WEST SALEM, Wis. (June 30, 2017) – Cole Anderson didn’t waste any time finding Victory Lane in his return to racing in the Midwest. After a season of strong runs in the south, the former Dean’s Satellite and Security co-Rookie of the Year picked up his first TUNDRA Super Late Model Series win in Round Two Powered by Wisconsin Potatoes at LaCrosse Speedway Friday night.

The trio of Anderson, Dalton Zehr, and Fast Qualifier Ty Majeski surged to the front early in the Johnny’s Hobbies 50 and looked to settle the score with threatening skies looming just to the west of the five-eighths mile. Anderson was able to jump away on several restarts – once from Majeski and then twice from Zehr. From there he did not look back.

“Our car early on in the race was really rolling on the top side,” Anderson said. “I felt like that was our best bet for the first couple of laps and we really had good restarts there.”

Joel Theisen took the lead from the outside pole at the drop of the green and brought Colin Reffner along into Second. Behind them Darek Gress settled into Third. By laps three Zehr, Anderson, and Majeski took advantage of the momentum of the outside line to settle into Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth. One lap later that trio moved past Gress and started to close the gap on the lead battle.

As Reffner looked for an inside lane on Theisen, Anderson pulled even with Zehr and just edged past him at the line on lap five. This proved to be important as Reffner and Theisen tangled exiting turn four, bringing out the first yellow. Anderson inherited the lead with Zehr in Second and Majeski in Third.

On the restart Anderson elected to take the high line and Zehr selected the bottom. Anderson was able to clear Zehr off turn two and Majeski came to challenge for the runner-up spot. On lap seven Majeski found the inside line and completed the pass for Second. Because of the battle, Anderson was able to put some space between himself and the field.

Majeski got an opportunity when another caution fell on lap 14 when John Beale and Jordan DeVoy came together. Anderson once again flexed his muscle from the outside line, launching away from Majeski. One lap later Majeski dropped off the pace and pulled into the pit area. A faulty plug wire was the culprit, ending the Fast Qualifier’s feature.

Another spin on lap 15 set up a second showdown between Zehr and Anderson. This time Zehr was able to hold closer to Anderson on the inside line. However, Anderson dashed away from Zehr off turn four on the way to the line for lap 16.

A melee involving DeVoy, Gregg Pawelski, and Kyle Hansen setup the final restart on lap 29. This time Anderson selected the bottom lane, leaving the outside line for Zehr. Some sprinkles from the looming clouds were a factor in Anderson’s choice.

“I picked the bottom on the last one. I didn’t know if it was going to be wet on top, so just to be sure I went down there,” Anderson commented.

Over the second half of the race Anderson enjoyed a comfortable advantage over the rest of the pack. The most threatening moment came when two lapped cars were racing in front of Anderson and took some time to sort out so he could move past. Other than that, it was smooth sailing for the young Minnesotan.

Zehr built a healthy advantage in Second, but soon experienced issues. With less than ten laps remaining, sparks started to flow from under Zehr’s machine. Clearly his lapped times were slowing, but his advantage over the battle for Third between Michael Sauter and Mike Litchtfeld was too large.

“The sway bar broke with eight laps to go,” Zehr said. “At that point I was just in reserve mode. I don’t think we had anything for the 97 from the get go. The fastest car won the race.”

Sauter also experienced issues late in the race as his rear end began to leak during the last couple of circuits. He held on for Third over Lichtfeld and Donny Reuvers who rounded out the Top Five in his first series appearance since 2014. Leading rookie Colin Reffner finished Sixth – completing a comeback after being sent to the tail for the early skirmish with Theisen.

The next event for the TUNDRA Super Late Model Series is July 22 at Jefferson Speedway located on Higway 18 between Jefferson and Cambridge, WI. TUNDRA will once again be joined by the Midwest Truck series and local divisions to be named soon.

For more information visit http://www.jeffersonspeedway.com

KAUKAUNA, Wis. (May 13, 2017) – There is a cliché in sports about playing until the last buzzer. In Saturday’s TUNDRA Super Late Model Series Krolls West Round One Powered by Wisconsin Potatoes, Steve Apel showed why it’s not over until the checkered flag falls.

Apel chased down an ill-handling Dalton Zehr over the final four circuits of the DUKE FM 50 at Wisconsin International Raceway. He then made his move into the lead at the exit of turn four on the way to the checkered flag. It was Apel’s first TUNDRA win and his second Super Late Model victory to kick off the 2017 season.

“I knew I couldn’t get to him unless something happened,” Apel said. “Guys on this team never give up. Two wins in a row from Slinger to here, it’s been one heck of a start to the season.”

Zehr, who broke the WIR track record with a lap of 19.018 seconds earlier in the day, looked to be in position for his second TUNDRA win at the facility. However, a broken sway bar bolt left Zehr trying to nurse his ride to the finish. When Apel and Zehr exchanged handshakes in Victory Lane, Apel commented that he could see sparks from ahead with four laps remaining.

It wasn’t the first time Apel has been a threat for the win in TUNDRA’s events at WIR. Apel led a portion of the race last season, but settled for a Third Place finish behind Ty Majeski and Casey Johnson. Two seasons ago Apel set fast time and came up just short of a last-lap move on Majeski for the win.

“The TUNDRA Series is awesome,” Apel said. “They put on a heck of a show for all the fans that came out. We’re glad to win here. We’ll try to be back more this year.”

Apel secured the initial lead when he surged past fellow front-row starter Alex Prunty. The outside line proved strong at the outset with Travis Sauter moving to Second and Brent Strelka to Third. On lap two Bobby Kendall slid to Fourth and Zehr (who had started Tenth behind Kendall) dashed to Fifth.

As Apel opened up his advantage, Kendall and Zehr went to work on Strelka. Kendall took third with Zehr in tow on lap six. On lap later Jordan Thiel moved toward the Top Five by following Zehr past Strelka. On lap 11 Zehr made his move past Kendall and set his sights on the Top Two.

While the battles in the Top Five raged on Maxwell Schultz and Andy Monday started ascending through the Top Ten. Schultz moved to Fifth on lap ten and Monday began to pressure Jordan Thiel for Sixth on lap 13.

The first caution of the race came for a spin on lap 17. By this point Zehr had made his way past Travis Sauter for Second and had the opportunity to joust with Apel on the front row for the restart. Apel and Zehr stayed side-by-side for two laps after the restart, racing in close quarters. Zehr made the move past Apel on lap 18, just before the yellow flag fell again when Monday was sent spinning in turn Four. Defending Thursday Night Champion Jeff Van Oudenhoven was also collected. Unfortunately, neither he nor Monday were able to return.

Just as they had on the previous restart, Apel and Zehr reset on the front row. With some space to work on the outside Zehr jumped away at the drop of the green. Apel held within several car lengths to keep pressure on the leader, but would not get another chance to challenge until a restart after Brent Strelka broke a brake line on lap 22.

Once again Zehr was able to escape Apel, but could not shake him. Apel closed the gap on several occasions, however he was unable to make a move.

While the leaders continued their cat-and-mouse chase up front, two drivers continued their moves toward the front. Maxwell Schutlz settled into Fourth at the midway point then closed the gap on Third-Place Travis Sauter. Schultz continued to peek to the inside on Sauter over the final 20 circuits.

Behind that battle, Dean’s Satellite and Security Rookie contender Colin Reffner enjoyed a solid run. After settling in at the back of the Top Ten earlier in the race, Reffner came to life. He moved to Sixth by the midway point and grabbed Fifth away from Kendall on lap 19. Reffner then chased down the duo of Sauter and Shultz with less than ten laps remaining.

As attention turned to the scraps for Third, Fourth, and Fifth, Zehr and Apel hit lapped traffic in the final ten laps. It appeared as though Zehr would have no problem negotiating the traffic even though Apel was closing the gap again.

With two to go it became very apparent that Apel was the faster of the two. He chewed up nearly ten car lengths on lap 48 and was within striking distance on the final circuit. Apel had to clear one final lap car after the white flag fell, then made his move through three and four to catch and eventually pass Zehr.

Behind the stunning finish Sauter was able to hold off Schultz for Third. Reffner, still hot on the heels of those drivers, secured Fifth in his first ever appearance at WIR.

TRUTE SWEEPS SPORTSMAN TWIN 20s
Dave Trute sure doesn’t mind making trips to the D-shaped half-mile of Wisconsin International Raceway. With his win in the two 20-lap Sportsman features on Saturday, Trute is now a perfect three for three.

John Zuch and Dylan Wenzel led the first feature to green with Wenzel getting a jump. Some space opened quickly for Trute and Dusty Mann. Mann tracked down Wenzel and took the lead on lap five. Trute followed into Second, then took the lead on lap seven.

Behind Trute and Mann, fast qualifier Greg Back made his move to Third. Once he put Mann in his rear view mirror, Back tried to track down Trute. Unfortunately for Back, there was not enough time to catch up in the final circuits.

