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By Jerry Curry, Staff Writer

The Salem Speedway fueled by The Hoosier Lottery was the second leg of “The King of The High Banks.”

The first stop of this series, that includes the Vores Compact Tour, The Midwest Modifieds Tour and the CRA Street Stock/Diesel Boys Gas Series, was at Bristol Speedway in Tennessee. Collective points will be awarded at each track for the driver in each series. The three winners in each series will be the King and receive a ring.

The last time The Midwest Modified had been at the Salem track was June 6, 2009.

In that time things have improved, and Chuck Barnes Jr. set a new track qualification record at 17.332 sec. for an average speed of over 115 M.P.H.

Barnes Jr. also did double duty in his Gas car in a later race.

First on the high bank track were the VORES Compact Tour with a 40-lap race.

This race was plagued with a few yellows on lap 19, six cars collided between turns 3 and 4, taking out all six. Kyle Farmer, leading at the 31st lap, crashed in-between turns 1 and 2. Also, Justin Brown and Nick Cooper got together-- Brown had a broken left front wheel.

Jake Albright won the race with Nick Cooper second and third Chris Jennings third. The Vores series are front wheel drive cars.

The next series on the track were the Midwest Modified Tour. Matt Dimit of Ft. Wayne won, with Brett Hudson placing second and Danny Jackson third.

Chuck Barnes Jr., the fastest man of the day, had engine problems on lap 30 and finished 12th. Six cars of the 19 entries were on the lead lap.

The main and last event was the 75-lap CRA/GAS Street Stocks. The winning driver was Brett Hudson, second-place was Chuck Barnes Jr. and third-place, Dalton Conner. The 2023 champion Heath Helton was fourth.

Listed as Kid’s Night there were several things for the kids to do including bouncy houses and free kids' spectator rides. The kids could ride in the Fisher Towing Craftsmen truck or the ARCA Menards Series, two-seaters on the ½ mile during intermission.

The next race will be June 22 when the Semi’s return to the high banks. Supporting them will be the Crown Vics on the high banks as well as on the smaller track. Scrapper will also be present.

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By Jerry Curry, Staff Writer

The world lost a race legend Tuesday, June 4, 2024.

Rugus Parnelli Jones passed away at 90 years old. He hailed from Torrence, California, where at one time he owned over 40 Firestone Tire Centers.

During the 60’s the high banks were proving grounds for future Indianapolis drivers. In 1960, 1961 and 1962, he won the USAC National Sprint Car Championship. Jones also won in other divisions and drove other car types.

He won sprint car championships by challenging the high banks like Winchester and Salem Speedway. After his retirement he is often quoted as saying that running the high banks was the craziest thing he’d done.

Running the high banks at Salem Speedway, he set a fast time on April 29, 1962. Also, in 1962 Parnelli was the first driver to break the 150-mile-per hour barrier in a front engine roadster at Indianapolis.

He when on to win the Indianapolis 500 in 1963 and almost won at the wheel of the STP Turbine in 1967. Jones was leading when a $6 bearing went out with three laps to go. A.J. Foyt went on to win this third Indy 500. That was Jones’ last Open Wheel run.

He continued in racing as a car owner. Jones had two sons to continue in the racing field, P.J. and Page.

He was the oldest living Indy 500 winner at the time of his recent death.

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The #OpenWheelWarriors will return, after a 15-year hiatus, to the Salem Speedway, Fueled by the Hoosier Lottery, for the #UnitedMechanical40, which also serves as the 2nd event of the 2024 King of the High-Banks Triple Crown Series, presented by Mays Tire & Service Center on Saturday, June 8.

The #OpenWheelWarriors return, for the first time since June 6, 2009, to the famed 0.555 mile high-banked paved oval located north of the Indiana / Kentucky state line and west of Scottsburg in Salem.

The eventual series champion that season, Scotty Tomasik, scored the victory that day over former event winner at the track, Kyle Jones as Mike Carroll, 2005, #MMTpbWT champion Harold Scott and Joe Axsom were the Top 5.

The 40-lap feature, paying $3,000 to win and $700 just to start, will mark the 9th all-time appearance at the iconic facility in the Modern Era (2000-present).

Previous winners at Salem Speedway (Modern Era 2000-current) are
1. Rodney Scott 2
2. Tim Taylor 1
2. Bobby Murany 1
2. Gary Bedell 1
2. Brad Springer 1
2. Kyle Jones 1
7. Scotty Tomasik 1

More recently, the Modifieds did race at the historic speed plant in an unsanctioned event, back on April 3, 2022, as 1998 #MMTpbWT Champion Jeff Lane set the Modern Day Modifieds Track Record with an 18.733 = 106.657mph in qualifying. The now 60-year-old veteran from Knightstown then won the feature over his son, Colby Lane, and current Inline Tube Rookie of the Year Points Leader J.J. Schafer, who were the Podium Finishers
#UnitedMechanical40 Payout: 1st-$3,000, 2nd-$2,000, 3rd-$1,500, 4th-$1,250, 5th-$1,000, 6th-$975, 7th-$950, 8th-$900, 9th-$875, 10th-$850, 11th-$825, 12th-$800, 13th-$790, 14th-$780, 15th-$770, 16th-$760, 17th-$750, 18th-$740, 19th-$730, 20th-$720, 21st-$710, 22nd-24th-$700 to start.

Joining the #MMTpbWT combatants will be the CRA Street Stocks Series and the Vores Compact Touring Series. Racing will start at 7 p.m.

Can't make the trip? Watch LIVE on Racing America as the voice of the #MMTpbWT, Matt Prieur and the voice of track, Will Greenwell, have the call.

Reminder, a separate points standings are kept for the 2024 King of the High-Banks Triple Crown Series. After round one, which was back on April 6 at Bristol Motor Speedway (TN), Cody Stickler leads the way in the standings after sweeping both the Economy Auto Parts Fast Qualifier Award and then going to Victory Lane in the #OwossoSpeedway40.

A McIntyre Jewelry championship ring goes to the winner of the three-race mini-series, which concludes on Labor Day Monday, September 1, at Winchester Speedway (IN).

Additionally, the Pulver Asphalt Paving Winner’s Circle Program continues in Salem. The Winner's Circle Program will again feature points fund earnings (totaling $23,500) to be distributed throughout the 2024 campaign to the top 10 in the season long points chase after each and every event.

Here's How It Works

The Top 10 in the #MMTpbWT points standings going into each and every event will receive the "Pulver Asphalt Paving Winners Circle" points fund bonus with Incremental increases throughout the remainder of the season, after each and every race, as long as they remain in the top 10 in the season long points chase
Loyalty to the premier Open-Wheel Modified Tour in the Great Lakes / Midwestern Region of the flag throughout the 2024 campaign, results in points fund monies for the top
10 after each event, all the way up to the 19th Annual Run For The Gun 50 on Friday and Saturday, October 11-12, at Winchester Speedway (IN).

For Salem :
1. $200.00 (Matt Dimit)
2. $190.00 (Brian Nester)
3. $180.00 (Buddy Gray)
4. $170.00 (Greg Fullarton)
5. $160.00 (Andy Booten)
6. $150.00 (Thomas Mays)
7. $140.00 (Danny Jackson)
8. $130.00 (J.J. Schafer)
9. $120.00 (Cody Stickler)
10. $110.00 (Wesley Smith)

#MMTpbWT | #OpenWheelWarriors | #KingOfTheHighBanks | #UnitedMechanical40