PORTAGE, Wis. (September 3, 2021) – A field full of contenders will convene at Central Wisconsin’s Power Playground this Monday when the TUNDRA Super Late Model Series makes its traditional Labor Day stop at Golden Sands Speedway.

The race will be the second-to-last stop of the 2021 season and could prove to be critical in a tight Championship battle.  Four-time series titlist Casey Johnson currently leads second-year racer Riley Stenjem by 14 points. The lead duo have the next five competitors looking to make up ground at the third-mile.

Wisconsin’s winningest driver Justin Mondeik may be tagged as a favorite for Monday’s event, but his road to a second straight series victory at GSS won’t be an easy one.  The defending track Champion and current point leader has score double digits in the win column this season and knows what it takes to get around the sweeping circuit in a swift fashion.  Some of his nearest competitors have found ways to be fast as well.

Hot on his heels will be two-time Trickle Memorial 99 winner John Beale.  Beale has proven to find success at Golden Sands this season.  The last time the series visited Central Wisconsin in June at Marshfield Motor Speedway, Beale recorded a season-best Third Place finish. He’ll be looking for more Central Wisconsin magic come Monday.

Also in the title hunt are top EPYK Media rookie Grant Thompson and Jordan Thiel.  Those drivers are on opposite sides of the spectrum when it comes to experience at Golden Sands.  Thompson, the teenage sensation from Alabama will be making his first visit to Plover.  Thiel has raced multiple seasons at the track and has recorded many victories along the way.  A win for either would go a long way toward making up ground in the point standings.

Sitting behind the leaders is a driver looking to break through for his first TUNDRA win, and a visit back to his home area might bring it.  Last year’s EPYK Media Rookie of the Year Brock Heinrich is creeping closer and closer toward his first visit to Victory Lane.  Coming off a successful Third Place run at Jefferson in July, he and his team continue to make strides that are making other competitors take notice.

The leaders of the pack shouldn’t be overshadowed, however. Johnson, now considered one of the top racers in the country, always seems to find ways to improve down the stretch run. While Golden Sands has been a challenge for him in the past, he can look back to last year’s Fourth Place finish to build upon.  Stenjem, much like Johson’s understudy Thompson, has no Supe Late Model experience at Plover.  Lack of experience hasn’t proven to been much of a hurdle for Stenjem in the past, and fans can expect to see the 77 in contention.

Aside from the title contenders, the field will be littered with point standing spoilers looking to grab the trophy.  Among those drivers are the Lichtfeld brothers.  Mike is a past TUNDRA winner at Golden Sands, outdueling Thiel to grab his first series win in 2017.  Steve has shown excellent speed and performance in weekly racing at Golden Sands.  His program is gaining momentum too, coming off a win in last week’s CWRA race at Dells Raceway Park.

The EPYK Media rookies may be ones to watch.  Kulwicki Driver Development finalist Max Kahler has been chasing bad luck in his TUNDRA program this season, but has found success racing at Rockford.  With some wins under his belt, Kahler could find some swagger come Monday.  Luke Westenberg is coming off a Rookie of the Race performance with TUNDRA at Jefferson, and also grabbed a weekly Late Model win in a stout field at Jefferson last week.

In addition, Brady Bill will certainly be one who could be heard from.  Bill ran the Late Model triple crown at Golden Sands this season and hopes to put those laps to use.  Dorchester’s Mike Olson hasn’t visited Golden Sands in a few years, but experienced success last time he joined TUNDRA at the facility. He made the dash and recorded a Top Ten finish.

Other drivers to watch will be Marshfield Speedway point leader Darren Jackson, WIR invaders Braison Bennett and Brian Henry, former GSS Champion Wyatt Brooks, and a trio of TUNDRA Travelers who have found success at Golden Sands in Jeremy Lepak, Jordan DeVoy, and Jake Zellmer.

TUNDRA Round Five takes place this Monday, September 6 at Golden Sands Speedway in Plover, Wis.  TUNDRA will be joined by the WIR Quarter-Mile Late Models, Wisconsin Sport Trucks, and 4 Cylinder Stocks. Fan gates open at noon, qualifying is at 12:15, and racing begins at 2 pm.

