Max Reaves conquers Salem, earns his fourth ARCA Menards Series victory of 2026

www.arcaracing.com September 12, 2026

SALEM, Ind. — The first time Max Reaves visited Salem Speedway for an ARCA Menards Series race, last fall, his promising night ended after 173 laps due to a crash.

Saturday’s Spruce 212 at Salem unfolded more positively for Reaves. He led wire-to-wire from the pole.

RELATED: Complete results from the Spruce 212

Reaves wanted to learn from everything that happened in last year’s Salem race — both good and bad — so he could continue what has been a stellar 2026 across the ARCA Menards Series platform. No misfortune befell Reaves in his second trip to Salem, and he utilized the raw speed of his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to stay in control all night.

“Last year we were really good, but it didn’t turn out great,” Reaves said. “My guys brought me such a fast Cook Out Camry this week, and I’m just thankful for all them.”

The key takeaway Reaves acquired from last year’s Salem race was a clear understanding of how dominant the top line was around the high-banked track.

Last year, briefly leaving the top line caused Reaves to surrender the lead to Lavar Scott after 111 laps, which forced Reaves to rigorously fight to regain the lost track position until he hit the wall in the closing stages.

No matter what happened in Saturday’s Spruce 212, Reaves was not going to give up the top.

From the moment the green flag waved, Reaves kept his car glued to the preferred upper groove. This strategy proved particularly advantageous during the numerous restarts that befell the Spruce 212, as no one could muster the momentum on the bottom to overtake Reaves and occupy the top themselves.

Tristan McKee came the closest to usurping Reaves on a restart with 57 laps remaining. A deep dive into Turn 1 on McKee’s behalf led to contact with Reaves that disrupted his exit off Turn 2. McKee attempted to capitalize on the bottom, but Reaves generated a massive run up top that kept him in front of McKee.

Fittingly, McKee is the one Reaves will be racing for an ARCA Menards Series East championship at Bristol Motor Speedway this upcoming week, a high-banked track just like Salem. While McKee holds the advantage in East Series victories, a consistent campaign from Reaves has him one point behind heading into the finale.

Salem had no bearing on the East Series title aside from providing Reaves a jolt of momentum going into Bristol. Reaves felt Saturday highlighted his growth on the ARCA Menards Series platform from his first year to his sophomore season, which now features six combined victories between the national and East Series.

Preparation for the East Series title pursuit is imminent for Reaves, but Saturday was about cherishing the moment and the people who helped him conquer one of the ARCA Menards Series’ toughest tracks.

“We were so fast,” Reaves said. “I got a little nervous there, but we were the best one to beat. I’ve got to thank all my guys for everything, and I’ve got to thank everybody at Cook Out. I’m just happy to win here after last year.”

Jake Bollman finished runner-up to Reaves in Saturday’s Spruce 212 at Salem. Bollman also managed to increase his national ARCA Menards Series points lead over Nitro Motorsports teammate Thomas Annunziata, who was collected in a late wreck with the lapped car of Ben Peterson.

Veteran Will Kimmel scored a strong third-place finish in his hometown race. Despite being involved in two accidents, Landon S. Huffman settled for a fourth-place run in the No. 97 for CR7 Motorsports, with Isabella Robusto rounding out the top five.

The rest of the top 10 consisted of McKee, Annunziata, Gavan Boschele, Austin Vaughn and Carson Brown.

Two races remain before an ARCA Menards Series champion gets crowned. The penultimate event on the 2026 calendar takes place Thursday at Bristol Motor Speedway, which doubles as the ARCA Menards Series East finale. Live coverage of the Bush’s Best 200 commences at 5:30 p.m. ET on FS1.