With the field inverted for the second 20-lapper Back and Trute started at the tail end of the field to settle the overall win. Brett Bray and Ryan Manthei exchanged the lead in the early going, but Bray settled into and built the lead.

The top four from the previous 20 – Jason Stark, Mann, Back and Trute – had to wait patiently for things to open up. While they raced in close quarters contact was made which caused a flat right rear on Back’s machine. Back then spun in turns one and two bringing out the yellow. He was unable to continue.

After the restart Trute made some daring moves on the way to the front. He went three wide to move into Fourth, then again to move into Second. By the time he moved to the runner-up spot Stark had built a large lead. That lead was erased, however, when Ryan Manthei spun with less than five laps remaining.

An opportunity to close the gap under yellow was all Trute needed as he hounded Stark and eventually made his pass with two laps to go. Stark went on to finish Second in the second 20-lap feature and overall. Dylan Wenzel secured third in the overall with a move past Andy Casavant on the final lap of the second 20 lapper.

Up Next…
The TUNDRA Super Late Model Series Powered by Wisconsin Potatoes heads to the western portion of Wisconsin with a stop at LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway in West Salem on Friday, June 30. More information on start times will be available shortly through TUNDRA’s web site and social media pages.

JEFFERSON, Wis. (September 19, 2016) – Having swept Friday and Saturday’s Late Model events, Casey Johnson had to feel good heading into Sunday’s TUNDRA Super Late Model Series Round Six Powered by Wisconsin Potatoes at Jefferson Speedway.  Even with a different car owner and fresh competition, there was no stopping Johnson.

Johnson battled past fellow title contender Dalton Zehr on lap 37 of the 75-lap main event and dashed away on several restarts to pick up his second career TUNDRA win at his home track and first series title.

Although there was still a realistic chance that Zehr could take the title away – he had erased a 24-point deficit last season – that bit of history didn’t seem to shake any confidence Johnson had for the weekend.  In fact, he knew that being at his home track would be a great opportunity to find Victory Lane for the first time in 2016.

“I got a call from the car owner a couple days ago,” Johnson said.  “He told me to go to this race not thinking about points and to go get him a trophy.  It was fun coming here with that mentality.”

It was the third time in the series’ six seasons the Champion capped the season with a win.  Dennis Prunty sealed the Championship with a win in 2012 and Dalton Zehr accomplished the feat last season.

The win and the title prove to loom large for Johnson, who admitted he’s trying to get his name on the Super Late Model scene.  A win with Chase Motorsports in the Red, White and Blue series at Wisconsin International Raceway earlier this season began that process.  A touring title only serves to help him continue that quest.

“It feels great,” Johnson said.  “We’ve been looking for this for a while.”

Any thoughts that the title could elude Johnson came just after qualifying.  Johnson set fast time and a new TUNDRA track record, but then pulled the invert during opening ceremonies.  An invert of 12 put Zehr on the pole and left Johnson with some work to be done.

Outside pole-sitter Eric Connell took the lead from Zehr at the outset of the race, but eventually surrendered the top spot to him on lap ten.  By this point Johnson had moved from his 12^th-place starting spot to ninth.  Perhaps the biggest scare of the weekend was awaiting Johnson on lap 18.

While racing for fourth, Kelsey Dassow and Michael Ostdiek came together down the back stretch.  Still in close quarters heading into three and four Ostdiek contacted Dassow, which sent her spinning.  Johnson dived to the bottom, which proved to be the way through.  Those who tried to avoid on the outside weren’t as fortunate.

Although it was a stroke of luck, it’s nothing Johnson hasn’t seen at his home track before. His run to the front Sunday was a similar formula to that which he used to win the 2014 event – stay patient early, then strike when the time is right.

This time, however, it had Championship implications.

“At the very start you had to be real cautious and let everything shake out a little bit,” he said.  “Once we got into the Top Five and the lead was in sight, we were able to go at it.”

Patience certainly was a virtue for Johnson, but making good decisions for the restarts proved just as important.  With multiple drivers choosing the outside line behind Zehr for the restart, Johnson ducked behind Mike Lichtfeld in the second row.  When the green fell, Johnson was able to secure Second and set his sights on the lead duo.

Just as Johnson had caught Lichtfeld and engaged him in a battle for Second on lap 31, a caution fell when Jordan Thiel and Jordan Ives came together on the front stretch, sending Ives spinning to the infield.  Both were sent to the tail, but would not stay back there for long.

This time Johnson decided to stay behind Zehr for the restart.  Just two laps after the green came back out, Johnson cleared Lichtfeld and looked to close the gap on Zehr.  On lap 35 Johnson slipped to the bottom as Zehr tried to hold him off up top.  Two laps later, Johnson cleared his title-contending rival and dashed away into the lead.

Although Johnson was strong out front, there were still challenges to come.  After another yellow on lap 47, Johnson and Lichtfeld squared off in the front row.  Lichtfeld held close, but Johnson was able to pull away.  At that point Zehr tried to retake the Second spot from Lichtfeld, but spun on lap 48.  Just like Thiel and Ives, Zehr’s day in the Top Five was not complete.

Just as he did on the previous restart, Johnson escaped Lichtfeld and built a lead.  Behind the Top Two Jordan DeVoy and Ryan Farrell were disputing Third.  The two drivers who were former crew members together for both James Swan and Dan Church had a spirited battle.  However, Farrell got into the back of DeVoy in turn two on lap 65, which sent DeVoy spinning.  Both were sent to the tail, which brought Thiel and Ives back into the Top Five.

Much as it had been before, Johnson’s restart was masterful and he cruised away from the pack.  He would face one final restart in single file formation after the yellow fell for debris with four to go, but it was just a formality on the way to the win.

“I’ve raced with Mike [Lichtfeld] a lot, so I knew he wasn’t going to do anything too crazy.  He’s a heck of a race car driver.  I wasn’t too worried running on the outside of him – got to thank him for running me clean,” Johnson said of the restarts.

For Lichtfeld, a second straight podium finish and a TUNDRA career-best Second was a solid way to cap off a season that started with a string of bad luck.  He knew that although he was in contention, it would be difficult to leave Wisconsin’s Action Track with a win.

“That’s kind of going to school on a Sunday when you’re with Casey Johnson here,” Lichtfeld said.  “We came down here and watched him put a whooping on them Friday night.  I guess he did it last night and he put an old fashion whooping on us again today.”

Behind Lichtfeld, Thiel’s battle back to Third had major point implications.  Coming into the race Thiel was Third in standings and the altercation earlier in the race had sent him down to Fifth.  His run back to the front helped him retake Third with a 17-point pad over Lichtfeld.

“We had one hell of a car and it felt good all day,” Thiel said.  “Getting in that little scuffle and getting sent to the back didn’t help anything, but sometimes driving angry is a good thing.”

Thiel had to hold on for dear life over the final five circuits as he was tested furiously by Zehr.  Zehr found the inside line and came up just inches shy of a podium spot at the line.  Jordan Ives rounded out the Top Five with his TUNDRA career best finish.

Although Zehr did not have the same fate as last season, he held his head high.  To go with his two Championships, Zehr has now finished Second in TUNDRA standings three times.

“Second means you were there to contend for it,” he said.  “You’re going to get a lot more Seconds than you are wins.  We’ll keep coming back and hopefully contend for the Championship next year.”

Braison Bennett sealed off the season with a solid Seventh place finish and was named the Dean’s Satellite and Security Rookie of the Year.

ROSSIER CLINCHES VINTAGE TITLE WITH WIN

Rex Rossier preceded Casey Johnson’s Championship clinching win by doing the same in the TUNDRA Vintage 25-lap feature.  Much like Johnson, Rossier set a new track record earlier in the day and had to work through the feature field.

Dick Kath stormed to an early lead in the event, but eventually was chased down and surpassed by Pat Heaney.  Heaney looked strong out front, but soon had to deal with Rossier knocking at the door for the lead.  After a restart with four laps to go, Rossier dived to the insdide line and took the top spot from Heaney on the way to the win.

Heaney finished Second, Jerry Schneider was Third, Pat Echlin was Fourth and Bryan Webb rounded out the Top Five.

SEASON COMPLETE

With the sixth season of TUNDRA in the books, the series would like to thank its partners for their involvement: Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association, Dean’s Satellite and Security, The Country Plumber, Habelman Brothers Company Cranberries, Johnnie’s Hobbies, RSI X-ray, Five Star Race Car Bodies, TD Graphics, Coleman Racing Products, Wegner Automotive Research, and Neuline Torque Arm.

TUNDRA would also like to thank Wisconsin International Raceway, Dells Raceway Park, LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway, State Park Speedway, Golden Sands Speedway, and Jefferson Speedway for their support.  In addition, a large thanks is in order to the drivers and teams who supported the series at the six events this season.  The series would also like to thank the drivers and teams of the Midwest Truck Series, Sportsman division and Vintage division for their support of the events this season.

