TRAVELERS AND LOCALS SET TO BATTLE FOR ‘THE BEAR’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TUNDRA TEAMS UP WITH KROLL’S WEST AND TEAM CLEAVERS TO INTRODUCE FAST-TASTIC FIVE CHALLENGE FOR 2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. (April 24, 2024) – Drivers who show consistent speed in TUNDRA Super Late Model events this season may find some bonus dollars heading their way.

The series has teamed up with sponsors Kroll’s West Restaurant of Green Bay and Team Cleavers to introduce the Fast-Tastic Five Challenge. The challenge is a race within the race that will reward $500 to the best finisher.  In the final event of the season, that bonus will increase to $1,000.

Guidelines for the Challenge are as follows:

  • The Top Five finishing drivers from each feature race will qualify into The Fast-Tastic Five for the following event’s feature race
  • Registered TUNDRA members will automatically be entered if eligible. Non-member drivers will have one week to register for the following event to maintain eligibility.  If they do not register, the next eligible TUNDRA member will be selected.
  • The highest finishing Fast-Tastic Five driver will receive a $500 bonus on top of their winnings from the feature event
  • The final bonus of the season will be $1,000
  • Drivers can not win the bonus two races in a row, unless it is the final two
  • If a driver is part of a team, and their teammate races in the next event, that teammate is eligible to take their place. 
  • If that teammate wins, the prize will be $350 with $150 going to the next highest finishing driver who qualified and attended the previous event.

TUNDRA’s opening event at Wisconsin International Raceway will be the first chance for drivers to qualify for the challenge. The first bonus will be given in the second race of the season at Marshfield Motor Speedway on June 8.

The first event of the 2024 TUNDRA season is Saturday, May 11 at Wisconsin Interntional Raceway in Kaukauna, Wis. Qualifying is scheduled for 12:30pm with racing at 2pm.  TUNDRA will be joined by the Mid-Am Racing Series on the half-mile and the Wisconsin Sport Trucks, WIR ¼-Mile Late Models and Figure 8s on the quarter mile.

TUNDRA 2024 REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

GREEN BAY, Wis. (April 1, 2024) – Registration is now open for the 2024 TUNDRA Super Late Model Series season. The series features five races at four tracks, well spaced out through the summer of 2024.

The biggest change on the competitor side for the 2024 season will be the change to four new tires at each event this season. This will make for easier inclusion of new racers and will allow for longer feature events.

Registration Information and Forms Available Here

Wisconsin International Raceway once again hosts the season opener, set for Saturday, May 11. Once again presented by Great Lakes Testing, the opener honors hall of fame racer Roger “The Bear” Regeth. More information on the event will be available soon.

TUNDRA will continue its season on June 8 at Marshfield Motor Speedway with The Bev Aschenbrenner Memorial before hitting the midway point on July 6 with the North American Cup Dedicated to Carl Wegner at Dells Raceway Park.

This season TUNDRA will round out the year with two straight events at Golden Sands Speedway. On Friday, July 19 TUNDRA remembers Tom Reffner with The Blue Knight 88. The final event of the season will be the Cleaver Classic on Labor Day, Monday, September 2.

ZEHR CLINCHES TEAM TITLE WITH SWEEP AT MARSHFIELD

Full results

MARSHFIELD, Wis. (September 16, 2023) – It’s not so rare to see a Championship capped off in style, but Dalton Zehr hit full style points on his way to clinching the TUNDRA Super Late Model Series title on Saturday night at Marshfield Motor Speedway.

Zehr won both 50 lap features to secure the first ever TUNDRA team title with teammate John Beale under the Gildan Racing banner.

In the first feature, the Bev Aschenbrenner Memorial Presented by IncredibleBank, Solutionz LLC, and A&A Lock Service, Zehr took advantage of a late restart to muscle his way past Colin Reffner and set sail to the win.

