Gus Dean is returning to one of his favorite ARCA Menards Series tracks on Saturday night.
Salem Speedway, the high-bank half-mile oval in Southern Indiana, awaits the invasion of the premier ARCA Menards Series for Saturday night’s Mid-Summer Classic 200.
Dean, the Bluffton, S.C. native, returns to the track for the first time since the 2018 ARCA Menards Series season, seeking his fifth consecutive top-10 finish at the historic short track while also eyeing his second victory of the season in the highly anticipated 200-lap slugfest on July 27.
The three-time ARCA Menards Series winner’s last visit to Salem Speedway was in the fall race during his full-time campaign in 2018, when he drove for AM Racing.
Dean started 14th but utilized the 200-lap race to roar to the front of the pack, only to finish second to Venturini Motorsports’ Chandler Smith.
Completing 799 of the 800 laps at Salem during his ARCA career, Dean hopes his pairing with Venturini Motorsports will pave the way for his fourth career ARCA Menards Series triumph.
“I’m so stoked about heading to Salem Speedway this weekend,” said Dean. “I’ve circled this race on the calendar since we put my 2024 ARCA schedule together with the Venturini Motorsports team. I don’t know what it is about Salem, but it’s just one of my best ARCA tracks.
“I love the speed and the commitment that the track demands and I’ve always been able to have very fast race cars. I’m excited to drive one of the Venturini Motorsports Toyotas on Saturday night at Salem. The team has a spectacular record at the track, and I definitely want to add my name to the team’s success.”
Dean arrives at Salem Speedway riding the wave of his fourth consecutive top-10 finish this season. The South Carolinian started the year with an emotional win at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in February. He returned at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in April with a fourth-place finish.
The last two races at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway and Iowa Speedway saw two top-three qualifying efforts, followed by sixth — and seventh-place finishes, respectively.
Dean is prepared to turn his recent string of top-10 finishes into his third top-five finish of the season and lead Venturini Motorsports to their third ARCA Menards Series win of the season.
“For me, it’s win or bust,” explained Dean. “Of course, I’m going to respect the driver contending for the ARCA Menards Series championship, but I’m here to bring home the checkered flag to my team and partners. I’ve finished twice at Salem Speedway through my ARCA career; Saturday night is my time to bring home the trophy.”
With an average finish of 4.5 this season, Dean will arrive at Salem Speedway, where he boasts an average finish of 4.0 in four starts with the continued support of Palmetto Grain Brokerage for the second consecutive race.
Palmetto Grain Brokerage will serve as the primary partner on Dean’s automobile for the 11th ARCA race of the season. They debuted with Dean at Iowa Speedway in June for the seventh race of the year.
Nestled in Ridgeland, South Carolina, Palmetto Grain Brokerage was founded in 1985 by Edgar Woods, with a mission to help agricultural producers increase revenues. Their staff is dedicated to providing the best service in the Ag industry.
“I’m thrilled to continue my partnership with another local company and have Palmetto Grain Brokerage back on board with us this weekend at Salem Speedway,” added Dean.
“They enjoyed the exposure and I believe they saw the benefit of a Motorsports partnership. With some business connections near Salem Speedway, it made sense for the partnership to continue for Saturday night.
“We were strong at Iowa Speedway but missed the opportunity to bring them a top-five at Iowa. I’m going to Salem to make it up to them with a top-five or that checkered flag.”
Following Salem, Dean will return to the ARCA Menards Series at Michigan International Speedway on August 16, 2024.
Since 2016, Dean has 68 ARCA Menards Series starts to his credit, two poles, three wins, 22 top-five and 41 top-10 finishes.
For more on Venturini Motorsports, please visit venturinimotorsports.com, like them on Facebook(Venturini
Motorsports), and follow them on Instagram (@venturinimotorsports) and X |Twitter (@VenturiniMotor).
For more on Gus Dean, please visit GusDean.com, like him on Facebook (Gus Dean Racing) and follow him
on Instagram and Twitter (@GusDean).
The Mid-Summer Classic 200 (200 laps | 111 miles) is the 11th of 20 races on the 2024 ARCA Menards Series schedule. Practice begins Saturday, July 27, from 3:45 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. General Tire pole qualifying follows beginning at 5:15 p.m. The race is set to take the green flag later in the day shortly after 8:00 p.m. ET. The event will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) and streaming on FloRacing. ARCARacing.com will also stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire weekend festivities. All times are local (ET).
Dean Racing PR