Finally, the series would like to thank its ever-growing fan base.  We appreciate your continued support and look forward to more entertaining events in 2017.

UP NEXT…

The TUNDRA Super Late Model Series is working to secure and time and location for the awards banquet.  Information will be available on the web site as soon as all is confirmed.

The 2017 TUNDRA Super Late Model Series season kicks off on Saturday, May 13 at Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna, WI.

PLOVER, Wis. (September 5, 2016) – Sometimes history takes a while to repeat itself.  Sometimes it comes rushing back in a hurry.  The latter was the case Monday afternoon in TUNDRA Super Late Model Series Round Five Powered by Wisconsin Potatoes at Golden Sands Speedway.

Mark Mackesy – fresh off holding back young Super Late Model standout Derek Kraus for his first win at State Park Speedway in Round Four – used his veteran prowess once again to fend off Kraus for his second straight win in a 75-lap main event.  With the win Mackesy became only the second driver to win back-to-back TUNDRA races.  Dalton Zehr accomplished the feat in 2011 and 2012.  However, Mackesy did become the first to go back-to-back at different tracks as Zehr’s doubles came at Dells Raceway Park.

“It’s pretty darn neat.  There are so many good drivers here,” Mackesy said.  “To say you’re on the list once is pretty amazing.  Then to do it again…you’re not a one-hit wonder.”

Despite the fact that Mackesy has plenty of laps at both tracks, his experience in recent years at Golden Sands is limited.  His visit to Victory Lane on Monday was the first time he had won at the facility in four years.

“They’re both distinctively different tracks,” Mackesy said.  “Today it helped to have the experience of running Wausau because it was a warm day and the track got slick.  We tried the same gear that we run at Wausau, but typically we don’t.  This setup is pretty darn close to what we run at Wausau.”

It almost seemed as though Mackesy had lost his chance when pole-sitter Jordan Thiel stepped away at the beginning of the feature and Mackesy settled into Third.  However, it was part of the game plan for Mackesy to take it easy at the beginning and turn up the wick at the end of the race. Mackesy’s winning move came on lap 59 when he cleared Thiel for the lead.

“I just tried to take it easy because I was actually starting to buzz the tires a little bit.  I was just trying not to spin them,” Mackesy said. “I didn’t want to over drive it and just tried to stay calm.  The 25 (Thiel) just got really free off.  I think he greased up a little bit.  He had a really good run though.”

Along with the pass for the lead, a move early in the race proved to be just as critical.  From his outside-front-row starting spot, Mackesy fell back to Third behind Thiel and Mike Lichtfeld.  He was able to tuck in line just before Kraus could get to his inside.

“I just wanted to stay in the Top Three, but Mackesy got down in front of me in the beginning of the race and we just wanted to race with him to see what we could do,” Kraus said.

With Kraus settling behind Mackesy and the Top Five beginning to take shape, Thiel stretched out his lead over Lichtfeld to almost a straightaway.  However, as the laps clicked off Lichtfeld closed the gap. Just as Lichtfeld had closed within striking distance on lap 17, the only yellow of the race fell for a dual spin of Jake Capek and Toby Rott.

On the restart, Lichtfeld chose the outside.  Both Mackesy and Kraus decided to keep the bottom lane, which allowed Ryan Farrell to jump to the outside of the second row.  On the restart Lichtfeld held on as long as he could up top, but eventually surrendered the lead to Thiel and settled in Second in front of Mackesy. Behind the lead three, Farrell had found a home in Fourth and Kraus was Fifth.

After five laps of riding in the tire tracks of Lichtfeld, Mackesy prepared to make his move.  Mackesy swung to the inside on lap 25 and grabbed the runner up spot.  Just as Mackesy made his move on Lichtfeld, Kraus slid past Farrell and into Fourth.

Just inside the Top Ten fast qualifier Michael Ostdiek was the first to make some moves.  He closed in on the Top Five, but was stuck on the outside and eventually began to slide back in the top groove before settling in.

Further back in the pack the point leaders were trying to make the best out of being caught in traffic.  Casey Johnson had fallen back early in the race, and Dalton Zehr started deep in the pack after accepting a provisional.  The duo began to pick their way through the Top Ten on lap 32.

While positions in the Top Ten were still being sorted out, Thiel did the same as he had done at the beginning of the race.  With plenty of clean air, Thiel again stretched his lead out to nearly a straightaway over the rest of the pack.  However, by lap 40 it was apparent that Mackesy was chopping away at the lead.

As Mackesy closed in on Thiel, Kraus approached the bumper of Lichtfeld.  On lap 43 Kraus found the inside lane and made his move into Third.  Although they were battling, that duo was also catching the leaders.

By lap 53 Mackesy and Kraus had erased the deficit to Thiel.  Noticing that Thiel’s machine was loosening up, Mackesy prepared to make his move.  He went to the bottom on lap 54 as Thiel tried to fend him off on the outside.  Although he put up a good fight, Thiel relinquished the lead on lap 59.  Kraus and Lichtfeld followed Mackesy into Second and Third.

Just as the Top Three prepared to step away, Wyatt Blashe made his way past Thiel into Fourth.  He quickly hooked to the bumper of Lichtfeld and kept himself in contention for the win.

Although Lichtfeld and Blashe looked swift, Mackesy and Kraus eventually separated themselves to settle the score.  Kraus closed on the bumper of Mackesy several times in the final ten laps, and took several looks to the outside.  However, Kraus could not make a run to the top, and could not find any space on the bottom.

“We fell back at the start and I didn’t think we’d get back up there,” Mackesy said.  “All of the sudden we were in the lead, then Derek was on me like stink on an ape.  He kept the pressure on.  I was hoping he’d give me a little break, but the car was really, really good.  I knew if I kept it down that he wouldn’t booger me out of the way.”

Despite the opportunities, Kraus could not find a way past Mackesy in the final laps of Round Five.  He claimed the runner-up spot for the second race in a row. “It was a really good race,” Kraus said.  “I just couldn’t go around the outside and couldn’t pass him on the inside – it wasn’t there.”

Behind the lead duo, Lichtfeld held on to Third for a podium that has eluded him so far in 2016.  Wyatt Blashe rode to a Fourth Place finish – eclipsing the career best Sixth Place finish he had set at Wausau in Round Four.

The final spot in the Top Five was up for dispute in the final circuits.  Zehr had picked his way through the field and closed in on Joel Theisen.  With five laps to go Zehr made the move past Theisen into the Top Five.  Theisen settled into Sixth, just in front of Johnson.

Johnson’s move to Seventh helped him hold his point lead over Zehr.  Johnson picked up points on Zehr in qualifying while Zehr placed Third in his heat.  The gap now sits at 24 points heading into the final event at Jefferson Speedway on September 18.

That number has some significance in speaking of history repeating itself. Zehr trailed Ty Majeski by the exact same margin last year heading into the final race at Jefferson.  Zehr went on to win the event and the title by five points.  However, with Jefferson Speedway being Johnson’s home track, some history may just end up being history.

BACK GETS TRUTE BACK

Greg Back had to work for his first TUNDRA Sportsman win in Saturday’s 40-lap main event.  After getting passed by fast qualifier Dave Trute on a restart, the Central Wisconsin native was not going to let a win slip away at his home track.

Back reeled Trute in after a pass on lap 23 and applied the pressure after another restart on lap 28 until making the final pass at the white flag.

Brandon Scholze took an early lead in the main, surging past fellow front-row starter Jason Stark.  Jason Thoma quickly slid into Third behind Schole and Stark and started to set his sights on the leaders.

Deeper in traffic Trute – who had set fast time – and Back started to work their way through the field on the heels of Mahlon Borntreger.  Borntreger made a pass on Thoma for Second on lap eight and took the lead from Scholze on lap 11.  Back followed Borntreger into Second with Trute right behind in Third.

By lap 15 Trute was checking the bottom line on Back for Second.  However, just as he seemed to find the inside, Back went to the high side and made the pass on Borntreger for the lead on lap 17.  Trute also jumped to the outside and followed to Second.

As the lead duo of Back and Trute stepped away from the pack and began to race side-by-side they quickly closed in on lapped traffic.  The lapped traffic cars were not taking notice of the move-over flag, so to prevent an incident and allow the leaders to race, race control threw a yellow flag and issued a warning to the drivers at the tail of the field.

On the restart Back chose the inside and Trute elected to take the high line.  Back initially took the lead, but Trute was able to tuck in right behind him.  On lap 23 Trute took the lead and opened up an advantage of about three car lengths.  Despite making the pass, Trute could not stretch out the advantage over Back.

With Back on his bumper held the lead until a yellow fell again on lap 28.  On the restart Trute was able to power past Back on the inside, but again Back would not fade.  Eventually Back closed to the bumper of Trute with just three laps to go and prepared to make his move.