Golden Sands Speedway is located at 11000 Hwy. 54 between Wisconsin Rapids and Plover.  For more information visit http://www.gssraces.com

Round Five
Golden Sands Speedway
Monday, September 6, 2021
Expected Entries (29) as of 9/3/21

# – Driver, Hometown
1W – Wyatt Blashe, Pella, Wis.
2 – Jordan Thiel, Darboy, Wis.
2 – Darren Jackson, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.
2 – Lowell Bennett, Neenah, Wis.
5 – Casey Johnson, Edgerton, Wis.
5B – John Beale, Verona, Wis.
7 – Brian Henry, Omro, Wis.
9 – Braison Bennett, Neenah, Wis.
16 – Luke Westenberg, Jefferson, Wis.
17 – Max Kahler, Caledonia, Ill.
31 – Corey Jankowsi, Tomah, Wis.
32 – Steve Lichtfeld, Portage, Wis.
33 – Kevin Kneuse, Waukesha, Wis.
38 – Jordan DeVoy, Lake Geneva, Wis.
40 – Curt Tillman, Rockford, Ill.
40 – Jeremy Lepak, Wausau, Wis.
44 – Justin Mondeik, Gleason, Wis.
44 – Mike Lichtfeld, Pardeeville, Wis.
52 – Brock Heinrich, Wausau, Wis.
54 – Grant Thompson, Mobile, Ala.
58 – Joe Scholze, Holmen, Wis.
64 – Mike Olson, Dorchester, Wis.
70 – Brady Bill, Reedsburg, Wis.
71 – Mark Eswein, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.
77 – Riley Stenjem, Utica, Wis.
89 – Mike Egan, Slinger, Wis.
99 – Jake Zellmer, Muskego, Wis.
107.5 – Darek Gress, Neillsville, Wis.
711 – Driver TBA, Rangeline, Wis.

PORTAGE, Wis. (September 1, 2021) – The road to the 2021 TUNDRA Super Late Model Series Championship seems to be getting close to a traffic jam situation with only two races remaining in the season. Seven drivers sit within striking distance of the title with a possible chance to hoist the trophy at the end of the year.

Monday’s Round Five at Golden Sands Speedway will help make the picture a bit clearer about  who will be in and who will be out when the series then heads to Dells Raceway Park for the Championship round on September 26.

Point Leader, Casey Johnson – By no stretch of the imagination has Casey Johnson had any sort of learning curve in teaming up with Aaron Larson for 2021. The new team came out screaming with a fast time and win in Round One at Wisconsin International Raceway. That win was backed up with a Fourth Place finish at Marshfield, and, after an early incident, a Sixth Place finish at Jefferson.  With his nearest contender only 12 points back, Johnson will be hoping for a strong run Monday to give himself breathing room at the Dells. If need be, however, Johnson has shown to be a strong favorite to win at DRP, and could cap off title #5 with a victory.

Runner Up, Riley Stenjem – There has been no such thing as a sophomore slump for Riley Stenjem.  After a solid Fifth Place finish in Round One at WIR, Stenjem put himself on the map with a dominant win at Marshfield.  Showing that he was ready to contend for the title, he put himself at the top of the charts in qualifying at Marshfield, then contended for the win before finishing Fifth. Due to college obligations, Stenjem was not able to attend the make-up date at Golden Sands last season. He’s hoping to find some first-time magic, then see where a strong showing at DRP can take his title hopes.

Third Place, Brock Heinrich – The Brockstar vaulted himself into the title picture with a strong run at Jefferson in July.  After a DNF at WIR in Round One, Heinrich enjoyed his first fast time at Marshfield and capped off the day with a Fifth Place finish.  His day at Jefferson was nothing short of incredible after using an unfamiliar car, losing power steering, and wheeling the machine to a Third Place run.  Should he put forth two more strong showings and keep pace with those ahead of him, the Brockstar could find himself in the title mix. He currently sits 44 points back of Johnson.

