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.

WAUSAU, Wis. (August 2, 2015) – Sometimes TUNDRA Super Late Model Series victories come with a few battle scars. Dalton Zehr’s machine showed some wounds after Saturday night’s 75-lap feature at State Park Speedway, but he was able to capitalize, grabbing his first win of the season in Round Five Powered by Wisconsin Potatoes.

The win was Zehr’s ninth of his TUNDRA career and came in Zehr’s second-ever appearance at State Park Speedway.  Last week he finished second to NASCAR driver Johnny Sauter in the Larry Detjens Memorial.  This week the defending TUNDRA Champion was not to be outdone.

“Last week was a huge learning experience,” Zehr said.  “We didn’t make any changes to the car today.  That was big for me to have the experience of last week.”

Two wild mid-race incidents left their mark on both the event itself and the cars involved.  Those incidents just so happened to take place in heated battles for the lead on lap 28.

After Ryan Farrell cut a tire and spun on lap 28, the field was bunched up and put into side-by-side formation for the restart.  Mike Lichtfeld, who had grabbed the lead from Jeremy Lepak on lap five, was to go toe-to-toe with Zehr.

Fresh out of a spirited tussle with Dean’s Satellite and Security Rookie of the Year contender Cole Anderson, Zehr chose to restart on the outside of Lichtfeld.  As they raced out of the second turn, Zehr surged ahead.  When entering turn three both racers went for the same plot of real estate and came together, sending Zehr spinning and the remainder of the field scrambling to avoid contact.

Under caution, Lichtfeld pulled to the front stretch and tapped on his hood, invoking the gentleman’s agreement.  By Lichtfeld accepting responsibility for the caution, Zehr and all others involved in the incident were awarded their spots back.  Lichtfeld sustained some heavy damage to his front suspension and radiator, and was forced to retire.

“Tons of respect to Lichtfeld there for tapping and giving me my spot back.  I don’t think we would have been here without that,” Zehr said.

Under yellow, Zehr’s teammate Reagan May, who had moved from 13^th to fourth, experienced a fire under the hood of her machine.  May quickly exited her racer unharmed and the SPS safety crew members extinguished the flames.  A red flag was required for the cleanup before the race was to continue.

Although he avoided a near-calamity with Lichtfeld, the threat to Zehr’s chances of victory were far from over.  The following restart, still on lap 28, brought TUNDRA point leader Ty Majeski and Performance Diesel Fast Qualifier Dan Lensing.

At the drop of the green Zehr was able to use the inside line to try to hold onto the top spot.  As they entered turn three, again contact was made.  However, this time, both drivers were able to carry on and maintain their positions under green.

“Ty was capitalizing on a situation.  I got a little crossed up going into three,” Zehr said.  “I might have overcooked it a little on my own and there might have been some contact.  Plus, Dan was there.  It was a crazy couple of laps where I thought, ‘oh boy, this race could really boil over.’”

Majeski was caught in the sticky spot of trying to pass for the lead and hold off Lensing.  “It was just good tight racing.  I was trying to clear Danny and (Zehr) checked up just a little bit more than I anticipated,” Majeski said.

As both cars skated to the high line, Lensing stayed low.  He pulled even with Zehr, but was unable to complete the pass for the lead. “That looked like free candy right there.  I was hoping they would tangle and I would run off,” Lensing said.

Lensing continued to pressure Zehr on the inside line until another yellow fell on lap 33 when Wyatt Brooks went up into the outside retaining wall in turn three.  The caution saw Lensing choose to stay behind Zehr on the inside while Majeski returned to the top, and the front row.

It was a short-lived battle after the restart as Majeski desperately tried to find grip on the high side.  However, it wasn’t meant to be as he filed back into second in hopes to keep pace with Zehr.  The restart was as close as Majeski would get, as Zehr pulled away to victory.  “It’s so tough to make the outside work here especially with his car as good as it was.  I just didn’t have the forward drive off the corner,” Majeski said.

Behind Zehr, Majeski held a comfortable advantage over Lensing, who went on to finish third.  Brandon Selle saw a late race resurgence pay off with a fourth-place finish.  Anderson rounded out the top five.

With the win, and a slightly better qualifying effort Zehr was able to carve away ten points from Majeski’s advantage.  The point lead now sits at just nine markers with two races remaining in the 2015 season.

“We needed this more now than ever,” Zehr said.  “Ty was running away with the points show and he finished second tonight so we didn’t gain a lot on him but we still gained.  We couldn’t afford to lose more.”

The next event for the TUNDRA Super Late Model Series Powered by Wisconsin Potatoes is scheduled for Labor Day Monday, September 7.  Racing action is scheduled for a 2 P.M. start time.  More information will be available soon through TUNDRA’s web site and social media pages.  TUNDRA will be joined by the Midwest Truck Series, Upper Midwest Vintage and another class to be announced.