In the second feature, the Chili Implement Championship Shootout, Zehr chased down Brock Heinrich just past midway of the 50 lapper, and held off Ty Fredrickson on a late restart.

Both features were stalled by only one yellow flag each, leaving plenty of time for side-by-side action and movement throughout the field.

Jordan Thiel took an early lead from fellow front-row starter Braison Bennett in the Bev Memorial feature to begin the evening for TUNDRA. Just after Thiel escaped Bennett, Fredrickson went on the move. He captured Second by lap six, then took the lead from Thiel four laps later.

As Fredrickson moved up to the lead, Colin Reffner was also charging through the pack. He moved from his Seventh Place starting spot to Second by lap 21. Not too far behind him, Zehr was also on the move and had advanced from Eighth to Fourth.

Once into the Second spot, Reffner quickly chased down Fredrickson. On lap 22 he caught Fredrickson, just after Zehr had taken Third from Thiel. Three laps later Reffner jumped to the top line to try to take the lead. He grabbed the lead on lap 26.  Reffner then began to build his advantage over Fredrickson and Zehr.

The race saw a big change on lap 38 when Mitch Haver spun exiting turn four. Both Reffner and Fredrickson selected the inside line, leaving the outside open for Zehr on the restart.  After a two-lap battle, Zehr emerged with the lead.

Zehr built his advantage over Reffner over the final laps while Fredrickson was left to deal with Mark Eswein, who had charged from his 14th Place starting spot.  Eswein was able to secure the position by sneaking around Fredrickson on the final lap.

With an invert of nine, the field was led to green by Wyatt Brooks and Kole Guralski. Brooks slid up at the drop of the green and washed up into the middle groove. He and Guralski made contact, which led to Guralski making an incredible save.  However, the inside line opened up allowing Brock Heinrich to secure the lead.

After Heinrich took the lead, Justin Mondeik slid to the inside of Brooks and Eswein to the inside of Guralski.  Mondeik eventually took the Second spot on lap two.  Eswein followed the next lap with Zehr in tow.

As the race settled in, Heinrich built a lead and Mondeik was left to deal with Eswein and Zehr.  On lap eight Guralski moved back into the Top Five on the inside of Brooks. This move left the door open for Fredrickson to move to Sixth.

On lap 14 Eswein got to the inside of Mondeik in the battle for Second.  He took the spot on lap 16, bringing Zehr with.  Just one lap later Zehr slipped past Eswein and started his pursuit of Heinrich.

Zehr chopped away at the deficit lap after lap. Just past halfway he was on the back bumper of Heinrich and ready to challenge.  On lap 29 Zehr moved past Heinrich and set sail.

Behind them Fredrickson was still moving. He passed Mondeik just past halfway to take Fourth and started to put pressure on Eswein. However, Eswein was able to hold off the youngster until the caution fell on lap 41 for a stalled Mitch Haver.

For the restart, Zehr, Heinrich, and Eswein elected to take the inside line. Fredrickson jumped to the outside. The first attempt at green was called off, but on the second Fredrickson quickly tucked behind Zehr and tried a daring crossover.  Zehr was able to escape though, and went on to the win. 

Fredrickson finished Second, and Eswein was Third after retaking the spot from Heinrich with five laps remaining. Coincidentally, that was how they finished overall on the evening, as well.

The Championship was Zehr’s fourth, but first as a member of a team.  It came in an impressive season where Zehr captured three fast times and four feature wins. Beale also chipped in a fast time in his lone series start at State Park Speedway.

“It says a lot about this team,” Zehr said of the title. “I’m just excited. This was a great day and a great year.”

“It was really impressive watching Dalton driving tonight,” Beale added. “We really owe it to the crew and the team. It really is a team effort for all we do.”

The event at Marshfield brought the 13th season of TUNDRA to a close, with plans already being developed for the 2024 season. More information will be available throughout the off-season on the TUNDRA web site and social media pages.

