At Salem Speedway in Indiana, Brenden Queen secured his seventh Salem victory, solidifying his lead in the ARCA Menards Series points standings as the 2025 season nears its conclusion. The intense 200-lap race featured fierce competition among top contenders Brenden Queen, Max Reaves, and Lavar Scott, with Queen successfully taking control of the final restart to claim a decisive win. This Brenden Queen Salem Victory further strengthens his position atop the season’s leaderboard, with only two races remaining.
Brenden Queen Seizes Control in Final Restart to Win at Salem Speedway
In a race dominated by leading laps from Brenden Queen, Max Reaves, and Lavar Scott, it was Queen who ultimately emerged victorious by capitalizing on the final race restart. Known by fans as “Butterbean,” Queen’s move to overtake Lavar Scott in the waning moments exemplified his skill and composure under pressure. This victory marks Queen’s seventh win of the season and has extended his championship points advantage to 64 points over Scott, making his driver’s title run nearly secure at this stage. On the team front, Pinnacle Racing Group, Queen’s owner, now leads Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 team by 18 points in the owners’ championship, bolstered by Queen’s Salem success and Reaves’ unfortunate race-ending incident.
Queen expressed enthusiasm about the challenging nature of the track and the development he experienced throughout the event.
“It was such a cool track,”
Queen reflected after the race.
“Obviously, I like it more now that I won, but it was definitely kicking my tail all day. I hadn’t felt the best, and just trying to learn all night, and I learned and was able to apply it to the last 20 laps there.”
Looking ahead, Queen anticipates returning to Kansas Speedway, a venue where he previously achieved his first mile-and-a-half victory this year. His team, Pinnacle Racing Group, also boasts two wins in the last three ARCA contests at Kansas, adding confidence heading into the penultimate race.
“Yeah, super excited to get back to Kansas, that’s a beautiful racetrack and I love everything about it and it was cool to get my first mile-and-a-half win there,”
Queen said.
“So hopefully we can go back and repeat and be on our way to close this deal out.”
Lavar Scott Comes Close but Falls Short of First ARCA Victory
Lavar Scott ran strong during the race at Salem, spending significant time in the lead and giving the Rev Racing team hopes of their first ARCA win. Despite an impressive performance leading multiple laps, Scott lost the lead on the crucial final restart, ultimately finishing behind Queen. His teammates’ expectations quickly deflated, reflecting the fine margins often present in racing outcomes. Scott himself was uncertain about how he might have prevented losing the lead on the restart, stating,
“I don’t know, I don’t think I spun tires, definitely feel like I rolled good. He just must’ve had a great, great restart.”
Scott has shown consistency at Kansas Speedway, with three top-five finishes and a best result of third this season, and at Toledo Speedway, home of this year’s season finale, he notched a fifth-place finish. This close call at Salem likely fuels his determination to secure his first career ARCA victory before the 2025 campaign concludes.
Isabella Robusto Recovers to Secure Top-Five Finish Amidst Ups and Downs
After a setback at Bristol Motor Speedway where she finished 27th due to a DNF, Isabella Robusto bounced back with a fifth-place finish at Salem. This marks her fifth top-five result this season amid a turbulent campaign characterized by eight top-five finishes offset by six DNFs. Robusto remains actively in contention, sitting fifth in the points standings and trailing fourth-place Jason Kitzmiller by 12 points and Lawless Alan, who has stepped away from ARCA competition, by 22 points.
Reflecting on her team’s goals, Robusto commented,
“Yeah, just going into the week, we know top five is kind of what we’re shooting for. Top three would be a pretty good night for us right now. And so, to come out with a top five, that kind of checked all the goals we had coming into this weekend. Obviously, we want more if we can or we want the win. But we also have to be realistic. We know how the first part of the season went, and we’re still in the fight for third in the championship, so we know we have to get points when we can as well.”
Brent Crews’ Strong 2025 Campaign Ends as He Eyes NASCAR Xfinity Series Prospects
Although Brent Crews will conclude his ARCA competition for the 2025 season after Salem, he remains ranked tenth in the points standings. Crews holds impressive season statistics that include the second-highest number of victories and laps led, in addition to sharing the most pole awards. Among the top 10 drivers, he boasts the third-best average finish.
Throughout 2025, Crews has accumulated four national division wins, including three in the ARCA Menards Series East and one in the ARCA Menards Series West. Rumors suggest he may compete in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for Joe Gibbs Racing starting in 2026. Despite his talent, his age—he turns 18 on March 30—makes the jump from part-time ARCA racing to full-time Xfinity an ambitious challenge. Observers hope Crews will continue to hone his skills with more part-time ARCA engagements, particularly in companion race weekends, to ensure a smoother transition in his career.
Max Reaves Suffers Setback at Salem Following Pole and Early Laps Led
Max Reaves captured the pole position and dominated the opening stage of the Salem race by leading the first 111 laps. After eventually being passed by Lavar Scott, Reaves pushed aggressively to regain the lead but made contact with the wall in turns 3 and 4, causing enough damage to end his race prematurely. This 18th-place DNF represents Reaves’ poorest result in ARCA competition and his first finish outside the top 10 this season.
Despite this setback, Reaves, who is just 15 years old, has established himself as a formidable contender. He ranks third this year in laps led with 414, trailing only behind Queen and Crews. Among the current top 10 in points, Reaves has recorded more top-five finishes than five competitors, highlighting his potential as a rising star in the series. With the season finale at Toledo Speedway approaching—a track where his team has secured four straight wins—Reaves is expected to battle hard to maintain the winning streak.
Isabella Robusto’s Mobil 1 Paint Scheme Earns Race Recognition
While practice and qualifying sessions at Salem Speedway occurred in daylight, the 200-lap race unfolded under the track’s lights, enhancing the colors and designs of the competing cars. Notably, Isabella Robusto’s No. 55 Toyota, sponsored by Mobil 1 and fielded by Venturini Motorsports, stood out prominently on the short 0.555-mile oval. Her striking paint scheme earned her the Salem Paint Scheme of the Race Award, complementing her impressive fifth-place finish.
The ARCA Menards Series will now head to Kansas Speedway for its second race of 2025, scheduled for Friday, September 26, at 8 p.m. ET. FOX Sports 1 will broadcast the event live as teams prepare for one of the season’s critical final races before the championship is decided.
Highlights from Saturday night's ARCA Menards Series race at @Salem_Speedway! pic.twitter.com/kSkAmnZFCW
— ARCA Menards Series (@ARCA_Racing) September 21, 2025
