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.

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).