With the pressure on Trute, Back was able to find some space on the inside line and pulled even in the battle for the lead.  As they raced to the line for the white flag Back nosed ahead and then secured the lead on the final lap.  Trute would settle for Second, Scott Luck made a solid late-race run to Third, Borntreger finished Fourth, Joe Monti rounded out the Top Five.

The TUNDRA Sportsman will not compete at Jefferson, but will have a sixth race at the Dells Raceway Park Falloween event on October 23.

ROSSIER RIVALRY TO ROYCE

The TUNDRA Vintage feature turned into a brotherly battle as Royce and Rex Rossier stepped away from the pack to settle the score in the 25-lap main event.  In the end Royce Rossier was able to deny his brother Rex a third straight win.

Both Royce and Rex – who had set fast time – rocketed through the field.  Royce was first to get to the head of the pack, with Rex joining him shortly after.  Over the final half of the race Rex got to the bumper of Royce and searched for a way to the outside.  Each time he tried the outside, his machine snapped sideways and he was forced to tuck back in line.

Royce went on to beat his brother by just a few car lengths at the start/finish line.  Rex settled for Second, Pat Echlin was Third, Pat Heaney was Fourth, and Dick Kath rounded out the Top Five.

UP NEXT….

The TUNDRA Super Late Model Series rounds out its 2016 season at Wisconsin’s Action Track Jefferson Speedway on Sunday, September 18.  Round Six Powered by Wisconsin Potatoes will be part of the now three-day Wisconsin State Championships which begin Friday, September 16.  The Sunday program will feature the TUNDRA Super Late Models, Midwest Truck Series, Vintage, Legends and Bandoleos.  Qualifying is scheduled for 12:30 and racing is at 2 P.M.

Jefferson Speedway is located on Highway 18 between Jefferson and Cambridge, WI.  For more information visit http://www.jeffersonspeedway.com

WAUSAU, Wis. (August 14, 2016) – The 75-lap TUNDRA Super Late Model Series Powered by Wisconsin Potatoes feature on Sunday evening at State Park Speedway was full of twists and turns.  When the dust settled it was multiple-time track Champion Mark Mackesy who showed that there is little substitute for years of experience at the tricky quarter mile.

Mackesy aced the outside line on a restart with ten laps remaining to pull away from 14-year-old up-and-comer Derek Kraus.  It was Mackesy’s second time on the podium in a TUNDRA race, and retribution for a Seventh Place finish in last year’s event.

“That’s pretty neat.  We haven’t won a big race here since the Flip Merwin Memorial race in 2013,” Mackesy said.  “To beat this stellar field of cars that’s here tonight is amazing.  There is so much talent in this feature tonight, it’s unbelievable.”

The win was also satisfaction after a tough week of healing an ailing machine.  Mackesy suffered what he thought were motor issues in State Park’s Thursday event.

“I thought we had some motor issues and we weren’t going to run,” he said.  “We worked on it yesterday.  It wasn’t the motor at all.  I actually had some loose battery cables.”

The feature worked its way to a boil slowly.  Ernie Schlough seized the lead from the pole position driving the #7-11 which is piloted by reigning TUNDRA Champion and fast qualifier Dalton Zehr at State Park on Thursday nights.  Schlough looked every bit as confident behind the wheel as Zehr as he paced the field through the first 20 circuits while the quicker qualifiers were mired deep in traffic.  Even a caution and restart on lap 15 couldn’t shake Schlough.

Once the field had settled in from the lap-15 restart the plot began to thicken.  On lap 21 Zehr tried to duck to the bottom line in front of point leader Casey Johnson.  Zehr spun and Johnson rode up the track.  The point leaders and fastest qualifiers had just slid into the Top Ten after starting 11^th and 12^th on the grid.  Zehr’s machine appeared to suffer the most damage with some body work hanging.

Zehr accepted blame for the incident and attempted to use the gentleman’s agreement to allow Johnson to take his spot back.  However, both cars went to the pit area to assess the damage.  By rule, once a car leaves the track it must restart at the tail of the field.  Both Johnson and Zehr went to work regaining positions immediately after the green fell again.

Up front, Schlough continued to battle Billy Mohn for several laps after the restart, but was too strong on the inside line.  Schlough’s solid effort forced Mohn to tuck back in line in Second.  Through the next 15 laps, the field continued to tiptoe on the inside line while track position looked to be at a premium.  However, another caution caused another shakeup on lap 37.  It involved Zehr for the second time and he and Bryan Keske wrestled for position.

The lap 37-restart brought some changes to the front of the field.  Ryan Farrell was able to work past Billy Mohn for Second and brought Kraus into Third.  The duo of Farrell and Kraus feverishly worked to chase down Schlough, but would not catch up until a yellow came out for another spin on lap 47.

By this point two cars were starting to find their stride.  Both Mike Lichtfeld and Mackesy had been hanging in the Top Ten throughout the first half of the race.  On the lap-47 restart both were in the Top Six and were prepared to make some moves after the green fell again.  Just after the field was set back into motion, Kraus stole Second from Farrell and Lichtfeld followed to Third.  Mackesy moved past Farrell just four laps later.

Although Schlough had another comfortable cushion after the restart, he was unable to run away from Kraus.  However, Kraus was caught by Lichtfeld on lap 59.  A quick slide to the inside allowed Lichtfeld to take the runner-up spot and set his sights on Schlough.  Mackesy soon caught Kraus and prepared to battle for Third.

On Lap 64 Lichtfeld was to the bumper of Schlough for the lead.  Just after the lead pair crossed the line for lap 65, Lichtfeld prepared to make his move.  He looked to the inside entering turn one, then tried to hold the line coming off turn two for a run down the back stretch.  Unfortunately for both drivers, space became limited.  The two came together, sending Schlough spinning into the infield.  Lichtfeld would have to rejoin at the tail of the field and Schlough’s excellent TUNDRA debut was cut short.

The tangle between the leaders set up the lap-65 restart in which Mackesy elected to take the high line on Kraus.  No other driver was able to make the line work, but the years of experience paid dividends for Mackesy.

“I could see when I was behind Derek that he couldn’t get up and out of the corners and I could get a good run,” Mackesy said.  “I knew if I could get a run on him through the corner I could get around him on the outside.”

“That was a lot of work,” he commented.  “We started so deep in the field and we just had a hard time getting through traffic.”

Behind Mackesy Kraus settled for Second.  “We had a pretty good car, we just didn’t have the forward drive off and that’s where he beat us,” Kraus commented.

Although his bid for three straight feature wins came up just one spot shy, Kraus was pleased with the run.  He continues to impress with a calm demeanor, and an ability to stay out of troublesome spots.

The frantic day of Dalton Zehr continued behind Kraus.  While most attention was focused on the battles for the lead up front, Zehr was on a mission.  He had moved to Fourth with just two laps to go and quickly closed on Farrell as the white flag fell.  Zehr used some physicality to open up the inside line in the final sweep through three and four, and stole Third at the checkered.  Farrell settled for Fourth and Mohn rounded out the Top Five.

With his move into Third, Zehr was able to salvage what could have been a harmful day in the TUNDRA points race.

“It definitely wasn’t my proudest race,” Zehr said.  “We were involved in a lot of yellows and I really don’t like being in any of them.  It’s a tight track and tough to get around.  Unfortunately we made more contact with guys than I would like to.  But we were able to make it back up to Third all the same.”

Johnson was able to salvage his day after the incident with Zehr as well.  Although he did not make the same kind of late run, Johnson was still able to return to the Top Ten and finish Seventh.  His lead now sits at 29 points atop the standings heading into the next race at Golden Sands Speedway.

TRUTE HOLDS OFF VOLM IN SPORTSMAN

An incredible battle for the win wasn’t just for the Super Late Models to display.  The 30-lap Sportsman race came down to the final circuits as fast qualifier Travis Volm pressured Dave Trute.  Trute was able to hold on and secure his second win of the season.

Scott Luck grabbed the early lead from the front row and began to check out over the rest of the pack.  Behind him Jason Thoma had secured Second and would soon be run down by the trio of Trute, Volm and Greg Back.

At the halfway point Trute made his move on Thoma for Second.  By opening up the inside line, Trute brought Volm to Third and Back to Fourth.  Just three laps later the trio had caught Luck and were ready to test him for the lead.

On lap 19 Luck was shaken off the bottom line, which allowed Trute to cruise to the lead.  The slip by Luck was unfortunate for Volm who was challenging for Second on the outside.  Volm fell back behind Back and had to recover quickly.  By lap 25 he moved past Back into Second and set his sights on Trute.

After three laps Volm had caught the back end of Trute.  He took a quick look to the outside, but then tucked back in line before the white flag fell.  Volm kept right on Trute’s bumper through one and two, but could not get to the inside.  Entering three and four, Volm again looked low, but found no space to make the pass.

Trute went on to win by a car length over Volm, Back was Third, John Zuch finished Fourth, and Thoma rounded out the Top Five.  The win propelled Trute back into the point lead of the division.