Fourth Place, Grant Thompson – The top EPYK Media rookie contender has been on a fast-track learning plan this year in TUNDRA.  With Casey Johnson and Travis Dassow in his corner, the youngster from Alabama has proven to be a top student, sitting only 57 points out of the top spot.  Thompson wowed the crowd at Wisconsin International Raceway in his debut with a Second Place finish to Johnson.  He then put forth a respectable Eighth Place finish at Marshfield before getting bit by the learning curve at Jefferson. Thompson and his team will be back and focused at Golden Sands, hoping to replicate the magic they found in Round One.

Fifth Place, Jordan Thiel – It seems like the second half of the season is always the best for Jordan Thiel to work his way into title contention.  Quietly, Thiel has put himself in position to make another run.  With finishes of Eighth (WIR), Seventh (Marshfield), and Ninth (Jefferson), Thiel remains in the hunt. He’ll hope to find better results in qualifying, however, as time trials have not been favorable.  While 72 points could be tough to make up, the remaining two tracks have treated Thiel well in the past. He has many laps and multiple feature wins at Golden Sands and recorded his first TUNDRA victory at Dells Raceway Park in 2017.

Sixth Place, Justin Mondeik – Despite having five competitors ahead of him in the standings, Monday could be the day Mondeik jumps back into the title chase.  He has been nothing short of dominant at Golden Sands Speedway, and will be looking to put the clamps on his second straight track Championship next week.  Mondeik swept to the feature win last season in TUNDRA action at Golden Sands.  Despite some bad luck throughout the season, a similar performance could help him chop away at that 81-point margin before the season closer at DRP.

Seventh Place, John Beale – While Mondeik has been tough to beat at Plover, Beale has found a way to do it in the last two Trickle 99 races. He can be expected to be a favorite once again this Monday.  Beale proved very strong at Marshfield in Round Two with his best finish (Third Place) of the season.  Much like Mondeik, Beale has quite a bit of ground to make up with 85 points separating him from the leader.  However, a visit to Victory Lane could help bring him back into the picture.

TUNDRA Round Five takes place this Monday, September 6 at Golden Sands Speedway in Plover, Wis.  TUNDRA will be joined by the WIR Quarter-Mile Late Models, Wisconsin Sport Trucks, and 4 Cylinder Stocks. Fan gates open at noon, qualifying is at 12:15, and racing begins at 2 pm.

Golden Sands Speedway is located at 11000 Hwy. 54 between Wisconsin Rapids and Plover.  For more information visit http://www.gssraces.com

PORTAGE, Wis. (August 27, 2021) – Despite best efforts, officials from the TUNDRA Super Late Model Series and State Park Speedway were unable to find suitable make up date for the August 8 rain out. The event will not be made up.

Some of the limiting factors included busy race schedules for teams, fans and partner tracks, conflicting schedules for backup divisions, and the uncertain situation surrounding tire supply.

TUNDRA and State Park look forward to teaming up for an event again in 2022.

The next event for TUNDRA is Monday, September 6 at Golden Sands Speedway in Plover, Wis. TUNDRA will be joined by the WIR 1/4-Mile Late Models, Wisconsin Sport Trucks and 4 Cylinder Stocks.

WAUSAU, Wis. (August 7, 2021) – Due to an impending storm system that is projected to produce over an inch of rain and storms throughout the afternoon and evening hours, officials from the TUNDRA Super Late Model Series and State Park Speedway have made the decision to postpone Round Four.

The decision was made early to prevent unnecessary travel for teams and fans.  A rain date is in the works between the two sides and will be announced in the coming days.

The next scheduled stop for TUNDRA is Labor Day, Monday, September 6 at Golden Sands Speedway in Plvoer, Wis.

PORTAGE, Wis. (August 6, 2021) – There has been no driver more dominant that Justin Mondeik the last two seasons at State Park Speedway.  Having won five of six of the weekly races at the quarter-mile so far in 2021, Mondeik is hoping to continue the magic when his fellow travelers of the TUNDRA Super Late Model Series roll into town for Round Four tomorrow.