Golden Sands Speedway is located on Highway 54 between Plover and Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.  For more information visit www.gssraces.com

The Unified Northern Drivers Racing Association (TUNDRA) Super Late Model Series was formed in 2011 as the Alive For Five Super Late Model Series at Dells Raceway Park. TUNDRA’s business plan is based on a sustainable program for promoters and race teams alike, while still providing high-quality Super Late Model entertainment to fans.

For more information on TUNDRA including news, results and the point standings, archived results and standings, and more visit http://www.tundrasuperlates.com. Also, interact with us on Facebook (facebook.com/TundraSuperLateModels) or Twitter (@TUNDRAslms).

By Zach Onan

WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. (July 18, 2015) – “He made one mistake, he went high in turns one and two and I got underneath him and I was just trying to be smooth and stay calm and I was able to make the pass” said Ty Majeski on his battle for the lead with Dalton Zehr.

At the site of his first Late Model victory, Ty Majeski did it again Saturday night, earning a second straight TUNDRA Super Late Model Series victory at Dells Raceway Park, the birthplace of TUNDRA in Round Four Powered by Wisconsin Potatoes.

Things got off to rocky start coming out of turn two on lap five.  At least nine cars were involved in some fashion.  Performance Diesel Fast Qualifier Brian Hakala was involved and left on the hook as well as Dan Lensing, Maxwell Schultz and Bobby Kendall who all sustained major damage.  All drivers were physically okay after the incident.

Following a red flag for cleanup, which also included a water break for drivers on a day where temperatures hung around ninety degrees, the green flag flew again to begin the 70 laps that remained.  The front row for the restart remained the same as the original start five laps earlier with Deans Satellite and Security Rookie of the Year contender Cole Anderson on the inside and defending TUNDRA champion Dalton Zehr to his outside.

Cole Anderson made fairly quick work of Zehr who quickly was under pressure from Majeski for second.  Meanwhile, Alex Prunty made his way into fifth past Rich Schumann Jr. and began to track down Ryan Farrell for the fourth position.

Fifteen laps into the race Majeski got to the back bumper of  Anderson and began to pressure for the lead.  Zehr got back to Majeski’s bumper and the top three ran nose to tail as they checked out from the rest of the field.  Prunty made the pass on Farrell via the inside line and began to track down the top three as Anderson, Majeski and Zehr seemed to be content riding nose to tail for the time being.

Majeski began to work Cole Anderson for the top spot at lap 35.  As the battle up front intensified with Majeski trying to find a hole on the inside, a few more cars joined the scrum at the front.  Michael Sauter, Ryan Farrell and Mike Lichtfeld made it a seven car train at the front all nose to tail.  Lichtfeld, who caught a piece of the incident on lap five and sustained some right front damage, seemed to have a very strong car making passes on the inside and outside as he battled back to the front after the early red flag.  Lichtfeld worked past Sauter for sixth position with 28 laps to go and then got by Farrell for fifth the following lap.

The top four of Anderson, Majeski, Zehr and Prunty again began to pull away.  With 25 laps remaining Majeski took a look inside Anderson and made very slight contact which allowed Dalton Zehr to get to Majeski’s outside and shortly thereafter cleared Majeski and started to work to Anderson’s outside.  Zehr nosed ahead to lead lap 51 by a nose.  Lap 53 rolled around and Zehr was able to clear Anderson as Majeski was next to try Anderson from the outside.

With Zehr trying to pull away, Majeski knew he had to make quick work of Anderson to have a shot at Zehr.  With 19 laps to go Majeski was able to clear Anderson.  Zehr had built up a half-a-dozen car length lead on Majeski, but he wasn’t going to quit.

Shortly after Majeski cleared Anderson, Prunty snuck by for third followed by Lichtfeld gaining the fourth position.

With ten laps to go it was obvious that Majeski was gaining ground on the leader.  The next lap he was a half of a car length off Zehr’s bumper.  With eight laps to go Majeski took a look inside Zehr in turns one and two.  The leaders battled side by side for two laps with Majeski finally prevailing on the inside line and began to run away.  Zehr was left to fend off Alex Prunty for second as Ty Majeski ran off to win his second straight Dells Raceway Park TUNDRA feature event.  Zehr was able to keep Prunty at bay to record a second place finish and Prunty, in his first TUNDRA start, finished third followed by Mike Lichtfeld.

TUNDRA makes its first appearance at State Park Speedway in Wausau, Wis. for Round Five Powered by Wisconsin Potatoes on Saturday, August 1.  Local divisions will complete the card.  More information will be available through http://www.tundrasuperlates.com.

WEST SALEM, Wis. (July 3, 2015) – On paper Skylar Holzhausen’s win in the Johnny’s Hobbies 40 as part of TUNDRA Super Late Model Series Round Three Powered by Wisconsin Potatoes came from the outside pole.  In actuality is was an uphill climb for the Bangor, Wis., pilot to grab his first series win at La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway Friday night.