ROSSIER ROCKETS TO ANOTHER VINTAGE WIN

Rex Rossier made it two Vintage wins in a row after he carefully picked through the field in the 30-lap feature.  Rossier took the lead from Pat Heaney on lap 18 and didn’t look back.

There was one final challenge that Rossier would have to face – a long yellow after one of the machines dropped fluid around the track.  With some oil dry down on the surface, Rossier was still able to hold off Heaney and his brother Royce on the restart.

Heaney went on to finish Second, fast qualifier Jerry Schneider made a late pass on Royce Rossier for Third and Darrell Paasch finished Fifth.

UP NEXT…

The TUNDRA Super Late Model Series heads to Golden Sands Speedway for Round Five Powered by Wisconsin Potatoes on Labor Day, Monday, September 5.  Racing will begin at 2 P.M.  TUNDRA will be joined by the Midwest Truck Series, Vintage, and Sportsman.

WEST SALEM, Wis. (July 2, 2016) – The TUNDRA Super Late Model Series has visited nine tracks since it began as the Alive For Five Super Late Model Series in 2011.  Dalton Zehr has now won at eight of those nine tracks.

The two-time and reigning series Champion put a check mark next to LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway on Friday night as he survived several restarts to win the Johnny’s Hobbies 50.  The win was his 11^th in TUNDRA and 100^th of his career.

“We’ve been doing a lot of racing,” Zehr said of his team’s 2016 calendar.  “Any time you can do a lot of racing you build momentum behind the team and they get better at working together.”

Starts and restarts proved to be a critical formula for Zehr and some of the other quick machines to come through the field.  A ten-car invert placed Jordan Thiel on the pole for the 50-lap feature alongside Joel Thiesen.  Thiel broke away in the first ten laps before a caution gave those faster qualifiers a chance to work some magic on the lane choice.

On the lap 10 restart, Johnson, Nick Panitzke and Zehr chose the outside line behind Thiesen.  This particular restart would prove to be crucial in shaping the eventual podium as Johnson moved to Second, Panitzke to Third, and Zehr settled in Fifth.

“We chose the outside on (that) restart, which I honestly thought was a little bit of a risky move.  I’m not sure what happened on that inside row, but it checked up pretty good.  Then it was a race to the front from there.”

As the field began to sort out from the lap 10 restart, Johnson closed the gap on Thiel in front, but was unable to make a move.  On lap 16 the top four had broken away from Thiesen in Fifth and the battle for Sixth which included Travis Dassow, Mike Lichtfeld and Ty Majeski.  With some ground to make up, Majeski moved past Lichtfeld on lap 18 and Dassow on lap 20.

Unfortunately for the night’s fastest qualifier, the race came to an end just five laps later.  Majeski slowed on the front stretch and attempted to pull off the track surface after it appeared he lost all power in his machine.

The restart at lap 25 pitted Thiel on the inside and Johnson to his outside.  After one botched restart, Johnson powered past Thiel through turns one and two to take the top spot.  Zehr followed on the outside into Second and Panitzke secured Third just three laps later.

Just as the race was approaching lap 30, Zehr began to challenge Johnson for the lead.  Zehr slid to the inside line on lap 30 and began a back-and-forth battle with Johnson.  Zehr nosed past Johnson by mere inches at the line on lap 32, just before a caution came out for a spun Lichtfeld on the front stretch.  Zehr was given the lead and the critical first choice when the TUNDRA barrel was placed to pick a lane for the restart.

Surprisingly, Zehr chose the outside on the restart, giving Johnson the bottom groove.  Johnson enjoyed an exceptional restart and cleared Zehr without issue.  Johnson built an advantage of about three car lengths until the yellow fell again when Michael Sauter came to a stop on the back stretch.

This time it was Johnson who had the first choice.  Just like Zehr on the previous caution, Johnson selected the outside line, leaving the bottom for Zehr.  Johnson tried to clear Zehr on the top side, but could not turn him away.  Zehr held on in the low groove as the pair raced door-to-door for the next two circuits.  Finally on lap 36 Zehr was able to surge past Johnson and secure the top spot.

“It was kind of a shaky call,” Johnson said of selecting the top groove.  “I got him on the inside before that but I thought maybe we’d get a run on the outside.  But I spun the tires and that was all it took.”

There was still some doubt to be had about a Zehr win.  With 11 laps remaining Panitzke swiped Second from Johnson and set his sights on running down the leader.  Although he made up some ground, it appeared Panitzke would need some help to close the gap.  That help came on lap 47 when a final caution fell for a Joel Thiesen spin.

Because the restart came with less than 5 laps left, the field was single-file at the drop of the green.  Zehr played the restart to perfection and had enough of a cushion to keep Panitzke in the rear view mirror.

“Restarts weren’t our best game for sure, so I was glad to see that last one be single file,” Zehr said.

For the former Champion Panitzke, a Second Place finish in his return to the series was a satisfactory result.   “We had a lot of fun coming back to TUNDRA.  I kind of let (Zehr) and (Johnson) go and figured I’d let them beat up on each other a little bit and see if I could capitalize late, but they kind of cleared up.”

Behind Panitzke, Johnson scored yet another podium finish in TUNDRA action.  To go with his two Second Place finishes already, the Third Place finish helped cap another decent day in regard to the TUNDRA standings.   “Not a bad day at all.  Obviously we’re hunting for trophies but in the long run it was definitely a good points day.”

Nick Barstad enjoyed a solid late-race run to take Fourth in just his second ever TUNDRA start.  After leading the race early, Thiel held on for a TUNDRA career-best finish of Fifth.

Despite Zehr’s win, Johnson’s better qualifying effort and a lap led secured enough bonus points to keep his healthy lead in the standings.  He holds a 49-point edge over Zehr, who moved to Second and a 72-point lead over Dassow.  Terry Schoppenhorst sits in Fourth, 84 points out of the top spot.  Thiel’s Fifth place finish moved him to Fifth in the standings, 94 points out of the lead.

The Super Late Models will enjoy a six-week break until the next event at State Park Speedway.

Double the Fun for Prietzel in Sportsman Twin Features

Patience was the name of the game for the faster cars in the wildly entertaining Sportsman twin features.  Veteran and Hall of Fame racer Bill Prietzel played that game to perfection, picking up both 15-lap events.

Prietzel also collected an extra $200 from Dean’s Satellite and Security for his trips to Victory Lane.

Rachel Kallas and John Zuch led the field to green in the first feature.  The two leaders jousted for the top spot for the first five laps, until Kallas secured the lead.  Just after she took the top spot, Kallas immediately was pressured by LaCrosse regular Brian Hesselberg.  Hesselberg took the lead on lap six as Prietzel and fast qualifier Dave Trute scrapped for Second.

Although on the outside, Prietzel was able to take the lead from Hesselberg with three laps left in the first feature.  Trute followed quickly and set his sights on Prietzel.  Meanwhile, Greg Back had captured Third and was closing quickly.

Trute tried frantically to find a line past Prietzel, but could not make the last-lap pass.  Prietzel cruised to the win in the first 15 and Back was able to clip Trute at the line for Second.

In the second 15-lap feature Kallas and Zuch again led the field to green, but this time their battle for the top spot intensified.  There was little to no separation between the two.  When Kallas pulled ahead, Zuch fought back.  When Zuch had the edge, Kallas regained position.

Things finally broke free with three laps to go when Zuch finally cleared Kallas.  The result was a mad scramble as Trute, Back and Prietzel tried to rush to the lead.  With two laps to go both Trute and Prietzel were winding up ready to make their moves on the leader from as far back as fifth and sixth.

Back tucked into second on the inside behind Zuch, Trute was behind Back and Prietzel had taken Fourth when the white flag fell.  As the top four went into turn one Trute attempted to go to the inside of Back, leaving the outside for Prietzel.  Prietzel went door-to-door with Back down the back stretch, then charged to pull even with Zuch through turns three and four.  With a run to the stripe, Prietzel was able to hold off Zuch by half a car length.  Back was Third and Trute had to settle for Fourth.

Drivers were awarded points on the average of their finishes.  The order was Prietzel, Back, Trute, Zuch, Hasselberg, and Kallas.

Rossier Rockets to Vintage Win

The Stockton Rocket was back in form in the 25-lap Vintage feature event.  After setting fast time earlier in the evening, Rex Rossier blazed a path to the front of the field and picked up his first series win of the season.

Roger Peterson and Royce Rossier battled for the lead early, only to see Rex on their doorstep by lap four.  After making the pass on Peterson, Rex went to the outside of his brother Royce to take the lead.

A yellow fell for a spin with ten laps to go, giving Dave Gawronski and Ken Lewis a chance to steal the win from Rossier.  However, the battle between Lewis and Gawronski allowed Rossier to escape.  Gawronski finished Second, Lewis Third, JJ Meyer was Fourth and Gene Pennington rounded out the Top Five.