SEASON FINALE SHOWCASES TWIN FEATURES AND TITLE BATTLE

GREEN BAY, Wis. (September 14, 2023) – The TUNDRA Super Late Model Series will round out its 2023 season in a big way with twin 50-lap features this Saturday, September 16 at Marshfield Motor Speedway. Once the dust settles the season Champion will be crowned.

Due to a rainout in June this event will contain twin 50-lap features, including the rescheduled Bev Aschenbrenner Memorial presented by IncredibleBank, Solutionz LLC, and A&A Lock Service. Both features will award full points, meaning the title is still very much in play.

Dalton Zehr enters with a 48 point lead along with his Gildan Racing teammate John Beale. To secure the first ever TUNDRA team title, Zehr will have to hold off a hard-charging Justin Mondeik, who is hoping to defend his title with a dramatic come-from-behind victory on Saturday.

Both Zehr and Mondeik have won TUNDRA races at Marshfield. Zehr won in 2014 and 2020. Mondeik took the trophy last year, which help boost his run to the Championship.

Among the others entered are Brock Heinrich and Travis Volm, who are team driving this season. They sit 65 points back of Zehr in Third with Heinrich as the point-gaining car. Kole Guralski is currently Fourth, with a chance to move up a spot or two with a solid day. Regardless, Guralski has already clinched the Anthem Off-Road Wheels Fast Five Dash points title for the season.

Rounding out the Top Five in points entering the event will be Jordan Thiel. Along with his teammate Jordan DeVoy, the duo is looking to put Thiel in the Top Five in standings for the fourth time in his TUNDRA career.

Another past winner at Marshfield to watch will be Colin Reffner. Reffner enters after his best race of the season at Golden Sands where he set fast time and finished Fifth in the Cleaver Classic.

2023 Marshfield Motor Speedway Champion Mark Eswein will be looking for his first TUNDRA victory on Saturday. He finished Third in last year’s Bev Memorial.

Joining the pack for the second race in a row, Ty Fredrickson hopes to be a threat. Coming off his Third Place run in the last event at Golden Sands, Fredrickson could make history on Saturday. Fredrickson has a chance to become the youngest TUNDRA winner at the age of 14. Currently, Carson Kvapil holds that honor – having won a TUNDRA feature in 2018 at the age of 15.

Several other invaders will look to make the day interesting including former Marshfield Champion Darren Jackson. Jackson ran well at Golden Sands, spending much of the race in the Top Five before fading late. Former Golden Sands Champs Frank Nitzke and Wyatt Brooks, and former Slinger titlist Jeremy Lepak will also be in the field.

A pair of drivers from the north and a Marshfield feature winner will also be making their season debuts. Robbie Iverson and Tanner Kelly will invade from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Jerad DeBoer looks to capture another checkered flag at his home track behind the wheel of the 711.

TUNDRA will be part of the Chili Implement Fall Shootout on Saturday. The event also welcomes Super Stocks/Sportsman, Xtreme 4s, Bandits, and the Upper Midwest Vintage Racing Series. Fan gates open at 2pm, qualifying is at 3:30pm, and racing begins at 5pm.

Marshfield Motor Speedway Fall Shootout
Twin 50-Lap Features
Expected Entries as of 9/14/2023

# – Driver, Hometown
2 – Jordan Thiel, Darboy, Wis.
2 – Darren Jackson, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.
7 – Mitchell Haver, West Bend, Wis. [R]
9 – Braison Bennett, Neenah, Wis.
18 – Frank Nitzke, Berlin, Wis.
25 – Wyatt Brooks, Amherst, Wis.
31 – Corey Jankowski, Tomah, Wis.
36 – Ty Fredrickson, Lakeville, Minn.
40 – Jeremy Lepak, Wausau, Wis.
44 – Justin Mondeik, Gleason, Wis.
51 – Tanner Kelly, Vulcan, Mich.
52 – Brock Heinrich, Wausau, Wis.
56 – Kole Guralski, Wausau, Wis.
71 – Mark Eswein, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.
76 – Travis Volm, Mosinee, Wis.
87 – Colin Reffner, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.
97 – Robbie Iverson, Escanaba, Mich.
119 – Dalton Zehr, Verona, Wis.
711 – Jerad DeBoer, Sherry, Wis.