Holzhausen surrendered the lead to defending race winner Reagan May, fell back out of the top five and climbed his way to third before inheriting the lead due to an incident involving the top two.  He then had to fight off Performance Diesel Fast Qualifier Jim Sauter Jr. to grab checkers in his TUNDRA debut.

“The car wasn’t as good on the starts,” Holzhausen said.  “It got a little tight for some reason, but it would come in on the long runs. The car is usually set up for longer races and it was here tonight, but we had just long enough greens to keep us going.”

Holzhausen and May required two attempts to get the feature started.  After a called-off start, May was able to fight off Holzhausen and secure the lead exiting turn two.  As she began to pull away in the opening laps, Holzhausen fell back on the outside line.

Mike Licthfeld and Michael Sauter were next to challenge Holzhausen, with Austin Nason soon to follow.  Sauter, also making his TUNDRA debut, moved to second while Lichtfeld was left to deal with Nason for third.  Meanwhile fast qualifier Jim Sauter Jr. and TUNDRA point leader Ty Majeski were closing in on the top five.

On lap eight Sauter began to challenge Lichtfeld for fourth, however, he was unable to make the pass.  Three laps later Majeski took the fifth spot from Sauter and made a quick challenge of Lichtfeld pay off.  At this point the top three of May, Michael Sauter and Nason were nearly a straightaway ahead of the rest of the field.

Their advantage was washed away on lap 17 when Lichtfeld cut a left front tire and spun to the infield, bringing out the caution.

The restart pit May against Michael Satuer. Once again a second restart was necessary as May and Sauter engaged in a chess match coming back to green.

On the second restart Sauter benefitted from a huge run on the outside to take the lead entering turns one and two.  May tried to take the lead back in turns three and four as she charged to the inside and slid off the bottom groove.  Although May attempted to save the machine, the gamble did not pay off and she spun toward the grass.  Drivers were sent scrambling throughout the field, with several receiving damage.  Everyone was able to continue.

The following restart gave Sauter the option to choose the inside.  Nason chose the outside of the front row without hesitation.  At the drop of the green Nason surged away from Sauter and began to build up a healthy advantage.

Just past the halfway point Majeski, who restarted third, began to find some jump.  He moved to the inside of Sauter on lap 21 and had second by lap 22.  Three laps later Holzhausen took the third spot back from Sauter.

Over the next three laps Majeski steadily caught up to Nason.  He had several challenges after lap 26, but could not get to the inside line.  Entering turns three and four on lap 28, Majeski’s challenge was a bit overzealous.  Trying to find the inside, Majeski made contact with the left rear of Nason’s machine, sending him spinning into the outside retaining wall.  Nason’s car was badly damaged, and although very displeased, he was unharmed.  Majeski was sent to the tail of the field.

While the two were trying to sort out the lead before the incident, Holzhausen was closing, and felt as though it would have been more than a two-car showdown for the win.

“I got to have a first-hand seat for that ordeal, but we were catching them and I felt like we had a really strong piece.  It ended up perfect for us.”

A strong challenge was awaiting Holzhausen on the restart in the form of Jim Sauter Jr.  Sauter fought hard on the outside line, but for the first time since the initial start, the inside line held the advantage and Holzhausen seized the lead on lap 29.

“The restart was good,” Sauter said.  “I thought we might have had him cleared off of two.  We were just a tick tight off the corner and I couldn’t squeeze the throttle.”  By the next circuit Holzhausen was clear and built up a cushion over Sauter, who would finish second.  Michael Sauter finished third, just ahead of a hard-charging Dan Lensing and Joel Theisen rounded out the top five.

For Holzhausen the win was some redemption for a tough start to 2015.  A little home cooking can go a long way to helping jump start a season.

“I really want to thank the good Lord for helping us get through a rocky season so far,” Holzhausen said.”  To come away with a win in front of our home crowd like this is really special.”

The event caused a change at the top of the TUNDRA point standings.  With his late run through the top ten to fourth, Dan Lensing took a one-point lead over Majeski.  Casey Johnson sits just ten points out of the lead, defending TUNDRA Champion Dalton Zehr only 13 out and Jim Sauter Jr. (with teammate Cory Kemkes from WIR) sits just 15 points out of the lead thanks to a stellar day.

Even better news for the new point leader is the next stop for the series on July 18.  It’s his home track Dells Raceway Park.  Lensing set fast time and recorded a top five in the event last season.  However, Majeski picked up the feature win.

Round Four Powered by Wisconsin Potatoes at Dells Raceway Park will include the DRP Sportsman, Bandits, Outlaw Bandits and Central States Region Super Cups.  Qualifying is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. with racing at 7 p.m.

Dells Raceway Park is located at N1070 Smith Road just off highway 12/16 outside of Wisconsin Dells.  For more information visit http://www.dellsracewaypark.com

The Unified Northern Drivers Racing Association (TUNDRA) Super Late Model Series was formed in 2011 as the Alive For Five Super Late Model Series at Dells Raceway Park. TUNDRA’s business plan is based on a sustainable program for promoters and race teams alike, while still providing high-quality Super Late Model entertainment to fans.