The racer from Gleason, Wis., will also be defending his first series win from a season ago. Mondeik won in fine fashion when TUNDRA visited last August. He set fast time and stormed through the field on the way to his first of two series victories in 2020.

“It felt great to get our first TUNDRA win last year.  We had a fast car all day,” Mondeik recalled. “We were able to move through the field quickly and got some help with a mid-race restart.  I am looking forward to this year’s race.”

The win was a break through of sorts for Mondeik.  Having recorded finishes of Sixth in 2018 and Fifth in 2019, Mondeik had been creeping closer and closer to the front of the field in TUNDRA events at SPS.  It was no surprise that he was strong last year, having shown excellent results leading up to his first TUNDRA win – including a win in the Detjens Memorial.  It’s a result of the hard work Mondeik and his team have put in at the track.

“SPS has always been one of my favorite tracks. I always say it’s a driver’s race track,” Mondeik said. “You really have to get after it, and find the line that works best for you.  Over the years, we have been able to find that line and work on the cars to be able to achieve the long run speed.

Aside from being his home track, Wausau has become the proving ground for Mondeik.  He captured the Championship there last year and has many eyes on him every time travelers roll into town. That situation can bring extra pressure to a young racer, but Mondeik embraces the role of being a favorite to win.

“It always feels good to be consistent at any track you go to,” Mondeik said. “As far as eyes on us, I’m sure there will be just with the recent success we have had at SPS.  I wouldn’t say we have any extra pressure compared to the other teams.  We will go in just like we do every week.  Work all day to have the best car we can and then go out and take care of business.”

When TUNDRA comes to town it will be a different feel for Mondeik and his team. Not only will they be up against extra stout competition that the series brings, but the race will be an increase in laps from a weekly feature race.  Long race or short race, Mondeik said he is prepared.

“Over the years, I have learned what I need to feel in the car at SPS for long and short runs,” Mondeik said. “As a team, we have been on the same page and are always working to find an even better balance in the cars.”

Mondeik is hoping tomorrow’s race at State Park will be another break through race for him as he’s hoping to reverse some sour luck from the first half of 2021 in TUNDRA action. 

Despite a DNF at WIR, Mondeik is still one to watch in the title chase. He sits 6^th, 81 points out of the top spot.  He knows it’s a long road ahead, but he’s ready to do his part. With the next stop at Golden Sands Speedway where Mondeik has also been extremely strong, there is a good chance for him to be in title contention by the end of September in the final round at Dells Raceway Park.

Despite having the title aspirations in mind, a win at Wausau itself would be something to behold in itself, Mondeik told Speed51.com’s Bullring. “We’re really hoping we can go back-to-back in TUNDRA action at State Park. It would be very special for me and my team.”

No racer has won TUNDRA races at the same track in back-to-back years since Ty Majeski won at Dells Raceway Park in 2014, then again in 2015.

Mondeik and TUNDRA invade Wausau this Saturday, August 7 for Round Four Presented by A&A Lock Service. Qualifying is set for 5:30 with racing to begin at 7 pm.  TUNDRA will be joined by the American Super Cup Series, Wisconsin Sport Trucks, and Dairyland Vintage.

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

PORTAGE, Wis. (August 4, 2021) – TUNDRA Super Late Model Series events at State Park Speedway have never been short on action, or on contenders who could take home the checkered flag. This Saturday’s Round Four looks to provide more of the same.

With extra coin on the line for the winner of Round Four courtesy of A&A Lock Service, TUNDRA racers will be hungry to begin the second half of the season with momentum.

The road to Victory Lane at Wausau has covered in the tire marks of Justin Mondeik.  Mondeik is dominating the weekly racing program at State Park Speedway having won five of the six weekly races there so far in 2021.  State Park was also the location of Mondeik’s first TUNDRA win when he set fast time and captured the checkered last season.