ZEHR BEATS THE HEAT IN CLEAVER CLASSIC

Full Results

PLOVER, Wis. (September 4, 2023) – It’s been a while since Dalton Zehr saw Victory Lane at Golden Sands Speedway. On Monday afternoon Zehr made a triumphant return with a win in the Cleaver Classic presented by Kroll’s West Restaurant. It was Zehr’s second TUNDRA Super Late Model Series win of the season.

Zehr chased down Jordan DeVoy in the final third of the race and sneaked by on lap 73 to take the lead and the win – denying DeVoy a third straight win at the venue.

“Jordan DeVoy was wicked fast and he was doing it in the second groove which was cause for concern,” Zehr said. “But I knew we had a really good long-run car and we had a long run at the end.”

The win was Zehr’s 15th in TUNDRA action, and his second series win at Golden Sands Speedway. The other win came in TUNDRA’s first race as a traveling series at GSS on May 27, 2013.

“It’s hard to get more (speed) here,” Zehr commented. “We were peaked. Our car was as good as it was going to get, and that’s what you need on a hot day like today.”

On a sweltering day the show was moved along quickly to beat the head. Darren Jackson and Kendrick Kreyer led the field to green with Kreyer getting an early jump and building a healthy advantage over the field.

As Kreyer held his advantage, defending TUNDRA Champion Justin Mondeik went to work on moving past Darren Jackson for Second.  At the same time, DeVoy was working the high side to get into the Top Four and Zehr was moving on the low line. They rounded out  the Top Five by lap 18.

The first caution fell on lap 20 for an incident involving Corey Jankowski and Mitch Haver. On the restart Mondeik was to the outside of Kreyer. The two went toe-to-toe for three laps until Mondeik secured the lead. As he took the top spot DeVoy moved past Kreyer into Second. He immediately went on the attack.

DeVoy swung to the outside of Mondeik on lap 27. Mondeik held his line, looking to outduel DeVoy. However, DeVoy was ahead by a slim margin at the line on lap 30 when the caution fell for an incident involving Michael Haggar and Travis Volm. Unfortunately, Volm experienced some mechanical issues and went to the pit area to make repairs.

When the field came back to the green it was DeVoy electing the outside lane and Mondeik joining him on the front row. Mondeik kept even with DeVoy as Zehr settled into Third. Behind them the battle for Fourth ended with contact between Mike Lichtfeld and Kendrick Kreyer. Keyer stalled after going off the track and up the berm.

By TUNDRA policy, the third restart before halfway was single-file. It proved to be the final restart on lap 30. DeVoy built up his lead as Zehr kept close tabs on Mondeik. Behind them two other drivers were on the move – Ken’s Sports Fast Qualifier Colin Reffner and 14-year-old Ty Fredrickson, making his series debut.

At halfway Fredrickson caught Reffner and got to the inside line.  Just one lap later Zehr slipped past Mondeik into Second.  Fredrickson eventually emerged from the battle with Reffner on lap 46. Four laps later he moved past Jackson into Fourth.

As the laps started to wind down, Zehr looked to close the gap on DeVoy. Over the next 20 laps Zehr slowly started to close in. By lap 70 he was on the bumper of Devoy. Zehr swung to the inside on lap 72 and took the lead on lap 73.  DeVoy looked to challenge back to the inside, but could not get to the line in time.

Zehr went on to pull away to the win as DeVoy captured Second. Fredrickson clipped off one more spot and rounded out the podium, making the most of his series debut. Mondeik held on for Fourth and Reffner was Fifth.