For more information on TUNDRA including news, results and the point standings, archived results and standings, and more visit http://www.tundrasuperlates.com. Also, interact with us on Facebook (facebook.com/TundraSuperLateModels) or Twitter (@TUNDRAslms).

Kaukauna, Wis. (May 10, 2015) – If TUNDRA Super Late Model Series Round One Powered by Wisconsin Potatoes proved one thing, it was this – the next generation of Super Late Model stars are here, and they are good.

Ty Majeski topped a tussle of four drivers under the age of 26 who won a Late Model Championship last season. The Midwest Tour titlist battled past last year’s TUNDRA Champion Dalton Zehr. He chased down then outlasted two-time Big 8 Champion Casey Johnson for the lead on a restart. He then held off two-time Slinger Speedway Champion Steve Apel in a dazzling shootout in the Duke FM 50 on Saturday at Wisconsin International Raceway.

The win was anything but easy for the Seymour, Wis., native who lives just 20 miles away from WIR. Majeski finally fought off Johnson after a three-lap, side-by-side battle following a restart on lap 29. He then was tailed by Steve Apel, who had several brief looks to in the inside line, over the final 15 laps.

“It was a really good race. I’d clear him by one or two down the straightaways and he’d get me going into the corner,” said Majeski, who picked up his second career TUNDRA win. “I knew if I kept hitting my marks it would be tough for him to make the pass.”

The 15-lap showdown between Kulwicki Driver Development Program finalists was a virtual tug of war. Any time Majeski built his lead to several car lengths, Apel pulled back to his bumper. When Apel closed, Majeski jumped away to gain a small amount of breathing room.

Although Apel had the chances, the Performance Diesel fast qualifier came up just short of doubling up his awards for the day.

“We had a really good battle with Ty. He’s a really clean racer,” Apel commented. “I wanted to race him like I think he would race me. We didn’t get the win, but I think we had a car that definitely could have won the race.”

Neither driver had an easy cruise to the front of the field. In fact, both sported battle scars of moving to the front of the field from their 12th and 14th starting spots.

The 14-car invert placed Jeremy Lepak and Frank Nitzke on the front row of the feature. As has been the case over the past several seasons, the outside line proved to be the better line when the green flag dropped. Frank Nitzke cleared Lepak coming to the line on lap one and brought Randy Schuler along to second.

Eventually Lepak found his way back inside Schuler for second. While Nitzke built the lead, the field behind him started to sort out. Just six laps in Majeski was up to seventh, with Apel riding ninth and Zehr jumping from 15th to tenth. Their charges were halted when a yellow flew for a spin involving Mike Lichtfeld and Alex Stumpf.

The lap seven restart brought the first of several field-altering restarts. For Majeski and others further back in the field, the task of choosing a lane became a gamble each time.

“You didn’t know which lane to pick and what guys were going to do what,” Majeski said. “We picked a good lane on some restarts and not-so-good of a lane on the others.”

The first restart was short lived as another spin forced the field back under caution. A restart on lap ten gave Maxwell Schultz his first chance to race for the lead. He powered away from Nitzke on the outside after Lepak surrendered the high line to stay low for the restart. Jesse Oudenhoven followed to second and was tailed by Casey Johnson, who had started seventh.

Johnson, driving the winning Chase Motorsports entry from a season ago, immediately challenged Schuler for the runner up spot, proving the outside lane to be successful again. Behind him the outside line paid dividends for Zehr, who slid to fifth on lap 12. Majeski and Apel were stuck on the inside line and fell backward in the running order.

A caution for debris off Ryan Farrell’s machine saved a melee in turn three that involved Zehr, Austin Nason, and Frank Nitzke. Nason’s machine was damaged, stalling his run to the front. Nitzke had damage, but was able to return to his starting spot in the top ten.

The restart on lap 13 pitted Schultz outside Oudenhoven with Johnson outside Schuler and Majeski flanking Zehr in the third row. Apel was just outside the top ten.

Schultz overpowered Oudenhoven and regained the lead. One lap later Johnson slid to second. Riding that momentum, Johnson shot past Schultz to the lead on lap 15. As he started to jump away, Zehr and Majeski pressured Schultz.

Another caution fell on lap 19 when Schuler’s machine experienced mechanical failure and he came to a stop in turn four. Schultz elected to stay behind Johnson up high, leaving the inside for Zehr to face off against the car he drove to victory in this race one season ago.

Johnson pushed his racer past Zehr after a short battle up front and began to stretch his lead. Once Majeski passed Schultz, a frantic race for second began. Majeski found a way to dip to the inside on lap 21. Just as he got to that spot, Apel made a pass and made his first appearance in the top four. Apel had the best seat just behind the five-lap scrap. Majeski finally cleared Zehr on lap 26. Two laps later Apel had his turn to work past Zehr.