Next Up…

TUNDRA will take a mid-summer break and be back in action on Sunday, August 14 at State Park Speedway.  Details on the event will be release in the coming weeks on TUNDRA’s web site.

State Park Speedway is located at the foot of Rib Mountain at 5711 North Mountain Rd in Wausau.  For more information visit http://www.stateparkspeedway.com

WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. (June 4, 2016) – The rains came, the red flag was displayed and a large pause was put on TUNDRA Super Late Model Series Round Two Powered by Wisconsin Potatoes on Saturday at Dells Raceway Park.  At that point, some of the Prunty clan decided to make their way back to a local campground.

“The kids are at the campground waiting for me. I guess it’s better than seeing me finish last,” Prunty joked.

What they missed was another dazzling run by the former TUNDRA Champion at the third-mile.  After the rain delay on lap 12 of 75 Prunty methodically picked his way from eighth to second, putting himself in a good position when race leader Mike Lichtfeld’s machine experienced electrical issues.

“We’ve been really strong here over the past couple of years,” Prunty said of his continued success at the venue.

The win was the third in TUNDRA action for Prunty.  All three have been at DRP including the Championship clinching feature win in 2012.  The last time Prunty appeared in a TUNDRA event at DRP he finished Second in 2014.

Although Prunty was able to claim victory, there were several key moments after the race resumed which put him in position to capitalize.  The biggest key could have been his pass on Casey Johnson for Third on lap 48 as Johnson proved to be strong in the late stages of the feature.

Once into Third, Punty went on the attack to take Second from Travis Dassow on lap 51.  After Prunty took the spot, it looked as though he would need a monumental run to catch Lichtfeld, who had captured the lead shortly after the race resumed from the rain delay on lap 12.  Lichtfeld’s lead was nearly a straightaway, and he was having no trouble picking off lapped traffic.

However, shortly after Prunty had taken Second away, a distinct rumbling sound began under the hood of the 44.  Although Lichtfeld continued to nurse the machine, it was clear that he was underpowered and unable to hold off the rest of the field.  Prunty caught him on lap 54 to take the lead.  Dassow followed back into Second with Johnson right on his bumper in Third.

As Prunty started to build a lead, Johnson tested Dassow.  He was able to make the pass on lap 59 and set his sights on Prunty, who was starting to find the thickest lapped traffic.  With laps clicking off the board, Johnson continued to make gains and was to Prunty’s bumper with less than ten laps remaining.

After a few challenges in the final five circuits, Johnson was continually turned away.  Finally, with two laps to go, Prunty was able to get some breathing room after clearing more lapped traffic.

“We were right there, I don’t know if I would have had enough for him,” Johnson said of the battle with Prunty.  “Traffic played a big part in the race.”

Behind the lead duo, reigning two-time TUNDRA Champion Dalton Zehr was making a frantic run to cap a frantic day.  He made the pass on Dassow for third with six laps remaining, securing a podium finish after going to the back of the field.

“That’s only half of the day,” Zehr said of his finish.  “We showed up with a rear end that was blown out and worked on it throughout all of practice.  We started at the back of the pack and had a fast race car obviously.  The thing was just awesome in traffic.  In open traffic I think the two guys in front of me would have been really hard to pass.”

Aside from the problems during practice, Zehr was also involved in a caution on lap 12, just before the rains came.  When the field came out to finish drying the track, he experienced a dead battery, which was changed in time to get him out at the tail end of the field before the green fell again.

Although the defending Champion may have saved his chances to contend again, there is still a gap to make up due to the strong runs of Johnson, Dassow and Bobby Kendall, who sit ahead of Zehr in the TUNDRA standings.

With his second consecutive runner-up finish, Johnson has made an early statement in the TUNDRA points.  He leads Dassow by 34 markers.  Kendall is just 49 points behind, with Zehr (53 behind) and Terry Schoppenhorst (57 points behind) rounding out the Top Five.

Johnson, who has won a TUNDRA race in his own Super Late Model, was quick to credit the relationship with Chase Motorsports, now in its second season.

“This car has been real stout,” he said. “We’ve finished Second in both TUNDRA races and qualified top two in both of them.  Any time I get a chance to sit in here, I’ll do it.”

He’ll get another chance to sit behind the wheel at the next event which is Friday, July 1 at LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway.  Johnson finished Seventh in the event last season, one spot behind Zehr.  Dassow has had a team driver compete for him at the last two events – his wife Kelsey last season, and Brad Keith two seasons ago.  Kendall last competed with TUNDRA at LaCrosse in 2014.  He finished Eighth.

KALLAS GRABS SPORTSMAN CHECKERED

The second TUNDRA Sportsman Series feature event provided just as much excitement as the first.  Seventeen-year-old Rachel Kallas held off Hall of Fame racer Bill Prietzel to capture the feature win.

It was Kallas’ second career feature win in a Super Stock/Sportsman type car.  She has also been competing in the Late Model division at Dells Raceway Park.

With curfew looming and another race to run afterward, the feature length was shortened to 18 laps.  Kallas and Jason Thoma led the field to green and remained side-by-side for the first six laps of the race.  The incredibly competitive field remained nose to tail behind them.

Kallas was able to clear Thoma on lap six, leaving him to deal with Bryce Miller.  As they went side-by-side, Prietzel and Greg Back found enough room to make some passes into the Top Five.  On lap 10 Prietzel moved to Third with Back coming to fourth.  Meanwhile, it was tough sledding for fast qualifier Dave Trute, who was still bottled up in traffic.

On lap 12, Prietzel caught and made the pass on Miller for Second.  Back soon followed.  Trute had finally shaken free and was closing in on the Top Five.

In the final five laps Prietzel began to size up Kallas.  She was able to fend off Prietzel’s charge just after the white flag fell and dashed back to the line for the win.  Back beat Trute by a nose to the line for Third and Kevin Berg narrowly slipped past Miller for Fifth at the stripe.

ECHLIN HOLDS OFF SCHNEIDER IN TUNDRA VINTAGE

A long ride from Dyer, Indiana and a long night of waiting ended up worthwhile for Pat Echlin.  He captured the win in the TUNDRA Sportsman feature by holding off a charge from Round One winner Jerry Schneider.

Just like the Sportsman race, the feature had to be shorted due to curfew.  Echlin cruised to the front of the field and built a healthy advantage before Schneider attempted to track him down.

Rex Rossier was Third, Ken Lewis was Fourth, and Royce Rossier rounded out the Top Five.

UP NEXT…

TUNDRA heads to LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway for Round Three Powered by Wisconsin Potatoes on Friday, July 1.  The program will feature Super Late Models, Sportsman, Vintage and the Midwest Truck Series.  Racing is scheduled to begin at 7:30.  More details on the event will be released soon.

LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway is located at N4985 Cty Rd M in West Salem, Wis.  For more information visit www.lacrossespeedway.com

KAUKAUNA, Wis. (May 8, 2016) – Saturday’s Duke FM 50 for the TUNDRA Super Late Model Series as part of Round One Powered by Wisconsin Potatoes was eerily reminiscent of the 2015 season opener.  This time, however, Ty Majeski was the chaser instead of the chasee.  And this time he was able to make the pass.

Majeski picked up his second straight TUNDRA season-opening win at Wisconsin International Raceway after carefully ascending through the field and making a late-race pass of Steve Apel, who chased Majeski to the finish line last season.

Just like last season, the battle between Majeski and Apel raged on for over a dozen laps before it was finally settled.  Apel had paced the field for the first 27 laps from the front row without much of a challenge.  Fellow front-row starter Brent Strelka kept close, but Apel was able to distance himself as the race matured.

Then, a caution on lap 27 tightened the field.  By this time Majesi was to Third.  After making the pass on Strelka after the restart, he set his sights on Apel.  What ensued was another dazzling battle between the two young Super Late Model stars.  Majeski began his challenges immediately after passing Strelka on lap 28, but could not make the pass.

With a Red, White and Blue Championship under his belt from last season, Apel looked like a sly veteran of the half-mile.  Any time Majeski got to the inside to provide a challenge, Apel would get a perfect run off turn two or four to clear Majeski and settle back into the lead.  As time ticked away, Majeski’s efforts stepped up.  He eventually made his fateful move on lap 43.

Entering turn one Majeski was able to force Apel’s hand by changing his line.  Apel tried to hold him off, but this time could not get enough of a run off turn two to defend the lead.

“It’s a little tough when you’re side by side,” Majeski said.  “The outside is definitely preferred.  I crowded him up just a little bit just to ruin his run off turn two and that was enough to do it.”

While Majeski and Apel were battling, last year’s Third Place finisher was reeling in the leaders.  Casey Johnson was on Majeski’s bumper when he made the pass for the lead.  He then followed Majeski into Second and had hopes of challenging for the win.

As the final laps clicked off Johnson held within striking distance of Majeski and looked to be setting up for a final challenge.  He got his opportunity when the second yellow fell on lap 48 for oil spotted in the top racing groove in turns one and two.  After the cleanup Majeski paced the field to perfection.  He jumped away from Johnson to the tune of three car lengths and didn’t look back.

