866-246-7223
Since June 22, 1947
From dirt track dreams to paved perfection. Experience the rich heritage of Indiana's most legendary short track.
RACING
LEGENDARY
Notable drivers who have raced on the legendary high banks of Salem Speedway
Jeff Agnew
USAR Pro Cup Series
2008 USAR Pro Cup Series Champion, 1 win at Salem Speedway
Dakoda Armstrong
ARCA, USAC Silver Crown
2010 ARCA Racing Series Rookie of the Year, 1 win at Salem Speedway
Kyle Benjamin
NASCAR, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA
2012 CRA Super Series Southern Division Champion, Youngest Bandolero Champion (age 10), Super Late Model Champion, 1 win at Salem Speedway
Bob Brevak
NASCAR, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA, ASA
1990 ARCA Racing Series Champion, 1 win at Salem Speedway
Pancho Carter
IndyCar, NASCAR, USAC
1972 USAC Midget Champion, 1974, 1976 USAC Sprint Car Champion, 1978 USAC Silver Crown Champion, 9 wins at Salem Speedway
Taylor Ferns
USAC Silver Crown, 500 Sprint Car Tour, ARCA, Indy NXT
First female open wheel winner on the high banks, 2024 Salem Speedway, 1 win at Salem Speedway
Justin Grant
USAC
2020 USAC Silver Crown Champion
Shelby Howard
NASCAR, Nationwide Series, Camping World Truck Series, ARCA
2002 ARCA Rookie of the Year, 2 wins at Salem Speedway
Erik Jones
NASCAR, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA, ASA, CRA
First driver ever to win Rookie of the Year in all three NASCAR national series, NASCAR Truck Series Champion, CRA All-Star Tour Champion
Brian Keselowski
NASCAR, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series,
2000 Auto City Speedway Rookie of the Year, 1 win at Salem Speedway
Will Kimmel
NASCAR, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA
Youngest Salem Speedway Super Late Model Champion, 8 wins at Salem Speedway
Joey Logano
NASCAR, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA, USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series
3x NASCAR Cup Series Champion, Youngest Cup race winner (19 years, 35 days), NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers (2023)
Pat O'Connor
F1, Champ Car, USAC
Annual title event at Salem Speedway (Joe James / Pat O'Connor Memorial), 5 wins at Salem Speedway
Troy Ruttman
F1, NASCAR, Champ Car, AAA Midwest Big Car, USAC
Youngest driver to win in F1 until Fernando Alonso, 3 wins at Salem Speedway
Tim Steele
NASCAR, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA, ASA
2x ARCA Re/Max Series Champion, First ARCA driver to make over $1,000,000 in his career, 5 wins at Salem Speedway
Bob Sweikert
F1, Champ Car, AAA Midwest Big Car, AAA Championship Car
1955 Indianapolis 500 winner, First ever driver to break 100mph on a one mile oval track, 6 wins at Salem Speedway
Darrell Waltrip
NASCAR, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, IROC, ARCA, USAC, 24 Hours of Daytona, ASA
3x Winston Cup Champ, 1970, Bristol record for most wins of any driver at 12, 5th All Time NASCAR Champ, 8 wins at Salem Speedway
Justin Allgaier
ARCA
2008 ARCA Champion, Multiple ARCA wins including Salem Speedway, 2 wins at Salem Speedway
Steve Arpin
NASCAR, ARCA, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Global Rallycross
2009, 2010 ARCA Racing Series Most Popular Driver, 2008 USAC Silver Crown Rookie of the Year, 2015 RallyCross Silver Medal, 1 win at Salem Speedway
Gary Bettenhausen
Champ Car, NASCAR, USAC
1969 and 1971 USAC Sprint Car Champion, 3 wins at Salem Speedway
Chase Briscoe
NASCAR, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA
2016 ARCA Racing Series Champion, 2017 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series RotY and Most Popular Driver, 2019 Xfinity RotY, 2021 NASCAR RotY
Christian Eckes
NASCAR, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA, CARS Late Model Stock Tour
2024 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Champion, 2019 ARCA Mendards Series Champion, 1 win at Salem Speedway
A.J. Foyt
F1, 24 Hours of Le Mans, NASCAR, Champ Car, USAC
10x USAC Champ, 4x Indy 500 Winner, 1967 Le Mans Winner, 1983, 1985 24 Hours of Daytona Winner, 4 wins at Salem Speedway
Scott Hansen
NASCAR, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA
1989 ASA Rookie of the Year, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989 Wisconson International Raceway Track Champion, 4 wins at Salem Speedway
James Hylton
NASCAR, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA
NASCAR record holder for highest points finish by a rookie, NASCAR record holder for oldest driver to finish a race at 73 (Daytona 2008)
Parnelli Jones
F1 (team owner), Champ Car/IndyCar, NASCAR, USAC
USAC Midwest Sprint Car Champion, 2x USAC Sprint Car Champion, USAC Stock Car Champion, 2x Baja 1000 Winner, Pikes Peak Winner, 2 wins at Salem Speedway
Bob Keselowski
NASCAR, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA
1989 ARCA Permatex SuperCar Series Champion, 1 win at Salem Speedway
Bill Kimmel Sr.