A caution on lap 28 set up the battle between Majeski and Johnson. For the first time all day, choosing the inside line paid off, although Majeski had to work frantically to fight off Johnson. Apel passed Johnson just two laps later, then reeled in Majeski for the 15-lap showdown. Behind them Johnson held third, Zehr finished fourth and Oudenhoven (also 26) rounded out the top five.

The win for Majeski sends a statement that he is back on his game early this season. Majeski was a solid title threat for most of last year, but had to sacrifice two TUNDRA starts to chase the Midwest Tour title. This season there are no conflicts to keep him from doing both. He is already looking forward to Round Two.

“I really like Jefferson. That’s another of my favorite race tracks,” Majeski said. “I’m excited to go there. Hopefully we can keep qualifying up front and getting good consistent finishes. We should be [in the Championship chase] at the end.”

It is possible Majeski could be facing the same three drivers for a TUNDRA title this season. Zehr has committed to the full schedule. Johnson will be at the next two races (Jefferson and La Crosse), then will face a decision. Apel said prior to the event they would “see how things went at WIR and may be at more races.” It would seem things went pretty well.

“We really did our homework over the winter. Our goal this year was to go to a track and win a race other than at Slinger. That’s our number one priority,” Apel said. “Winning a race at Slinger is up there, but I want to be able to go run other tracks and be competitive everywhere I go. To be able to do that in our first race outside of Slinger is a huge confidence booster for the team and myself.”

Round Two for the TUNDRA Super Late Model Series Powered by Wisconsin Potatoes is set for Saturday, June 20 at Jefferson Speedway in Jefferson, Wis. Qualifying is set for 5 P.M. with racing to begin at 7. TUNDRA will be joined by the Mid-American Stock Car Series.

Jefferson Speedway is located on Highway 18 just outside of Jefferson, Wis. For more information visit http://www.jeffersonspeedway.com

The Unified Northern Drivers Racing Association (TUNDRA) Super Late Model Series was formed in 2011 as the Alive For Five Super Late Model Series at Dells Raceway Park. TUNDRA’s business plan is based on a sustainable program for promoters and race teams alike, while still providing high-quality Super Late Model entertainment to fans.

For more information on TUNDRA including news, results and the point standings, archived results and standings, and more visit http://www.tundrasuperlates.com. Also, interact with us on Facebook (facebook.com/TundraSuperLateModels) or Twitter (@TUNDRAslms).

SLINGER, Wis. (September 8, 2014) – Sunday’s TUNDRA Super Late Model Series finale provided a last-lap pass that Michael Bilderback will remember forever.  It provided a win that went far beyond the reaches of Slinger Super Speedway.  It provided excitement, an escape and hope.

Earlier in the week Bilderback’s grandfather fell ill.  He, his family and his team huddled by his grandfather’s side and kept vigilant.  Some wondered if he would race, but as one of his team member proclaimed on social media, “Bilderback Racing will be at Slinger Sunday, because that’s what we do.”

That’s what they did – and much, much more.

With just five laps remaining Bilderback took his slightly damaged racer to the high line, looking to steam past an upstart Ryan Farrell for the lead.  Bilderback edged ahead at the white flag and secured the win on the final circuit in TUNDRA Round Eight Powered by Wisconsin Potatoes.

After his celebration Bilderback was handed a cell phone.  On the other end was his grandmother, who typically is a fixture at the Bilderback pit.  She was the first to be delivered the news.  The news that she had to return was just as good for Bilderback.

“It’s amazing.  He went into the ICU and hasn’t been responsive yet,” Bilderback explained in Victory Lane.  “They told him we won and he started crying, so there’s hope.”

As for the pass, Bilderback said he was determined to charge to the front. He and Ryan Farrell gave the crowd one of the most thrilling TUNDRA finishes in the series’ four-year history.

“We were on the outside for so long earlier in the run then when we went to single file I thought I was going to have to get him on the bottom,” Bilderback said.  “He ran me clean and gave me the option to the top.  I wasn’t going to let this one go.”

Farrell, who made just his second TUNDRA start – and ninth Super Late Model start – knew the stakes, and was hoping he would be the story on the Sunday afternoon.

“I used every ounce of track, but he had the better car than me,” Farrell said.  “We got beat by a couple of inches.  I gave him all I had.  Congrats to Bilderback.  I’ll remember that forever.  They had a rough week and they deserve it.”

It was the second photo finish Bilderback had been involved in this season.  With Eugene Gregorich Jr. closing in quickly, Bilderback secured his first TUNDRA win back in May.  This time it was Bilderback who was the aggressor rather than the defender.

The Country Plumber 75-lap feature was led to green by Brandon Selle and Randy Schuler.  Schuler took a quick jump on the outside with Selle settling back in second.  Behind them Dean’s Satellite Rookie of the Year contenders Reagan May and Mike Lichtfeld battled for third.