The event honored David Kronberger, aka Cleaver, who was a fan, sponsor, and friend of the series and many of its competitors. In 2017 Zehr drove the Wayne Brevik-owned Redline Speedsport 711 car, which is one of the “Team Cleaver” cars.

“I met Gayle and Cleaver when I was driving the 711 and visited with them every event since, it seems,” Zehr recalled. “I’m glad I could win this race. It’s a big deal to me.”

With Zehr as the primary and point-gaining driver for the Gildan Team, the win helped build the point lead.  The final event of the season at Marshfield Motor Speedway will host two 50-lap features which will determine the series title.

The next event at Marshfield on September 16 caps off the TUNDRA season and is the make-up for the Bev Aschenbrenner Memorial which was rained out in June.  Racing begins at 5pm. More details on the event will be available soon.

CONTENTIOUS FIELD WILL CLASH IN CLEAVER CLASSIC

GREEN BAY, Wis. (September 1, 2023) – Monday’s Cleaver Classic Presented by Kroll’s West Restaurant at Golden Sands Speedway in Plover, Wis., will have plenty of drivers who are capable of taking the victory.

For starters, everyone will be looking to stop the hot streak of Jordan DeVoy. DeVoy has won the last two TUNDRA races at Golden Sands, and picked up a win in the Harvest Race prior to those. He has proven to be very strong at the third-mile.

DeVoy was almost denied a win by John Beale last season, in an unforgettable race to the checkered flag. Beale is another driver to keep an eye on…as well as his teammate Dalton Zehr. It’s rare that Beale and Zehr compete in the same event, but fans will have the opportunity to see that on Monday. Zehr won the first ever TUNDRA race at Golden Sands on Memorial Day of 2013. He’ll be looking to back up his win from Norway in July.

Another former winner, Justin Mondeik, enters with plenty of momentum. Mondeik dominated the last TUNDRA race at State Park Speedway and was victorious in TUNDRA action at GSS in 2020.

Mark Mackesy won the TUNDRA stop at Golden Sands in 2016 and will be back looking for some magic in this season’s event.

Looking for their first TUNDRA wins, plenty of attention will be on last year’s fast qualifier Travis Volm and 2023 GSS Champion Mark Eswein. Volm will enter the race as the point leader with teammate Brock Heinrich and will be looking to hold that advantage with one race remaining after Plover. Eswein will be looking to shake the bad luck he’s had in TUNDRA events, and take home the W in front of his home crowd.

Plenty of intrigue surrounds other racers looking for marquee wins including Colin Reffner, 2023 GSS Pro Late Champion Kendrick Kreyer, former GSS Champion Brandon Selle, Anthem Fast Dash point leader Kole Guralski, and Alex Hartwig, making his Super Late Model debut.

TUNDRA will be joined by the WIR 1/4-Mile Late Models, Pure Stocks, and American Super Cups. Fan gates open at noon, qualifying is at 10:45 and racing begins at noon.

Cleaver Classic Presented by Kroll’s West Restaurant
Expected Entries as of 9/1/2023

#- Driver, Hometown
02 – Rayce Haase, Wausau, Wis.
2 – Darren Jackson, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.
5B – John Beale, Verona, Wis.
7 – Mitchell Haver, West Bend, Wis. [R]
9 – Braison Bennett, Neenah, Wis.
12 – Mark Mackesy, Wausau, Wis.
18 – Frank Nitzke, Berlin, Wis.
19 – Michael Haggar, Hanover, Minn.
21 – Alex Hartwig, Portage, Wis.
25 – Wyatt Brooks, Amherst, Wis.
27 – Brandon Selle, Dale, Wis.
31 – Corey Jankowski, Tomah, Wis.
32 – Steve Lichtfeld, Portage, Wis.
38 – Jordan DeVoy, Lake Geneva, Wis.
44 – Justin Mondeik, Gleason, Wis.
44 – Mike Lichtfeld, Pardeeville, Wis.
56 – Kole Guralski, Wausau, Wis.
66 – Kendrick Kreyer, Wisconsin Dells, Wis.
70 – Brady Bill, Reedsburg, Wis.
71 – Mark Eswein, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.
76 – Travis Volm, Mosinee, Wis.
87 – Colin Reffner, Stevens Point, Wis.
119 – Dalton Zehr, Verona, Wis.