ARCA/MARC
500+ Feature Wins, 12+ Track Championships across Midwest tracks, legacy builder of Kimmel racing family
Jesse Love
NASCAR, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA, USAC
Xfinity Champion, ARCA Champion, first driver to win three different USAC championships same year, 2 wins at Salem Speedway
Johnny Parsons
Champ Car, IndyCar, USAC
Sometimes referred to as Johnny Parsons Jr. to distinguish him from his father, Johnnie Parsons.
Tim Sauter
NASCAR, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA, ASA
1999 ASA National Tour Champion, 1 win at Salem Speedway
Tony Stewart
NASCAR, IndyCar, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA, USAC, WKA, UMRA, Rolex 24 at Daytona, NHRA
3x NASCAR Champ, IndyCar Champ, USAC Champ, IROC Champ, Chili Bowl Winner, 2 wins at Salem Speedway
Al Unser Sr.
Champ Car, NASCAR, USAC/CART Championship Car, USAC Silver Crown, Pikes Peak Hill Climb
3x USAC/CART Champ, USAC Silver Crown Champ, 2x Pikes Peak Winner, 24 Hours of Daytona Winner, Oldest Indy 500 winner at 47 years old
Michael Waltrip
NASCAR, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, 24 Hours of Le Mans, 24 Hours of Daytona
1983 Darlington Dash Series Champion, 1983, 1984 Darlington Dash Series Most Popular Driver
Bobby Allison
NASCAR, IndyCar, USAC, IROC, ARCA Talladega SuperCar Series
1983 NASCAR Cup Champion, 1971-1973, NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers (1998), 1 win at Salem Speedway
Bill Baird
ARCA
8 Poles in the ARCA Racing Series, 1999 ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series Champ, 1 win at Salem Speedway
Alex Bowman
NASCAR, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, USAC, ARCA
USAC Midget Rookie of the Year, ARCA Rookie of the Year, NASCAR record for most front row starts in the Daytona 500, 1 win at Salem Speedway
Chris Buescher
NASCAR, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA Racing Series
2012 ARCA Racing Series Champion, 2015 Xfinity Champion, 2011 ARCA Racing Series Rookie of the Year, 1 win at Salem Speedway
Chase Elliott
NASCAR, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA, IMSA
2020 NASCAR Cup Series Champ, 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season Champ, 2014 Nationwide Series Champ, 8x NASCAR Cup Series Most Popular Driver
Charlie Glotzbach
NASCAR, ARCA
1964 ARCA Rookie of the Year, Record for fastest pace race at Bristol (2 hours, 38 minutes) until broken by Kyle Larson in 2024 by 7 seconds
Tom Hessert III
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA
Youngest Driver to compete in the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona as of 2003, 6 total ARCA wins, 3 wins at Salem Speedway
Jason Jarrett
NASCAR, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA
1993 WKA Sprint Division Champion, 2001 ARCA Racing Series Rookie of the Year, 2003 Bill France Triple Crown Award, 1 win at Salem Speedway
Kasey Kahne
NASCAR, USAC, Xfinity, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, World of Outlaws
2000 USAC National Midget Series Champion, 2004 Nextel Cup Series Rookie of the Year, 2023 Named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers
Mikey Kile
NASCAR, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA,
World Karting Association and International Kart Federation Champion, 1 win at Salem Speedway
C.J. Leary
USAC, World of Outlaws
2019 USAC National Sprint Car Champion
Mark Martin
NASCAR, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA, ASA
4x ASA Racing Series Champion, NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers (1998), 1 win at Salem Speedway
Brennan Poole
NASCAR, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA, UARA-Stars Late Models, IMCA Dirt Modifieds, Dirt Late Models,
Most UARA-Stars Late Model Series wins (6), UARA-Stars Late Model Series Champion, Texas World Dirt Champ, 1 win at Salem Speedway
William Sawalich
NASCAR, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA, CARS Tour, CRA, World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing
2x ARCA Menards Series East Champion, 2022 SCCA Trans-AM Champ, Youngest to win the All American 400
Bob Strait
NASCAR, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA
One of the pioneers of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, 3 wins at Salem Speedway
Rich Vogler
USAC, Champ Car, NASCAR
5x USAC National Midget Champ, 2x USAC National Sprint Champ, Winner of the Inaugural Chili Bowl Midget Nationals, 8 wins at Salem Speedway
Mario Andretti
F1, Indycar, NASCAR, Champ Car
1978 F1 World Champion, 4x IndyCar Champion, USAC Champion, Pikes Peak Hill Climb Winner, 24 Hours of Daytona Winner, 2 wins at Salem Speedway
Christopher Bell