Just three laps into the main both drivers were sideways heading into turns three and four, sending cars throughout the field scrambling.  A caution came out and the field was set to return to green with 72 to go.

Selle grabbed the lead from Schuler on the restart and showed the way until caution fell on lap 12.  By this time Bilderback had slid to second.  He chose the outside line when the Barricade Flasher System TUNDRA Barrel was placed and dashed away when the green fell.

Several quicker drivers in the field took the next 14-lap green flag run as a chance to move toward the top five.  Farrell got to second by lap 18 and defending race-winner Brad Mueller took third one lap later.  On lap 20 fast qualifier Dennis Prunty moved to fifth.

Another caution fell on lap 21 when Chris Blawat stalled attempting to exit the track.  The restart pitted Bilderback, who chose the outside line, against Farrell.  The green did not stay out long as the left rear tire on Travis Dassow’s machine disintegrated, sending him spinning.

Farrell held strong in the battle against Bilderback until another caution fell just before halfway. Paige Decker and May came together down the front stretch, leaving the two hooked in turn one.  Once unhooked May went to the attention of her crew and was able to return to action on the lead lap.

The restart saw Farrell to the inside of Bilderback again.  Mueller chose to follow Farrell, while Prunty trailed Bilderback.  Eventually Bilderback jumped away, leaving room for Prunty to take the second spot.  Prunty went to work on Bilderback and took the lead on lap 53.  Mueller slipped past Bilderback into second just before the yellow came out for a spin involving Tom Gee and Brandon Selle.

Dalton Zehr, who had claimed the TUNDRA title by starting the feature, was hanging in and staying out of trouble up to this point.  He neared the top five, but eventually was forced to drop out due to damage he sustained attempting to avoid spinning cars.

After four laps of a side-by-side tussle for the lead, Prunty nudged ahead.  However, Mueller closed in quickly and began to challenge Prunty.  Entering turn three with 17 laps remaining, both drivers vied for the same plot of race track.  As a result Mueller would spin.

Under the subsequent yellow Prunty curiously passed the pace car as Mueller was closing in to express his displeasure.  Prunty ducked off the track, sensing problems in the left rear of his machine.  The team would later discover that the issues on Prunty’s machine were too big to return to the race for a sustained period of time.

With Prunty and Mueller out of the fray, the lead went back to Bilderback.  He and Farrell were allowed to resume the battle they had started earlier, and had continued for third behind Mueller and Prunty.

With 13 laps to go James Swan had a left-rear tire go down, sending him spinning for what would be the final yellow.

A single file restart had Farrell in the top spot with Bilderback on his bumper.  Bilderback closed in, surveyed several times, and eventually set up the last-lap pass.

Mueller stormed back through the field to finish third, Brad Keith secured fourth, and Randy Schuler rounded out the top five.

Behind them rookie Tommy Gee survived the skirmish with Selle to finish sixth.  Trailing him was May, who had significant damage to her machine, but was able to carry on.   She claimed the Dean’s Satellite Rookie of the Year title by 11 points over Lichtfeld.  Lichtfeld had looked as though he had a chance to take the title from May, but he sustained damage trying to avoid the Mueller spin with 17 laps remaining.

The TUNDRA Super Late Model Series would like to thank its 2014 partners: The Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association, Advanced Engine Concepts, Bear Creek Cranberries, Best Western Derby Inn (Eagle River, Wis.), Bonafide Security Solutions, Coleman Racing Products, Country Plumber, Draco Springs, Eagle River Derby Track, Five Star Race Car Bodies, Habelman Brothers Company Cranberries, Howard’s Cams, Leo’s Upper Dells Bar, QA1 Shocks, Radiographic Services, TD Graphics, Tiry’s Race Engines,  and Wegner Automotive Research.

TUNDRA would also like to thank the staff and management of its partner tracks for the 2014 season: Wisconsin International Raceway, Golden Sands Speedway, Jefferson Speedway, Norway Speedway, LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway, Marshfield Motor Speedway, Dells Raceway Park and Slinger Super Speedway.

The 2014 Championship Banquet will be held this offseason.  A date and location are to be determined.

The Unified Northern Drivers Racing Association (TUNDRA) Super Late Model Series was formed in 2011 as the Alive For Five Super Late Model Series at Dells Raceway Park. TUNDRA’s business plan is based on a sustainable program for promoters and race teams alike, while still providing high-quality Super Late Model entertainment to fans.

For more information on TUNDRA including news, results and the 2014 standings, archived results and standings, and more visit http://www.tundrasuperlates.com. Also, interact with us on Facebook (facebook.com/TundraSuperLateModels) or Twitter (@TUNDRAslms).

Teammate May Wins Wild Rookie of the Year Battle

SLINGER, Wis. (September 8, 2014) – Dalton Zehr has had the distinction of being the winningest driver in TUNDRA Super Late Model Series action since he burst on the scene in 2011.