MONDEIK BACK HOME IN SPS VICTORY LANE

by TUNDRA PR and State Park Speedway PR (Adam Glatczak)

WAUSAU, Wis. (August 13) – Justin Mondeik admits he hasn’t had the season he’d expected after capturing last year’s TUNDRA Super Late Model Series title. But as he showed Sunday afternoon at State Park Speedway, the season is far from over.

“It feels really good to get it done here at home,” Mondeik said of returning to Victory Lane. “It feels like it’s been a long year. It’s been hard to swallow, but we’ve been working really hard, and it feels really good to get a traveling series win.”

Mondeik captured the lead in the first third of the 75-lap Rib Mountain Rumble Presented by Mr. Brews Taphouse and surged away on a couple of restarts to score his second TUNDRA win at his home track and his fourth overall.

The defending TUNDRA Champion won under overcast skies that included brief sprinkles affecting practice laps earlier in the day, but eventually subsided to allow the completion of the SPS TUNDRA show for the first time in three years.

Mondeik also led a trio of SPS regulars who protected their home turf and swept the top three spots in the feature. Brock Heinrich of Wausau finished second and Wausau’s Travis Volm finished third, making up a top three that included this year’s SPS points leader and has combined for seven feature wins at the track in 2023.

Mondeik started seventh in a 16-car field for the feature and used the inside to quickly move into the top five. He got by Mitchell Haver of West Bend for fifth on lap 6, and then completed the pass of TUNDRA traveler Riley Stenjem of Utica on lap 12 after four laps racing side-by-side.

Mondeik then swooped past Jordan Thiel of Darboy on lap 14, and he was pressuring the leaders when Haase slipped inside early leader Braison Bennett of Neenah for the top spot on lap 19.

Mondeik also got inside Bennett for second a lap later, and three laps later he made the pass for the lead on the inside out of turn 4, with Haase drifting high on the track out of the corner to open the door.

The race’s first caution flag would come out three laps later when Wausau’s Kole Guralski spun between turns 3 and 4 after contact from fast qualifier John Beale of Verona. Mark Mackesy of Wausau also spun, and the two-time past TUNDRA winner at State Park would go to the pits and not return.

Mondeik quickly got away from Bennett on the restart, and he would face a total of four restarts in all, quickly taking the lead on all of them. He held a comfortable lead when the last came with 16 laps left, when Haver and Colin Reffner of Wisconsin Rapids tangled in turns 1 and 2, right in front of Mondeik.

Heinrich was running second to Mondeik at the caution, having gotten by Haase for the runner-up spot on lap 30 and staying there. The hottest car at SPS this year with four feature wins, including three in weekly racing plus the ASA Midwest Tour Larry Detjens Memorial last month, Heinrich stayed solidly in second but had little for the leader, including on the final restart, when he quickly fell in behind Mondeik.

Volm would finish third after a number of side-by-side battles, including holding off Beale while running the outside for six laps before the lap 60 caution, and then by getting around Stenjem on the outside for third on lap 66 after a six-lap fight. Beale would recover from the early incident to finish fourth with Thiel edging Stenjem for fifth. Bennett would finish seventh after leading the first 18 laps, making the outside groove work early in the race to take the lead from polesitter Thiel.

Full Event Recap from State Park Speedway Website

The next event for the TUNDRA Super Late Model Series is The Cleaver Classic on Monday, September 4 at Golden Sands Speedway outside Plover, Wis. The event honors David Kronberger (aka Cleaver), a standout fan/sponsor and friend of the series. Racing will begin at 2pm. More details on the event will be available soon.

