GREEN BAY, Wis. (May 8, 2024) – Last season a WIR regular finally was able to turn the TUNDRA Super Late Model Series travelers away from Victory Lane. This Saturday, May 11 the locals will be looking to do the same against some invading stars.

The stakes have been raised this year with $3,500 going to the winner of the 75-lap main event.

Sawyer Effertz will return to defend his win in last year’s TUNDRA stop at WIR.  After picking up the win, Effertz went on to a dominant season on the big half-mile. He captured five feature wins on the way to an overall Championship and the Red, White and Blue title.

Former event winner Dalton Zehr will be looking to give Effertz a run this season after struggling late in last year’s visit.  Zehr is also a former track and Red, White and Blue Champion – accomplishing the feat just two seasons ago. The defending TUNDRA co-champ won the very first TUNDRA race at WIR in 2014.

Among the competitors will be a hungry group of contenders who were on the verge of making big strides last season.

On the TUNDRA side – Justin Mondeik has a past podium finish in the event and is looking to get his 2024 off to a hot start in hopes of recapturing the TUNDRA title. Brock Heinrich raced his way to a Third Place finish last season, and has shown excellent speed and improvement at WIR. Colin Reffner has also shown speed at WIR, but has not had the luck to finish off a solid day. He’ll be hoping to accomplish that on Saturday.

Two TUNDRA Rookies will be looking to make some noise, as well. Jevin Guralski made big strides in limited Super Late Model action in 2023 – including a Second Place finish in the Larry Detjens Memorial at Wausau. Ty Fredrickson has been off to a hot start this season after a big ending to 2023 with a win in the IceBreaker at Dells Raceway Park and Fast Time in the Joe Shear Classic at Madison. It will be the first visit for both to WIR.

On the WIR side – the top six in Fox River Racing Club points from last season will be in attendance including former track Champions Max Schultz, Lowell Bennett, and Andy Monday.  Jordan Thiel and Grant Griesbach complete that grouping and picked up feature wins last season to show their strength at the facility.

Among the wild cards in the group are Alex Prunty, who set fast time and scored one Top Five in four appearances last season and former TUNDRA Champ Riley Stenjem, who teams up with the always-fast Chase Motorsports this year.  Chase Motorsports has racked up a multitude of Top Five and podium finishes in the TUNDRA event at WIR, including a win with Zehr in 2014 and a Second Place with Max Schultz last season.

TUNDRA will be joined by the Mid-Am Racing Series, WIR ¼-Mile Late Models, Wisconsin Sport Trucks, and Figure 8s. Fan gates open at noon, qualifying is at 12:30pm and racing is at 2pm.

Battle for ‘The Bear’ Presented by Great Lakes Testing
Preliminary Expected Entries
# – Driver, Hometown
2 – Jordan Thiel, Darboy, Wis.
2 – Sawyer Effertz, Darboy Wis.
2 – Lowell Bennett, Neenah, Wis.
7 – Mitchell Haver, West Bend, Wis.
10 – Andy Monday, Appleton, Wis.
11 – Alex Prunty, Lomira, Wis.
12 – Josh Butler, Kaukauna, Wis.
17 – Grant Griesbach, Pewaukee, Wis.
17 – Kevin Seidler, Kendall, Wis.
20 – Jevin Guralski, Wausau, Wis. [R]
24 – Nick Van, Greenville, Wis.
34 – Maxwell Schultz, Reedsville, Wis.
36 – Ty Fredrickson, Webster, MN [R]
36 – Tim Springstroh, Freedom, Wis.
44 – Justin Mondeik, Gleason, Wis.
47 – Riley Stenjem, Utica, Wis.
49 – Jerry Mueller, Richfield, Wis.
52 – Brock Heinrich, Wausau, Wis.
52 – Brent Strelka, Freedom, Wis.
87 – Colin Reffner, Stevens Point, Wis.
91 – Mickey Schallie, Darboy, Wis.
119 – Dalton Zehr, Verona, Wis.