That season, Zehr won two of the four Alive For Five Super Late Model Series races at Dells Raceway Park he attended. Had he not missed the first event, he may have knocked Frank Kreyer off the top of the standings. It was not to be.

In 2012 Zehr was engaged in the tightest point battle TUNDRA has yet to see. In prime position heading into the feature, Zehr was involved in an early incident that forced him to nurse his machine to the finish. Dennis Prunty won and took the title. Although Zehr again took two wins, it was not to be.

Last season Zehr burst into Victory Lane in the season opener at Golden Sands Speedway. He had strong runs all throughout the season, until he was bit by bad luck at Marshfield Motor Speedway. Zehr finished second again. It was not to be.

In 2014 – it was meant to be.

A complete eight-race body of work left Zehr in cruise control heading into Sunday’s finale at Slinger. Zehr needed only to start the feature event. With his two closest competitors sidelined for the event by engine issues, Zehr appeared loose the entire event. The pressure of three seasons lifted off his shoulders.

“We lost one two years ago on the last night. We had it pretty much wrapped coming into tonight, so it was nice to not have as much pressure and we could just chase the feature win,” Zehr explained.

The afternoon did not go as Zehr planned. Mired in traffic throughout the feature, Zehr eventually succumbed to some front end damage with less than 20 laps remaining in the final feature. It was Zehr’s only DNF of the season. It was the first time he finished outside the top ten.

“I watched the final laps from up top, which is nowhere a driver wants to see it, but we have to be happy with the end result,” Zehr said.

He also recognized the team effort it took to secure his first touring title.

“I couldn’t ask for a better crew. They’re extremely faithful guys and I have to thank them for coming to all of the races.”

Zehr tallied three wins, five top fives and seven top tens in the eight-race season.

MAY TAKES ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

It may have been a frantic day in the Coleman camp, but it ended on a high note. Zehr’s teammate Reagan May survived a wild race which allowed her to hang on to the Dean’s Satellite Rookie of the Year title.

May was involved in an incident on lap 32 with last year’s Rookie of the Year Paige Decker. The two cars made contact down the front stretch and were hooked in turn one. Once the cars were untangled May went to the pit area where the crew was able to fix her machine.

“Both times I got rookie of the year I had a smashed race car on the last night of the run. I guess it’s going to have to be tradition,” May joked afterward.

She was able to work her way back through the field patiently. May needed to stay within four spots of fellow rookie Mike Lichtfeld late in the race to secure the honors. With 17 laps remaining, bad luck bit Lichtfeld. The leaders came together, sending Brad Mueller spinning. As James Swan checked up to avoid Mueller’s machine, Lichtfeld ran out of room and sustained heavy front-end damage when he came together with Swan.

From there, May cruised to a seventh-place finish and the title. She was also the SuperPro Late Model Rookie of the Year in 2010.

“We started right next to Mike, so I knew it was going to be interesting,” May said. “We had a lot of ups and downs, a lot of downs. My crew did an amazing job of getting me back out. We were able to ride around and stay out of trouble again. I still can’t believe we ended it the way that we did.”

TUNDRA has awarded two Dean’s Satellite Rookie of the Year titles – both were claimed by 20-year-old female drivers.

The TUNDRA Super Late Model Series would like to thank its 2014 partners: The Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association, Advanced Engine Concepts, Bear Creek Cranberries, Best Western Derby Inn (Eagle River, Wis.), Bonafide Security Solutions, Coleman Racing Products, Country Plumber, Draco Springs, Eagle River Derby Track, Five Star Race Car Bodies, Habelman Brothers Company Cranberries, Howard’s Cams, Leo’s Upper Dells Bar, QA1 Shocks, Radiographic Services, TD Graphics, Tiry’s Race Engines, and Wegner Automotive Research.

TUNDRA would also like to thank the staff and management of its partner tracks for the 2014 season: Wisconsin International Raceway, Golden Sands Speedway, Jefferson Speedway, Norway Speedway, LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway, Marshfield Motor Speedway, Dells Raceway Park and Slinger Super Speedway.

The 2014 Championship Banquet will be held this offseason. A date and location are to be determined.

The Unified Northern Drivers Racing Association (TUNDRA) Super Late Model Series was formed in 2011 as the Alive For Five Super Late Model Series at Dells Raceway Park. TUNDRA’s business plan is based on a sustainable program for promoters and race teams alike, while still providing high-quality Super Late Model entertainment to fans.

For more information on TUNDRA including news, results and the 2014 standings, archived results and standings, and more visit http://www.tundrasuperlates.com. Also, interact with us on Facebook (facebook.com/TundraSuperLateModels) or Twitter (@TUNDRAslms).

WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. (August 24, 2014) – Ty Majeski is having a 2014 season that will be tough to forget. The Seymour, Wis., native, quickly becoming one of the top Super Late Model drivers in the country, made another mark Saturday night when he captured his first TUNDRA Super Late Model Series win.

