwback to Bill Venturini’s (President of Venturini Motorsports) championship-winning seasons in 1987 and 1991. Eckes is excited to dedicate the No. 15 scheme to Venturini.
“It’s a great honor to run Bill’s championship colors, especially at Salem,” says current championship contender Christian Eckes. “I’ve known Bill and his family since I broke into the series back in 2016. He’s done so much for me personally and so many others over the years. It’s just a really cool deal. Hopefully, we’re able to put this JBL Audio Camry in victory lane for him.”
As for Smith, he will have a throwback to Venturini’s racing days in the USAC Series where Bill raced in 1978. Like Eckes, Smith is ready to run the No. 20 throwback scheme and get it to victory lane.
“It was so cool to see all the old school paint schemes at Darlington,” said Smith. “But nothing will compare to driving this throwback car under the lights at Salem. Salem has a rich history. The ARCA Series has been racing there almost forever and Bill and the Venturini family has been running there since the ’80s. I can’t think of another track or paint scheme I’d rather run.”
Both drivers have a great shot at getting one of the throwbacks to victory lane at Salem Speedway. In four starts dating back to 2017, Eckes has one win that occurred in spring of 2018. Other stats for Eckes includes one top-five, three top-10 finishes, 163 laps led and one DNF.
Smith and the No. 20 team have one win (Fall of 2018), two top-fives and three top-10 finishes with 319 laps led and one pole in his first race at Salem in the spring of 2018.
The ARCA Menards Series takes on Salem Speedway on Saturday night Sept. 14 live on MAVTV.