TUNDRA REGULARS LOOKING FOR HOME COOKING AT STATE PARK SPEEDWAY

GREEN BAY, Wis. (August 11, 2023) – It’s as close to a home track for the TUNDRA Travelers as it gets with several of the top TUNDRA Super Late Model Series teams very much familiar with State Park Speedway. Those regulars will be hoping for some home cooking when the series heads to the quarter-mile this Sunday for the Rib Mountain Rumble Presented by Mr. Brews Taphouse.

Perhaps the driver with the most momentum will be State Park Speedway point leader and current TUNDRA runner-up Brock Heinrich. Heinrich won the Detjens Memorial at the end of July and won Thursday night’s feature as well.

Behind Heinrich were two other home-area drivers looking to pick up the win. Kole Guralski finished Second to Heinrich, and has shown good speed throughout the TUNDRA season. A chance to race in front of the home crowd could be just what he needs for a potential first series win.

Justin Mondeik finished Third at State Park on Thursday, and will be looking to back up his dominating performance from 2020 – the last time TUNDRA visited Wausau for an event. Mondeik capture fast time and ran away with the feature win. It was during a time-frame where Mondeik won three straight SPS Championships.

For the non-SPS regulars, many eyes will be on John Beale. Beale led a large portion of the Detjens Memorial in July and is no stranger to Victory Lane at Wausau. He tags in for teammate Dalton Zehr for the first time this season. The Gildan Team currently leads the TUNDRA points standings.

A host of other central Wisconsin standouts will look to make some noise including former TUNDRA SPS winner Mark Mackesy, now 11-time Golden Sands Champion Mark Eswein, local favorite Rayce Haase, past feature winner at SPS Travis Volm, and a returning Colin Reffner.

Some traveling spoilers are potentially in the field as well. Kulwicki Driver Development Program finalist Riley Stenjem has shown plenty of promise at State Park in the past. Jordan Thiel has also found the podium in past races. Braison Bennett could also prove to be dangerous on Sunday.

TUNDRA will be joined by the WIR ¼-Mile Late Models, Wisconsin Sport Trucks, and Dairyland Vintage Series. Qualifying is scheduled for 1:30pm with racing at 3pm.

State Park Speedway is located at 147711 N Mountain Rd in Wausau, Wis. For More information visit http://www.stateparkspeedway.com

Rib Mountain Rumble Presented by Mr. Brews Taphouse
State Park Speedway
Sunday, August 13
Expected Entries as of 8/11/23

# – Driver, Hometown
02 – Rayce Haase, Wausau, Wis.
2 – Jordan Thiel, Darboy, Wis.
5B – John Beale, Verona, Wis.
7 – Mitchell Haver, West Bend, Wis. [R]
9 – Braison Bennett, Neenah, Wis.
12 – Mark Mackesy, Wausau, Wis.
27 – Travis Rodewald, Manitowoc, Wis.
28 – Riley Stenjem, Utica, Wis.
32 – Steve Lichtfeld, Portage, Wis.
44 – Justin Mondeik, Gleason, Wis.
52 – Brock Heinrich, Wausau, Wis.
56 – Kole Guralski, Wausau, Wis.
71 – Mark Eswein, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.
76 – Travis Volm, Mosinee, Wis.
87 – Colin Reffner, Stevens Point, Wis.
91 – Mickey Schallie, Darboy, Wis.
99 – Dan Thomson, Neenah, Wis.

ZEHR ZAPS THE COMPETITION IN NORWAY THREE-PEAT

Full Results

NORWAY, Mich. (July 29, 2023) – Dalton Zehr remained perfect in TUNDRA Super Late Model Series features at Norway Speedway as he captured the 75-lap Eh Main on Saturday night. The win backed up Zehr’s TUNDRA victories at Norway from 2014 and last season.

Zehr slipped to the lead past Braison Bennett on lap 20 and outgunned Brock Heinrich on a couple of restarts to score the win.