NASCAR, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA, USAC
2013 USAC National Midget Series Champion, 3x Chili Bowl Nationals Champion, 2017 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Champion, 2 wins at Salem Speedway
Jack Bowsher
NASCAR, USAC Stock Car, ARCA Super Car
1964, 1965 ARCA Racing Series Champion, 1963 MARC Champion, 7 wins at Salem Speedway
Tobey Butler
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, NASCAR Winston Northwest Tour, ARCA
1987 NASCAR WInston Northwest Tour Champion, 1 win at Salem Speedway
Grant Enfinger
NASCAR, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA
2015 ARCA Racing Series Champion, 2019 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Champion, 2 wins at Salem Speedway
Jeff Gordon
NASCAR, USAC
4x Winston Cup Series Champion, 2017 Rolex 24 at Daytona Overall Winner, USAC Midget Champ, USAC Silver Crown Champ, 2 wins at Salem Speedway
Tommy Hinnerschitz
AAA Big Cars, USAC, Champ Car
Won the first ever race at Salem Speedway, 7x AAA/USAC East Coast Sprint Car Champ, 2 wins at Salem Speedway
Jimmie Johnson
NASCAR, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, IndyCar, 24 Hours of Le Mans, ASA, Race of Champions, 24 Hours of Daytona, IMSA
7x NASCAR Cup Series Champion, tied with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for most Championships, 1995 Baja 1000 Winner
Joel Kauffman
NASCAR, ARCA, CRA Kendall Late Model, CRA Sunoco Super Series, United Speed Alliance,
2002 Sunoco Super Series Champion, 1 win at Salem Speedway
Frank Kimmel
ARCA
10x ARCA Champ (record), ARCA wins record (80), 9 wins at Salem Speedway
Tracy Leslie
NASCAR, ARCA
1988 ARCA Racing Series Champion, 1989 ARCA Racing Series Bill France Four Crown, 1 win at Salem Speedway
Ryan Newman
NASCAR, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA, USAC
USAC Silver Crown Series Champion, 2023 SRX Champion, Rookie Pole Record (6) set in 2002, 1 win at Salem Speedway
Brenden Queen
NASCAR, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA, CARS Tour
2025 ARCA Menards Series Champion, 2024 CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour Champion, 1 win at Salem Speedway
Ken Schrader
NASCAR, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA, USAC
1982 USAC Silver Crown Champion, 1 win at Salem Speedway
Kody Swanson
USAC, ARCA, Indy Pro 2000
8x USAC Champion - the record holder, 7 wins at Salem Speedway, 6 consecutive
Kenny Wallace
NASCAR, Busch Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, ARCA, ASA, CARS Late Model Stock Tour, Stadium Super Trucks
1989 NASCAR Busch Series Rookie of the Year, 1991, 1994, 2006 NASCAR Busch Series Most Popular Driver, 1986 ASA Rookie of the Year
HISTORIC MILESTONES
1947
The Beginning
Salem Speedway opens as a dirt track with some of the steepest banking, quickly becoming a favorite among local racers and fans known for its speed. The held it's first race on June 22.
Paved Paradise
The track is paved and banked at 33 degrees, transforming it into one of the fastest short tracks in America.
1954
1960s
Golden Era
Salem becomes a proving ground for future NASCAR legends, hosting ARCA and USAC events.
National Recognition
The track gains national prominence, attracting top drivers and massive crowds.
1970s
1981-1987
The "Dark Years"
July 20, 1981, a storm ripped the roof off the grandstands, damaged the walkway bridge over the track and damaged fences. This lead to the high banks being unused until the first race under lights at the ARCA race when the track reopened October 2, 1987
Championship Years
Countless championships decided on Salem's high banks, cementing its legacy in racing history.
1990s
2000s
Modernization
Facility upgrades bring modern amenities while preserving the track's historic character.
The Rebrand
Salem Speedway enters a new era with fresh branding, renewed energy, and commitment to excellence.
2020s
With such a storied racing history, it is not surprising that Salem has developed a strong racing heritage and tradition that continues today with some of the top names in open wheel and stock car competition visiting the famed high bans each racing season to challenge the demanding oval. The legendary A.J. Foyt once said, “If a driver can go fast on the high banks, he can go fast anywhere.” That’s still true today as it was 50 years ago.
HONORING THE PAST, RACING TOWARD THE FUTURE
Salem Speedway's rebrand represents more than just a new look—it's a commitment to preserving our rich heritage while embracing innovation. We honor every driver who's conquered our high banks, every fan who's cheered from the grandstands, and every moment that's made Salem Speedway a cornerstone of American motorsports. The legacy continues.