It won’t be easy for Mondeik to repeat with the top TUNDRA point getters looking to get a leg up in the Championship standings.  Casey Johnson won at State Park Speedway in 2019 and is seeking his second win of the season.  After becoming acclimated to the track, Johnson is now a consistent podium finisher at Wausau and always a threat to win.

Currently second in the point standings, Riley Stenjem will be looking forward to another visit to central Wisconsin. The last time TUNDRA traveled to the middle portion of the state, Stenjem picked up his first series win at Marshfield Motor Speedway.  He continued that momentum in the last series race at Jefferson by setting fast time and finishing Fourth.

Behind those two in the TUNDRA standings is local favorite Brock Heinrich.  Heinrich won the season opener at State Park Speedway and is coming off an impressive Third Place finish at Jefferson in a borrowed ride.  Heinrich finished Fifth in last year’s TUNDRA stop at Jefferson, which helped propel him to Rookie of the Year honors.

As for rookies, the EPYK Media Rookie of the Year battle is beginning to take shape. Alabama teenager Grant Thompson is showing the way, and sits an impressive Fourth in the season standings so far.  It will be his first visit to State Park Speedway.

Kulwicki Driver Development program Max Kahler has experienced some bad luck early this year, but will hope to rebound at Wausau.  Wausau is one of the track Kahler has seen before, having competed there the last few seasons in the Big 8 Late Model series. He finished Sixth there last season in Big 8 action on his way to the series title.

Fellow rookies Brady Bill and Luke Westenberg will be looking to surge at Wausau, as well. Bill has been seeing success in Late Model racing away from Wausau and will hope to translate that on Saturday. Westenberg was the EPYK Media rookie of the race at Jefferson, and is showing signs of momentum in his program.

Plenty of other TUNDRA Travelers are poised to pose a threat Saturday. John Beale has been a front-runner in series races at Wausau in the past. Travis Volm has plenty of laps around State Park Speedway and has been in contention for strong finishes up against the series regulars at his home track. James Swan scored a Top Ten finish at Wausau last season. Jordan Thiel has also seen success with a past podium finish at Wausau.  2020 WIR Track Champion Bobby Kendall will also look for success at the quarter-mile with his first visit to State Park in several seasons.

The Travelers of TUNDRA may be unable to dethrone the king, however.  Mark Mackesy will join TUNDRA once again. The multiple-time State Park Speedway Champion has defeated the series regulars twice – once in 2016 and again in 2018.

Another one to watch for will be former Wisconsin Challenge Series Champion Ryan Farrell. Farrell will make his second start of 2021 with TUNDRA, scoring a Second Place finish in the last event at Jefferson.

Qualifying for Round Four is scheduled for 5:30 this Saturday with racing beginning at 7 pm.  TUNDRA will be joined by the Wisconsin Sport Trucks, American Super Cups and Dairyland Vintage.

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

Round Four Presented by A&A Lock Service
State Park Speedway
Saturday, August 7, 2021
Expected Entries (25) as of 8/5/21

# – Driver, Hometown
1W – Wyatt Blashe, Pella, Wis.
2 – Jordan Thiel, Darboy, Wis.
2 – Darren Jackson, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.
5 – Casey Johnson, Edgerton, Wis.
5B – John Beale, Verona, Wis.
11 – Bobby Kendall, Montello, Wis.
12 – Mark Mackesy, Wausau, Wis.
16 – Luke Westenberg, Jefferson, Wis.
17 – Max Kahler, Caledonia, Ill.
25 – Wyatt Brooks, Amherst, Wis.
31 – Corey Jankowsi, Tomah, Wis.
33 – Kevin Kneuse, Waukesha, Wis.
40 – Curt Tillman, Rockford, Ill.
44 – Justin Mondeik, Gleason, Wis.
52 – Brock Heinrich, Wausau, Wis.
54 – Grant Thompson, Mobile, Ala.
70 – Brady Bill, Reedsburg, Wis.
76 – Travis Volm, Mosinee, Wis.
77 – Riley Stenjem, Utica, Wis.
80 – Ryan Farrell, East Troy, Wis.
87 – Brent Edmunds, Monticello, Wis.
89 – Mike Egan, Slinger, Wis.
97 – James Swan, Lake Geneva, Wis.
99 – Jake Zellmer, Muskego, Wis.
107.5 – Darek Gress, Neillsville, Wis.