Although pleased with a strong run through the field to Second, Johnson was hoping to capitalize on the restart.  He said his car was best on long runs, but may have had an opportunity.  “On that last restart we thought we might have had something,” Johnson said.  “But Ty knew what he had to do to hold on and he did it.”

In similar fashion to the previous two TUNDRA events at WIR, the 2016 version featured plenty of passing and drivers coming from deep in the field to challenge for the win.  Majeski started 11^th on the grid.  Johnson started 12^th.  Ironically enough, Johnson had passed Majeski early in the race and blazed a path to the front.  Majeski made his pass on the outside of Johnson on lap 11 for the Fifth position.

In fact, most of Majeski’s passes – with the exception of the one for the lead – were made by going to the high side.  Johnson’s path to the front was similar.  “I got to the outside really quickly and had a pretty good battle back there,” Majeski said of his run through the field.  “After that I started picking them off one by one.”

Behind the Majeski and Johnson tandem, Apel came home Third.  It was his second consecutive podium finish in the event after a Second Place finish to Majeski last season.

Aside from the incredible battles up front, there was plenty of movement in the Top Five all race long.  Toward the end of the race defending Champion Lowell Bennett led a pack that included Travis Dassow, Dalton Zehr, Jeff Van Oudenhoven and fast qualifier Maxwell Schultz.  Bennett had started Fifth, but fell back early in the race.  He also had to take to the outside to move back up to a Fourth Place finish.  He brought Travis Dassow with, who remained on the bumper of Bennett right up until the checkered flag.

In a field full of strong competition, a Sixth Place finish for Jeff Van Oudenhoven (who made his return to action after injury sidelined him for most of 2015) was a good indicator that the rust has been shaken off.  Behind him, Maxwell Schultz came home Seventh.  The fast qualifier fell back from his 13^th Place starting spot early and fought hard to climb back into the Top Ten.

Those two had battled with reigning TUNDRA Champion Dalton Zehr, who looked to be on his way to a solid Top Ten finish.  However, Zehr’s machine experienced issues in the closing laps of the race.  He was forced to retire on lap 48, which marks his first TUNDRA DNF since the final round of 2014 at Slinger Speedway.  He had already locked up the Championship in that race.  A 20^th Place finish for Zehr will leave little room for error over the rest of the TUNDRA season.

LAST LAP PASS GIVES TRUTE FIRST TUNDRA SPORTSMAN WIN

In a field full of some of the best Sportsman/Street Stock/Super Stock/Mid-American drivers the area had to offer, the king of the Sportsman was able to take down the Hall of Famer with a last-lap pass in the 30-lap affair.

The first ever TUNDRA Sportsman event featured a dazzling battle between three-time Mid-American Series Champion Bill Prietzel and five-time Dells Raceway Park Champion Dave Trute.  When Prietzel made his pass of Trute after a restart on lap seven, the race looked like it was all over.  Trute disagreed.

The duo of Trute and Prietzel came from Eighth and Ninth in the pack.  Once outside pole-sitter Dusty Mann’s machine expired on lap seven, it became a battle of will between Prietzel and Trute.  Although Prietzel nabbed the lead on the restart, Trute kept within two car lengths over the final 23 laps.

There were several opportunities for Trute to challenge Prietzel just past the halfway point.  However, he could only get close enough to give Prietzel a slight tap to the bumper and remind him he was there.  While the battle raged on, and the duo weaved through lapped traffic, Greg Back moved into Third.  He looked to have a strong machine also, as he reeled in the top Two.  However, Back ran out of time and had to settle for Third.

The final challenge was set up by Trute with four laps to go.  After clearing lapped traffic, Trute closed to Prietzel’s back bumper.  He surveyed the inside line over the next two laps until Prietzel left just enough room for Trute to get a run to the inside.  Once the door cracked open, Trute was able to swing it wide open and take the inside line.

Charging out of turn two, Trute pulled even with Prietzel.  With the preferred line he was able to push ahead entering three and four.  However, Prietzel – who had won several Mid-American Series races at WIR – exited turn four well on the outside and drag raced Trute to the stripe.  Unfortunately for Prietzel, Trute was able to outlast him and take a win in his first ever trip to the half-mile.

Back cruised home to the Third spot.  Brian Wienfurter was Fourth and Jason Thoma rounded out the Top Five.

SCHNEIDER DEFENDS HOME TURF IN VINTAGE

It would have taken some pretty strong sandpaper to get the smile off Jerry Schneider’s face after the TUNDRA Vintage feature Saturday afternoon.  The former Super Late Model racer at WIR brought his Chevelle home to victory in a wild Vintage 30-lap feature.

Schneider found himself in the lead about midway through the feature event.  He then powered to the win after a late red flag for a wreck that involved Roger Stanczyk and Ken Olson.  Both drivers were ok.

Behind Schneider, Royce Rossier, Ken Lewis, Pat Echlin, and Dick Kath rounded out the Top Five.

NEXT FOR TUNDRA

The TUNDRA Super Late Model Series as well as the Sportsman and Vintage divisions will head to Dells Raceway Park for Round Two Powered by Wisconsin Potatoes on Saturday, June 4.  Qualifying is slated for 5:30 with racing at 7 P.M.  The series will also be joined by the Midwest Truck Series.

Dells Raceway Park is located at N1070 Smith Road just north of downtown Wisconsin Dells.  For more information visit http://www.dellsracewaypark.com

JEFFERSON, Wis. (September 20, 2015) – Entering the final event of 2015 at Jefferson Speedway, defending TUNDRA Super Late Model Series Champion Dalton Zehr knew there was only so much he could control. He controlled it well.

Zehr dominated a caution-free final 75-lap feature of the season, propelling him to a five-point win in the Championship standings over Ty Majeski, who lost power steering early in the race and manhandled his machine to an eighth-place finish. Zehr had trailed Majeski by 25 points entering the main event.

“I guess this would be the turning point of the season,” Zehr said. “I didn’t come into this race very optimistic about the points. We just set out to put the best car we could on the track and go out for the win.”

Zehr captured the top spot from early race-leader Ryan Farrell and outdueled defending TUNDRA Jefferson race winner Casey Johnson to pick up his second win of the season.

“I can’t believe it,” he said. “The race went exactly the way we needed it to go, straight through. Credit goes to the TUNDRA drivers. Casey (Johnson) and I were racing hard and no one was holding that up.”

A quick scramble to the front saw some of the faster qualifiers push into the top five early in the race. The original invert was nine, which would have placed Steve Rubeck on the pole for the feature. However, just prior to the feature, Rubeck elected to start in the rear, putting eighth-place qualifier Duke Long on the front row alongside Ryan Farrell.

After a strong performance at Jefferson last season, Farrell proved to have a solid machine early by taking the lead from Long. He led a parade of cars from the outside line into the top three, which included Zehr and Johnson.

Farrell held a tenuous lead until lap ten when Zehr shot to the outside line to challenge. On lap 11 Zehr secured the lead from the rookie. One lap later Johnson found a way past Farrell into second.

A quick run to the front was part of the race strategy for Zehr. “It’s hard to pass when the cars are equal,” he said. “It would have been really interesting with Casey and I because I ran the outside the whole race. If Casey would have been ahead of me I would have burned my stuff up trying to get around him, so the key was to get to the front first.”

Johnson gave Zehr no time to relax once they separated themselves from Farrell. With the inside line open, Johnson ducked to the bottom and tested the low groove in both sets of turns. Surprisingly, Zehr gave Johnson the bottom lane in turns one and two. Lap after lap, Zehr was able to escape. Johnson was able to pull even on a couple of occasions, but ultimately couldn’t make the pass. As the race hit the halfway point Zehr slowly cleared Johnson and started to stretch out his lead.

“We just kind of threw something at it and hoped for the best. It unloaded pretty good right away,” said Johnson, who was driving the Chase Motorsports 47 at his home track for the first time. “Dalton could just hang on out the outside really well. He gave me the line so there was no need to rough him up at all. We just raced around and he was better at the end.”

As Zehr and Johnson rode out front, the remainder of the top five continued to sort out. Mike Lichtfeld made a run to fourth on lap 14, then, after tracking down Farrell, shot into the third spot on the outside line. Although his machine had some jump in only his second visit to Jefferson, Lichtfeld wasn’t able to make up the deficit.

“A yellow would have been nice by the time I got into third place,” Lichtfeld said. “Those two guys were half a track ahead. We kind of rolled around saving our stuff hoping for a caution, but we never caught it.”

As Lichtfeld settled into third, and the trio of Farrell in fourth, Performance Diesel Fast Qualifier Dan Lensing in fifth and Gregg Pawelski in sixth (which is where they would finish the event) sorted out the final spots in the top five, attention turned to Majeski. Majeski had started in the fifth position, but fell back to seventh early in the race when the outside lane made its run to the front.