For Zehr and the team, preparation for the feature was key. Despite having a strong setup, the team was diligent during the afternoon’s practice session, striving for improvements even while they were at the top of the charts.

“We worked hard in practice. We were good, but we made it strong for the long runs,” Zehr said “We made 12 changes in practices and I would say ten of them were improvements.”

The invert of seven placed Zehr on the outside of row two with Ken’s Sports Fast Qualifier Riley Stenjem in the row behind.  The outside line shuffled into place early with Braison Bennett taking the lead from Gregg Haese on lap one. Chad Butz settled into Third in front of Heinrich with Zehr right behind in Fifth.

Heinrich and Zehr got around Butz into Third and Fourth just before the caution fell on lap eight when Stenjem and Kole Guralski got together in turn one. Mickey Schallie was shuffled out of line and collided with Guralski. Guralski continued at the tail with Stenjem while Schallie was forced to retire due to damage.

On the restart Bennett took the lead from Heinrich who chose the outside for the restart. Zehr quickly wrestled Third from Haese.

As the top three set sail ahead, Zehr waited for the right opportunity to move past Heinrich. He did so on lap 15. At the same time Justin Mondeik moved into the top four by slipping past Haese. Andy Monday and Chad Butz soon slipped by as Haese nursed an ill-handling machine.

Just five laps later Zehr was on the bumper of Bennett.  Again he waited for the right opportunity and found it on the exit of turn four coming back to lap 20. Zehr slipped past and left Bennett to try to deal with Heinrich in a battle for Second.

Zehr began to reel in the tail end of the field just as the caution fell on lap 28 for a spin involving Justin Woller.  The field reset for the restart with Zehr on the inside of Henrich in the front row and Bennett alongside Mondeik in row two.

A perfect restart allowed Zehr to jump away from Heinrich who settled into Second. Bennett secured Third and left the door open for Andy Monday to grab Fourth.

While the top two got away again, Monday went to work on Bennett. On lap 35 Monday slid to the inside of Bennett to take Third and brought Chad Butz along into Fourth. Just behind, Stenjem had moved to Sixth and was looking for a spot in the Top Five. He secured the spot at halfway.

As Zehr and Henrich once again closed in on lapped traffic, Butz started to put heat on Monday in the battle for Third. He closed in repeatedly as the race closed in on lap 50.

At lap 58, lapped traffic began to get thick in front of Zehr, allowing Heinrich to close the gap.  Although Zehr had to tip toe through traffic, once he was clear, he was able to build another healthy advantage.

Zehr’s lead was erased on lap 72 for a spin involving Jerry Mueller.  With less than five laps remaining it set up a single-file restart.

The restart was short-lived, however, as Chad Butz lost brakes going into turn one on the next lap and spun wildly into the grass. He was ok, but the car was sidelined with heavy damage. This set up a final restart with Zehr, Heinrich, Monday, Stenjem and Mondeik in the Top Five.

One final restart brought an opportunity for Heinrich, but again Zehr was just too strong and was able to jump away to the checkered flag.

Despite the late restarts, Zehr felt plenty of confidence on his way to the three-peat.

“Brock kept me honest, that’s for sure. But as the race progressed, it seemed like we could build the gap,” Zehr said.

Heinrich was Second, Andy Monday was Third, Riley Stenjem Fourth, and Justin Mondeik rounded out the Top Five.

The win helped Zehr build a bigger gap for his team over the tandem of Heinrich and Travis Volm in the TUNDRA standings. The gap sits at 19, but plenty of intrigue will surround the next event as Heinrich will look for some home cooking in Wausau and John Beale tags in for team Gildan.

The next event for the TUNDRA Super Late Model Series is The Rib Mountain Rumble at State Park Speedway in Wausau on Sunday, August 13. TUNDRA will be joined by the WIR ¼-Mile Late Models and the Wisconsin Sport Trucks. More details, including start times, will be available shortly.