PORTAGE, Wis. (August 4, 2021) – State Park Speedway seems to be a place of firsts for Brock Heinrich. It was the location of his first track Championship and Super Late Model victory.  It was also the location of his first TUNDRA Super Late Model Series Top Five and Top Ten.

This Saturday in Round Four Presented by A&A Lock Service, the Brockstar is hoping his home track is the location of his first TUNDRA win.

“It really would be awesome, that’s for sure,” Heinrich said. “I think a lot of the nerve is eased because it’s where we’ve been racing weekly, and we are comfortable with how to get around that place. The fact that it is a TUNDRA event makes it all that much more special because it’s the series that we follow, and so much good talent shows up with it.”

In 2019 Heinrich joined TUNDRA for his second race with the series, where he raced to Sixth Place finish.  Last season – on his way to becoming EPYK Media Rookie of the Year – Heinrich did one spot better with a Fifth Place finish.  This year Heinrich continues to show speed both with the series and at the quarter-mile on Thursday nights.  It has been the perfect balance of traveling and staying close to his home track.

“What I like most about State Park is probably the people. After the last seven years or so we’ve met so many people it’s just like family,” Heinrich said. “I love the track layout too. It’s unique.”

Saturday’s visit to State Park will be the second straight visit for TUNDRA to a quarter-mile race track.  Heinrich is coming off of a Third Place finish in the last round at Jefferson.  With his success, the results shouldn’t be too surprising, but there were some extraordinary circumstances he and his team had to overcome to find the final spot on the podium.  Heinrich was involved in an incident that severely damaged his car the Thursday before Jefferson.  He and his team had to pivot and bring the 21 car, which had been driven by Derek Kraus.

“We contemplated reassembling the 52 with new suspension components but the amount of work to be done was far more than we could handle in one evening because everyone worked that day,” Heinrich said. “Turns out the frame was bent anyways so making the call to switch to the 21 was the right one.”

Heinrich hung in throughout the day and showed excellent speed late in the race as he climbed to Third.

“The car right off the bat had a different feel and we spent the whole day without power steering trying to dial it in. Then in the heat race the power steering issues were fixed and we built off of that,” Heinrich recalled. “It took some time to get acclimated to that car since it was built for high horsepower tracks but once I knew where we needed to be on the track we took off. That P3 finish was a real blessing. The whole team deserved it after how much work we had done in the 24 hours prior. I can’t thank Todd, Darin and everyone else enough for pulling through to get the job done.”

The rebound at Jefferson could prove to loom large in the title standings for Heinrich. In his second full-time season with TUNDRA, Heinrich finds himself Third in the standings, just 44 points out of the top spot.  Securing a win Saturday would be huge in many ways for young racer.

“As far as chasing the title, we kind of keep it in the back of our minds,” he said. “The ultimate goal is to win races. When you win races you gain points, and we have been doing really good all year so far. We had a hiccup at Kaukauna and we were running really well there as well. We just need to put the whole thing together. So far we are doing really well and if we stay consistent we very well could be there at the end.

“I think to finally secure that W we just got to keep doing what we are doing and build off of what we have,” Henrich continued. “We show up a little better and better each time we come to the track. Once we are in position the stars just got to line up and we have to take advantage of it. We are very close.”

All-in-all Heinrich has improved greatly this season already, and is hoping to have a strong finish to the campaign.

“With State Park and Golden Sands coming up we have some real good opportunity to score some podiums and possibly win some races,” he said. “Then going into the Dells we just got to improve on what we had last year. We have our work cut out for us but I’m sure this awesome team will put us in position at the end like they have been all year.”

Heinrich and TUNDRA invade Wausau this Saturday, August 7 for Round Four Presented by A&A Lock Service. Qualifying is set for 5:30 with racing to begin at 7 pm.  TUNDRA will be joined by the American Super Cup Series, Wisconsin Sport Trucks, and Dairyland Vintage.