After closing on Pawelski on lap 25, Majeski fell back a few car lengths. Because of his power steering issue, a run back into the top five wasn’t in the cards for the two-time winner in 2015. Eventually, on lap 57, Travis Dassow nudged his way past Majeski, leaving him to settle for eighth. It was only the second time in a stellar season that Majeski finished outside of the top two.

“With all the caster we run in these wheels it’s almost impossible to turn the car, so I just tried to hang on and come home with the best finish I could,” Majeski said. “There was no time to give my arms a rest, I was just fighting it. Congratulations to Dalton Zehr on the Championship, he ran great all year. I’m disappointed we couldn’t take it home, but you have to take the good with the bad.”

Up until the final circuits Zehr was unaware that Majeski was not in position to hold the points lead.

“To be honest with you those last couple of laps I was thinking about how I was going to congratulate Ty on the Championship,” Zehr said. “I had no idea. I was just out there running my hardest every lap.”

Heading into the Championship race with the point lead was not unfamiliar territory for Zehr. However, Zehr had the title wrapped before the final race of last season. The 2015 story looked similar to the 2012 point battle where Zehr led the points coming into the evening, but did not come out with that title. Dennis Prunty won the feature and captured the Championship.

Sometimes history repeats itself in more ways than one.

Keske and Anderson are co-Rookies of the Year, Lensing Finishes Third in Points

For the first time this season both Bryan Syer-Keske and Cole Anderson appeared at the same TUNDRA event. Keske, being the primary driver, accumulated the points at Jefferson. With his heat race win he put the wraps on the Dean’s Satellite and Security Rookie of the Year title for the team. Anderson was on hand to compete in the 75-lap event and celebrate after the race, as well.

“It’s awesome to come out here and compete for Rookie of the Year,” Keske said. “I had Nick Panitzke and Dan Fredrickson over my shoulder. We have a five hour ride home to think the race over.”

“It was a good short track race,” Anderson said of Jefferson. “I had a great time in the series.”

The team of Keske and Anderson finished fourth in series standings behind Dan Lensing.

“We’ve had a lot of ups, but we had some downs,” said Lensing, who set a new track record in qualifying. “I really like the series. We went to a lot of tracks that I never went to. I really like how they run everything and I’ll probably be back.”

The TUNDRA Super Late Model Series would like to thank its 2015 partners: The Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association, Dean’s Satellite and Security, Performance Diesel, The World Championship Snowmobile Derby, Habelman Brothers Company Cranberries, Johnnie’s Hobbies, RSI X-ray, The Country Plumber, Five Star Race Car Bodies, TD Graphics, Coleman Racing Products and Wegner Automotive Research. The series would also like to thank its 2015 partner tracks and their staffs, race teams, and countless fans who supported TUNDRA this season.

An Awards banquet for the series will be announced in the coming weeks. TUNDRA has announced the 2016 season will begin at Wisconsin International Raceway on Saturday, May 7, 2016.

PLOVER, Wis. (September 8, 2015) – On a steamy Central Wisconsin afternoon, Nathan Haseleu might not have been cool, but he sure was calm and collected. Haseleu persevered through an animated TUNDRA Super Late Model Series Round Six Powered by Wisconsin Potatoes Monday afternoon at Golden Sands Speedway to capture victory in his series debut.

The veteran racer endured several restarts from the front row and a near run-in with a lapped car to grab the win in his first ever TUNDRA start. Haseleu matched the effort of Skylar Holzhausen, who won in his series debut at LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway in July. Adding to the significance for Haseleu is that the clock is ticking on his storied career.

The three-time Wisconsin Challenge Series and one-time Midwest Tour Champion plans to retire at the end of 2015. He has been racing in select events this season.

“It feels really good to win,” Haseleu said. “Wins are hard to come by, and when you race only once in a while, they’re even harder to come by. We’re pretty excited.”

If it is one of his last races, he won’t soon forget it. With wins across the Midwest Haseleu was happy to make his way back to Victory Lane at GSS for the first time in almost ten years.

“That’s about the wildest one I’ve ever been in,” Haseleu said. “I’m pretty excited to win. I’m only going to race a few more times so I’m pretty happy to get a win here. It’s a fun place.”

A nine-car invert placed Haseleu just inside the top ten at the drop of the green flag, along with a pair of drivers who would challenge him for the win in TUNDRA point leaders Ty Majeski and Dalton Zehr.

Majeski and Zehr found a quicker avenue to the front of the field and were into the top three by the first caution on lap 20.

After an incident under yellow, the front row starters for the lap 20 restart were Zehr and Darren Jackson. Zehr, who won the Performance Diesel Fast Qualifier Award on the afternoon, was able to clear Jackson and pull away to establish a healthy lead. From his fifth-place starting spot on lap 20, Haseleu jumped up to third and captured second from Jackson by lap 25. Majeski, who restarted on the outside of the third row, quickly recovered and found third by lap 28.

A caution came out one lap later when Brian Hakala dropped off the backstretch entering turn three and spun to the outfield. Zehr selected the outside lane for the restart with Haseleu flanking him to the left.

The battle between Zehr and Haseleu raged for several laps. After Haseleu used the inside lane to clear Zehr on lap 32, Zehr immediately swung low. He was able to grab the inside line to challenge Haseleu once again for the lead. However, on lap 35 Zehr slipped off turn four and was unable to keep his machine from spinning, bringing out another caution.

Haseleu selected the inside row for the restart with Majeski to his outside. Although it seemed Haseleu had the edge and led to the line on the following lap, Majeski backed up the turn shot to the bottom of the track and grabbed the inside from Haseleu. Two laps later Majeski cleared for the lead. However, he was unable to run away from Haseleu.

Two more restarts pitted Haseleu against Majeski with the same result, Majeski securing the lead. Behind them, the battles inside the top five were furious. Jackson, Ryan Farrell, Brandon Selle, Mike Lichtfeld and Dan Lensing exchanged the positions repeatedly.

Four laps after the restart on lap 45 a lapped car, who had been warned by officials about the approaching leaders, disrupted the battle and sent Majeski spinning. Majeski’s machine was damaged, but he was able to continue the race in the top spot. Unfortunately, the incident brought the end of Brandon Selle’s third-place run.

Majeski cleared Haseleu on the following restart. The duo separated from the pack once again to settle the lead. Waiting patiently for the right opportunity, Haseleu seized his chance on lap 58. Haseleu tested the top groove as he swung past Majeski and into the lead. Shortly after, Majeski, showing some scars from the earlier incident, fell back to third behind a hard-charging Mike Lichtfeld.

One final chance came for Majeski with eight laps remaining when he passed Lichtfeld after a final restart. However, Haseleu proved to be too strong as he opened up the margin over the final seven laps. Majeski was able to hold second, Lensing was third, Lichtfeld fourth and Joel Theisen, who started 21st, rounded out the top five.

It appeared Haseleu’s car was best when the laps were clicking off on the longer runs. He also recognized that Majeski had a strong machine on the afternoon.

“I was hoping for a longer green flag run,” Haseleu said. “If that wouldn’t have happened to Ty I don’t know if we would have been able to get him or not.”

As for Majeski, another podium finish capped off a wild afternoon. “I think I had a car to beat [Haseleu],” he said. “I cooked my tires down the front stretch trying to keep it off the wall. I just didn’t have anything for him after that incident. I’m happy to bring home second place.”

Aside from the dramatics at the front of the field a major storyline of the afternoon was the hard-charging efforts of Theisen, Mike Lichtfeld and Lensing. Lichtfeld cruised from 15th to fourth. Lensing grabbed 16 spots by ascending to third from 19th.

“I’m just whooped,” Lensing said. “I probably would have had something, but I had to use up my whole car coming through the field. There is just nothing left. Our car really wasn’t the best in the feature. We just changed lines and made the best of it.”

Just outside the top five, Zehr was able to recover for a sixth-place finish. Although he lost ground to Majeski, the 24-point margin held by Majeski is anything but safe. The spread from first to seventh in the feature is 24 points, putting a major emphasis on top ten feature finish spots and qualifying efforts at Jefferson. If both Majeski and Zehr were to falter, Lensing sits 47 points back. However, that is the split from first to 19th in the feature.

The TUNDRA Super Late Model Series rounds out its 2015 season on Sunday, September 20 at Jefferson Speedway with the Championship Round. The Sunday portion of the event was added to the 35th Annual Wisconsin State Championships which take place Friday and Saturday, as well as a rain date from the June 20 postponement. TUNDRA will be joined on Sunday by the Upper Midwest Vintage Series, American Ethanol Super Trucks and Legends and Bandaleros. Racing will begin at 2 P.M.

Jefferson Speedway is located on state highway 18 between Cambridge and Jefferson, Wis. For more information, including a full schedule of events for the Wisconsin State Championships, visit http://www.jeffersonspeedway.com.