Helton Rules the Legendary High Banks in the 38th Annual Halloween 200

Quickest in qualifying and fastest lap of the race: #16 Heath Helton charged back from 10th after a caution on lap 159 and beat #00 Brett Hudson to the checkered flag by 2.054 seconds. Results are unofficial.

SALEM, Ind. (Oct. 18, 2026) Six lead changes under green. Five leaders. Two hundred laps on the legendary high banks of Salem Speedway. When the checkered flag fell on the Partin's & Son Auto Salvage & Recycling 38th Annual Halloween 200, it was #16 Heath Helton out front, 2.054 seconds clear of #00 Brett Hudson.

Helton did it the hard way. He was the quickest car in qualifying, set the fastest lap of the race and led the most laps, yet he had to come from 10th on the starting grid, and then from 10th again after a caution on lap 159. Results are unofficial pending post-race technical inspection.

Under clear skies and temperatures in the 60s, 29 Great American Stocks took the green. The depth showed before a single lap was run: in qualifying, the top 22 cars were separated by less than one second, from Helton's 19.068 to 20.028. The field included six-time Great American Stocks champion #10S David Bayens, two-time champion #74 Austin Baum and Helton himself, the 2023 champion.

THE EARLY FIGHT

Pole sitter #06B Brandon Roberts set the early pace and led the first 10 laps. On lap 11, #99 Brian Bayer drove past him under green and took control, leading every green-flag lap through lap 39.

Helton was already on the move. He climbed from 10th to 7th on the opening lap, reached 2nd on lap 39, and on lap 40 he took the lead from Bayer under green.

On lap 48, Roberts' afternoon ended after contact with #2 Duane Damon, who lost about four laps. The caution flew from lap 49 through lap 57.

Through a string of yellows, Helton led every green-flag lap from lap 40 to halfway, and he crossed the lap 100 line 3.430 seconds ahead of Baum. Then the field paused for the halfway break.

THE SECOND HALF

#5 Chuck Barnes, who started 11th, led the lap 101 restart and stayed out front until lap 135, during the longest green-flag run of the day, 58 laps from lap 101 through lap 158. Helton reeled him in and retook the lead on lap 136, crossing the line 0.191 seconds ahead.

A caution on lap 159 shook up the order, and Helton was scored 10th on lap 160. He went right back to work: 7th on lap 161, 5th by lap 164, 3rd by lap 168.

Bayer led the lap 168 restart, but the yellow came back out on lap 169, and the race was red flagged for about 17 minutes.

#22 Skeeter Crum took the lead on the lap 170 restart and put together the best 10-lap run of the race, a 20.068-second average from lap 170 through lap 179. Helton was right behind him, scored 2nd from lap 171 on, and on lap 172 he ripped off a 19.620, the fastest lap of the race. Crum stayed in front from lap 170 through lap 192.

The lead changed hands during a late stoppage after lap 192. When the final eight laps went green, Helton was in front. He crossed lap 193 with a 0.547-second edge on Hudson, stretched it past two seconds by lap 198 and took the checkered flag 2.054 seconds ahead.

Behind Hudson, #15M Lonnie Saumier completed a charge from 17th to 3rd. He moved into 3rd on lap 177 and held it the rest of the way. #98 Jeff Caudell finished 4th, Barnes 5th, Crum 6th and Bayer 7th, all on the lead lap. #36 Joshua Ebbert Jr made the biggest climb of the day, from 23rd to 8th. #8 Thomas O Leary IV came from 19th to 9th, and #23 Trent Bayer, who started 2nd, rounded out the top 10.

A field 22 deep inside one second. Five leaders under green. A red flag, a late stoppage and a final eight-lap dash. The Halloween 200 delivered on the legendary high banks, and Heath Helton delivered when it counted.

KEY NUMBERS

Lead changes under green: 6 (laps 11, 40, 101, 136, 170 and 193) Leaders under green: 5 (Brandon Roberts, Brian Bayer, Helton, Barnes and Crum) Most laps led: Helton Cautions: 8 caution periods covering 54 laps, plus a red flag, the halfway break and a late stoppage Margin of victory: 2.054 seconds Fast lap: Helton, 19.620 seconds on lap 172 Cars on the lead lap at the finish: 7 Biggest movers: Ebbert +15 (23rd to 8th), Saumier +14 (17th to 3rd), #7 Matthew Hagood +12 (25th to 13th), O Leary +10 (19th to 9th), Helton +9 (10th to 1st)

Unofficial results (Great American Stocks, Partin's & Son Auto Salvage & Recycling 38th Annual Halloween 200, 200 laps, Sunday, Oct. 18. Unofficial pending post-race technical inspection. Starting positions from MyRacePass.)

1st: #16 Heath Helton (started 10th) 2nd: #00 Brett Hudson (started 4th) 3rd: #15M Lonnie Saumier (started 17th) 4th: #98 Jeff Caudell (started 5th) 5th: #5 Chuck Barnes (started 11th) 6th: #22 Skeeter Crum (started 8th) 7th: #99 Brian Bayer (started 3rd) 8th: #36 Joshua Ebbert Jr (started 23rd) 9th: #8 Thomas O Leary IV (started 19th) 10th: #23 Trent Bayer (started 2nd)

Missed it, or want to see that final charge again? Watch the full replay of the 38th Annual Halloween 200 on Salem Speedway's YouTube channel.