CONCORD, N.C. – Venturini Motorsports has revealed the throwback schemes the team will utilize at Salem Speedway when the ARCA Menards Series returns to action Sept. 14.
Celebrating the team’s patriarch and two-time ARCA champion (1987 & ’91), the team unveiled a pair of Bill Venturini retro paint schemes for the upcoming race at Salem Speedway.
Honoring Venturini’s first of two ARCA Series championship, Christian Eckes’ No.15 JBL Audio Toyota will carry the iconic 1987 white with blue striped paint scheme.
“It’s a great honor to run Bill’s championship colors – especially at Salem,” says current championship contender Christian Eckes. “I’ve known Bill and his family since I broke into the series back in 2016. He’s done so much for me personally and so many others over the years. It’s just a really cool deal. Hopefully we’re able to put this JBL Audio Camry in victory lane for him!”
Going further back in time, six time ARCA series winner Chandler Smith, driver of the No. 20 Craftsman Toyota, will pay homage by featuring Venturini’s 1978 United States Auto Club colors and wheel a black car featuring eye popping orange and blue stripes with gold numbers.
“It was a so cool to see all the old school paint schemes at Darlington,” said Smith. “But nothing will compare to driving this throwback car under the lights at Salem. Salem has a rich history. The ARCA Series has been racing there almost forever and Bill and the Venturini family has been running there since the 80’s. I can’t think of another track or paint scheme I’d rather run.”
Both Eckes and Smith have each won at Salem. Eckes, won his first of six current ARCA victories in 2018 at Salem and Smith duplicated his winning effort the same year during Salem’s fall race.
The longtime ARCA team has recorded nine wins at Salem Speedway of its 64 all-time series wins and team co-owner, Billy Venturini, scored his only ARCA win at the southern Indiana track in 2006.