GREEN BAY, Wis. (September 17, 2022) – In its previous 11 seasons the TUNDRA Super Late Model Series has produced heart-stopping point battles that came down to late-race heroics. This season’s point battle, which concludes next Sunday in the Carl Wegner 100 at Dells Raceway Park, could be the wildest yet.
In the late stages of last year’s Carl Wegner race, Casey Johnson and Riley Stenjem sliced through the field, looking for every point. It was Stenjem who made the final move, grabbing his first series title by just three markers.
This season three drivers, including two former series Champions, are very much in the mix for the 2022 TUNDRA Championship. Another long-time series regular finds himself with an outside chance, but a fighting chance nonetheless.
Justin Mondeik seeks his first TUNDRA title with a six-point lead over the team of John Beale and Dalton Zehr (Zehr will be racing at DRP), a 22-point lead over defending series Champ Riley Stenjem, and a 37-point lead over Colin Reffner.
Point Leader, Justin Mondeik
Justin Mondeik is hoping his forgettable day in TUNDRA’s last stop at Golden Sands is his lone hiccup in a near-lights-out 2022 season. Mondeik won at Marshfield, recorded a Second Place finish at WIR and finished Third at Norway prior to the Ninth Place finish at GSS.
If Mondeik is able to replicate the results of the first three races of the season, he’ll be well on his way to the Championship. A strong qualifying effort, and another Top Five finish should very well be the magic formula. Mondeik has shown steady improvement in TUNDRA races at Dells Raceway Park, finishing Seventh last year. If one thing is for certain, he and his team will be ready to make another big step to challenge for the win and look to cap off the title with an exclamation point.
Former Champ, Dalton Zehr
The team of John Beale and Dalton Zehr are looking to make history as the first true team Champions in TUNDRA. Zehr began the year with a DNF (19th Place) at WIR before rebounding with a win at Norway. Beale displayed two strong Second Place performances at Marshfield and Golden Sands.
Zehr’s track record at DRP in TUNDRA action is strong, to say the least. He won when he joined the series in 2020 and has three Top Fives in four other starts after TUNDRA became a traveling series in 2013. He recorded four wins when the series raced exclusively at DRP in 2011 and 2012. Another strong day will keep pressure on his fellow title contenders. Zehr has been in this title position before, and has shown the poise to get the job done with three previous series titles.
Defending Champ, Riley Stenjem
Riley Stenjem has been in the hunt all season long and is hoping for a breakthrough day next Sunday. Stenjem has been consistent this season, never finishing outside the Top Ten. His Second Place finish at Norway was his best effort of the season so far, keeping him within striking distance of the Top Two.
This will be Stenjem’s second visit to DRP in TUNDRA action. Last season he dashed to a Third Place finish late in the race, giving him the edge over Johnson. Stenjem will need a touch of luck on his side. All else equal in the prelims, and with a win, he would need Zehr to finish Fifth or below, and Mondeik Seventh or below. Making up some ground during qualifying will help his chances.
The Darkhorse, Colin Reffner
It won’t be easy, but it’s not impossible for Colin Reffner to emerge as the TUNDRA Champion. Reffner stumbled a bit in the opener at WIR, but strong showings of Fourth (Norway), Sixth (Marshfield), and Fourth (Golden Sands) still leave him with an outside shot.
It will have to be a near perfect day for Reffner, beginning with qualifying. Reffner has recorded four career TUNDRA fast times, although DRP has been tricky for him in time trials. He will then need to find his way through the field and hope for luck to be on his side (a 37-point gap is the difference between First and 12th). With momentum building within his team, Reffner should be seen as a threat in the Carl Wegner 100, and will see where the chips fall from there.
TUNDRA will be joined at Dells Raceway Park next Sunday by the UMA 602 Late Models, and the INEX Legends. Qualifying is scheduled for 12:30 with racing at 2pm.
Dells Raceway Park is located at N1070 Smith Rd outside of Wisconsin Dells, Wis. For more information visit www.dellsracewaypark.com
tundrasuperlates.com 