By ARCA Staff Report
Max Reeves conquers Salem Speedway; Earns his fourth ARCA Menards Series win of 2026 at Spruce 212 on Saturday night.
SALEM, India. The first time Max Reeves visited Salem Speedway for an ARCA Menards Series race last fall, his promising evening ended with a crash after 173 laps.
Max Reeves conquers Salem
Reeves wanted to learn from what happened at last year’s Salem race, both good and bad, so he can continue what has been a stellar 2026 on the ARCA Menards Series platform. No mishaps befell Reaves in his second trip to Salem, and he used the raw speed of his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to stay in control throughout the night.
“We were really good last year, but it didn’t go well,” Reaves said. “My boys brought me such a fast Cook Out Camry this week and I’m just thankful for all of them.”
A key takeaway Reeves gained from last year’s Salem race was a clear understanding of how dominant the top line is around the elevated track.
Last year, a brief exit from the top lane cost Raves the lead after 111 laps from Lavar Scott, forcing him to fight to regain track position until he hit the wall in the closing stages.
No matter what happened Saturday at Spruce 212, Reeves wasn’t going to give up the top.
From the moment the green flag waved, Reeves kept his car glued to the favored top groove. This strategy was especially beneficial during the many restarts that befell Spruce 212, as no one was able to build momentum on the bottom to overtake Reeves and take the top spot.
Tristan McKee came closest to catching Reaves on the restart with 57 laps remaining. A deep turn one dive by McKee led to contact with Reeves that hampered his exit from turn two. McKee tried to bulk up the bottom, but Reeves created a huge run upfield that kept him in front of McKee.
Accordingly, McKee is the man Reeves will challenge for the ARCA Menards Series East Championship at Bristol Motor Speedway this coming week, at a track as high-profile as Salem. While McKee has the edge in East Series wins, Reaves’ consistent campaign leaves him one point short of making the finals.
Salem had no bearing on the East Series title, other than to give Reaves momentum going into Bristol. Reeves felt Saturday highlighted his growth from his freshman year on the ARCA Menards Series platform to a sophomore season that now features six combined wins between the national and Eastern series.
Getting ready to chase the East Series title is close to home for Reaves, but on Saturday he should cherish the moment and the people who helped him conquer the toughest course in the ARCA Menards Series.
“We were so fast,” Reaves said. “I was a bit nervous there, but we were the best to win. I have to thank all my guys for everything and I have to thank everyone at Cook Out. I’m just happy to win here after last year.”
Jake Bollman finished second behind Reeves at Saturday’s Spruce 212 in Salem. Bollman also managed to extend his national ARCA Menards Series points lead over Nitro Motorsports teammate Thomas Annunziata, who came together in a late wreck with the stranded car of Ben Peterson.
Veteran Will Kimmel finished a strong third in his hometown race. Despite being involved in two accidents, Landon S. Huffman settled for fourth for CR7 Motorsports in ’97, with Isabella Robusto rounding out the top five.
The rest of the top ten was made up of McKee, Annunziata, Gavan Bochele, Austin Vaughn and Carson Brown.
Next
Two races remain until the ARCA Menards Series champion is crowned. The penultimate event on the 2026 calendar takes place Thursday at the Bristol Rally, which doubles as the ARCA Menards Series East finale. Live coverage of the Bush Top 200 begins at 5:30 PM ET on FS1.