With his victory in TUNDRA Round Seven Powered by Wisconsin Potatoes at Dells Raceway Park Majeski became the youngest winner in TUNDRA history at 20 years and 5 days.

The win had some more significance for Majeski as it came at the venue where he jumpstarted his racing career. DRP is where Majeski tasted victory for the first time in a Late Model when he took a six-for-six dash in 2010. Majeski was 15 years of age at the time.

Ty Majeski became the youngest winner in TUNDRA history with his win in Round Seven at Dells Raceway Park (Jeff Blaser Photo)

“I’ve always liked this place. It feels good to come back and get a checkered flag in the Super Late,” he commented in Victory Lane.

Majeski left little doubt in the 60-lapper that was interrupted by only one early caution. Majeski started third row inside and crept into the second spot at the most critical of times. Majeski had just moved past Dennis Prunty into second when the yellow came out for a skirmish involving Dalton Zehr and Billy Mohn on lap four.

Electing the outside lane, Majeski was able to pull away from early-race leader Jerry Blystone. Prunty slid back, but returned to the second spot and pursued Majeski all race long.

“This car had good roll speed,” Majeski said. “I was fortunate enough to get in the lead, get out front and conserve my tires, so I had a little something left at the end.”

After the lap-four restart when Majeski escaped Blystone, the DRP veteran was left to contend with a hungry pack of fast race cars. Although Prunty lost ground to the top two in the opening laps after the restart, he was able to reel in Blystone and took the runner-up spot back on lap 12.

Dennis Prunty (42) closes in before Ty Majeski (91) breaks away in TUNDRA Round Seven at Dells Raceway Park (Jeff Blaser Photo)

From that point, the chase was on. Prunty dashed away from what eventually turned into a battle for third among Blystone, Austin Nason and Mike Lichtfeld. On lap 14 Nason slipped past Blystone and brought the tandem of Lichtfeld and Bobby Kendall into the top five.

Shortly after grabbing third, Nason had his hands full with hearty challenges from Lichtfeld. Lichtfeld, who has won three features this season at DRP, muscled his way past Nason by lap 24. By this point Majeski and Prunty were well ahead of the heated scrap, leaving Lichtfeld a large deficit to erase.

At the halfway point Lichtfeld had stepped away from the battle for fourth. Kendall, Nason, Nick Panitzke and fast qualifier Dan Lensing disputed the spots for the next 10 laps. Kendall’s machine seemed to fade with 20 laps remaining. Nason was able to move past Kendall and soon brought Panitzke and Lensing.

While the battle for fourth was grabbing attention, TUNDRA point leader Dalton Zehr was frantically trying to work his way back through the field. With ten laps remaining Zehr had moved back to tenth. He quickly worked past Kendall, Rich Schumann, Blystone, Nason and Panitzke to fifth with three laps to go.

Meanwhile, Majeski continued to cruise up front. At times lapped traffic seemed to slow him enough to allow Prunty to close. However, any time Prunty closed the gap to get within striking distance, Majeski powered away to build his advantage.

In the final circuits Majeski grew his lead and soared to victory. Prunty remained unchallenged in second. Lichtfeld valiantly closed the gap on the top two, but simply did not have enough time to catch them. He settled for third. Behind him Lensing was just able to fend off Zehr for fourth. Lensing kept high going around the lapped car of Frank Nitzke. Zehr dived to the inside, almost completing a three-wide pass at the line.

Although Majeski cruised to a dominant victory, Zehr was able to maintain in the TUNDRA title chase. Zehr gained six passing points versus Majeski’s two. His lead grew by one point heading into the eighth and final round in two weeks.

The biggest shake up in the standings came in the Dean’s Satellite Rookie of the Year chase. Lichtfeld’s strong run allowed him to shave 19 points off his deficit. He now trails Reagan May by just four markers.

Earlier in the evening Jeff Weinfurter bested the 25-lap Country Plumber Shootout. Kelsey Bauer was second and Steve Lichtfeld was third.

The Championship Round Powered by Wisconsin Potatoes for the TUNDRA Super Late Model Series is scheduled for Sunday afternoon September 7 at Slinger Speedway. TUNDRA will be joined by the weekly Slinger divisions who will crown champions, as well. More information on that event will be available soon.

Slinger Speedway is located off of Hwy 41 and Highway 144 at 280 Cedar Creek Road, Slinger Wisconsin 53086. For more information visit www.slingersuperspeedway.com.

The Unified Northern Drivers Racing Association (TUNDRA) Super Late Model Series was formed in 2011 as the Alive For Five Super Late Model Series at Dells Raceway Park. TUNDRA’s business plan is based on a sustainable program for promoters and race teams alike, while still providing high-quality Super Late Model entertainment to fans.

For more information on TUNDRA including news, results and the 2014 standings, archived results and standings, and more visit www.tundrasuperlates.com. Also, interact with us on Facebook (facebook.com/TundraSuperLateModels) or Twitter (@TUNDRAslms).