Salem Speedway first opened in 1947 and will operate in 2026 under new ownership.
Submitted photo
Brent Harmon and Melissa Middleton have purchased the historic Salem Speedway from Nick Bohanon, who had owned the speedway since January of 2023.
Harmon is affiliated with the Salem Motorsports Park dragstrip located adjacent to Salem Speedway.
“I’m really excited with the opportunity to purchase Salem Speedway,” Harmon said. “The track has so much history and so many great drivers have raced here, what an amazing and historic facility. Nick and Maegun Bohanon did a lot of great things with Salem Speedway the past three years, I plan to continue to make improvements to the facility to improve not only the racing but amenities to help create a great experience for the fans attending the events and the racers putting on the show each event.
“My plan is for the track to continue it’s great racing tradition, but I also plan to utilize the facility for a lot of non-racing events, including car shows, monthly cars and coffee, several concerts, heavy equipment auctions and collector car auctions just to name a few.”
Salem Speedway opened in 1947, providing fans with exciting fast-paced racing on the .555-mile oval that features imposing 33-degree banked turns that were built strictly for speed.
Salem is a track steeped in history with many of the giants in auto racing having competed on the treacherous “hills” at some point in their careers, names such as Ruttman, Carter, Sweikert, O’Connor, Jones, Foyt, Unser, Andretti, Vogler, Allison, Parsons, Waltrip, Schrader, Gordon and Stewart are just a few names from the past that grace the list of past winners.
Current NASCAR drivers Chase Elliott, Christopher Bell, Erik Jones and Indiana’s own Chase Briscoe have also competed on the High Banks.
The facility will be available for lease on off weekends of racing. Testing on the track will also be available. Some of the improvements planned include a shower house for the camping area, VIP RV Parking and some black topping on the access roads, just to name a few.
Lucas Oil Series 2026 plans announced
After three seasons using a playoff-style points system, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing is returning to a traditional season-long points system for 2026, while adding more than a quarter-million dollar lucrative late-season bonus program.
Teams will once again compete for dirt late model racing’s highest points fund of $1.2 million that will be divvied up after the 2026 champion is crowned at the season-ending Dirt Track World Championship at West Virginia Motor Speedway in Mineral Wells, West Virginia.
With the unwavering dedication of Big River Steel and ARP, the national tour will also put up an additional $275,000 for the Big River Steel Bonus Program presented by ARP, awarding drivers following Aug. 29’s Rumble by the River finale at Port Royal (Pennsylvania) Speedway in a separate miniseries encompassing the season’s final five Saturdays.
“Over the past three years, we’ve elevated our program to be the most lucrative in dirt late model racing,” series director Rick Schwallie said. “FloSports remains dedicated to upholding the stature of our series and continues to grow with the support of our valued marketing partners. We are excited to revert to a traditional points structure, which will be complemented by the late-season bonus program to sustain the end of the year excitement.”
In the Big River Steel Bonus Program presented by ARP, the top 15 drivers in the championship standings will compete in a miniseries following Aug. 29’s Rumble by the River finale at Port Royal (Pa.) Speedway, encompassing the final five crown jewel events of the season.
The highest finishing driver of the top 15 in championship standings in each of those final five crown jewel events of the season will receive an additional $5,000.
The top five drivers in the championship standings will compete in a miniseries, earning points in those final five crown jewel events of the season. The highest points earner of the five drivers will take home an additional $100,000. Second-through-fifth will be awarded $40,000, $30,000, $20,000 and $10,000, respectively
For drivers sixth-through-15th, a separate bonus program encompassing those same five crown jewel events of the season will pay $25,000 to the top point earner, $15,000 to second and $10,000 to third.
While a dozen series races are scheduled after Port Royal, only the five consecutive scheduled Saturday events at Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway ($75,000-to-win on Sept. 19), Brownstown Speedway ($50,000-to-win on Sept. 26), Pittsburgh Motor Speedway in Imperial, Pennsylvaina ($50,000-to-win on Oct. 3), Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio ($50,000-to-win on Oct. 10) and WVMS will award points in the Big River Steel Bonus Program presented by ARP, which pays out $275,000 in all.
For the latest news, results, championship standings and more about the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing, please visit lucasdirt.com
James Essex writes a motorsports notebook for The Republic. Send comments to sports@therepublic.com