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

Full Results from Transport Services LLC Round Three

JEFFERSON, Wis. (July 18, 2021) – With many laps and a lot of family success at Jefferson Speedway, expectations were that Jacob Nottestad would be good in his TUNDRA Super Late Model Series debut Saturday night.  However, no one knew just how good he would be.

Nottestad slipped to the lead past early-race leader John Beale on lap 18 of the Transport Services LLC 75 and cruised to victory utilizing the car he races as a weekly Late Model at Jefferson Speedway. It’s been nearly four years since a driver won in his first TUNDRA start, last happening when Chris Wimmer was victorious in August of 2017 at State Park Speedway.

“It definitely couldn’t be a better start to the Super Late Model career,” Nottestad said. “I definitely didn’t expect to run this good. I knew we were going to be decent with our car. It just kept getting better and better and we ended up getting ‘er done.”

Starting from the outside of the third row, Nottestad held in through an early botched start and a caution.  The top line had edged ahead coming to the line for lap one, allowing drivers who had been on the outside line to choose the inside for the restart.  Beale selected the bottom with Ryan Farrell and Nottestad following down low.

On the restart Beale was able to get away from Brady Bill, bringing Farrell and Nottestad for the ride.  Justin Mondeik and Mike Lichtfeld settled in behind.  On lap seven, Nottestad worked his way past Farrell and set his sights on Beale, who had built a seven-car-length advantage.

As Nottestad slowly started to reel in Beale, the rest of the Top Five were scrambling for position.  Farrell was left to try to hold off the charges of Mondeik, who was constant in his pursuit of the Third spot.  By lap 25 Nottestad had caught Beale and began a three-lap attack resulting in him taking the lead.

“We caught him, then fell back a little bit and then finally just started getting better and better,” Nottestad said.  “I was able to drive under him coming off two and set sail from there.”

Behind the lead duo the battle for Third was frantic. Mondeik made his move on lap 34 and got to the inside of Farrell with Casey Johnson in hot pursuit. The tight quarters racing resulted in a chain reaction Johnson spin out of turn two, bringing another yellow and re-stacking the field.

On the restart Nottestad was joined on the front row by Mondeik as Beale selected the inside lane.  Nottestad was able to hold off Mondeik on that restart and another restart eight laps later when Brady Bill and Grant Thompson got together.

Nottestad and Mondeik made some contact racing for the lead, but both were able to escape – with Nottestad emerging at the front of the pack again.  He left Mondeik to deal with Beale and Section 715 Throwing Co. Fast Qualifier Riley Stenjem.  The four settled in until another caution fell with eight laps remaining.

As had been the case on the previous two restarts, Nottestad surged from the field on the inside line.  Behind him the action heated up for Second, resulting in a tangle between Mondeik and Beale.  The result would give Riley Stenjem a chance to restart in Second alongside Nottestad.

“I knew Stenjem was going to be quick so I was definitely going to get up on the wheel and keep the heat in the tires,” Nottestad commented “We were able to clear him off two and go from there.”

Through the final five laps Nottestad was able to maintain a comfortable advantage. Stenjem fell into the hands of Ryan Farrell and surrendered Second late in the race.  Brock Heinrich – utilizing a different car due to an accident earlier in the week – was able to surge to Third, passing Stenjem late in the race.

The top four was followed to the line by Jordan DeVoy, who bounced back from some bad luck in the first half of 2021.  Johnson was able to recover and finish Sixth.

For Nottestad, it was another notch in the belt of his career as he starts to make his name known more throughout the racing community.  He credits his team and his time behind the wheel at the tricky quarter-mile.

“A lot of guys come here and struggle. It’s really tough to figure out,” he said. “Having our rookie year almost five years ago now, I was able to learn a lot there and pick up the line watching guys like Casey Johnson and Dale Nottestad. That helped a ton. I was able to keep hitting my marks in one and two and just kept getting faster in three and four.”

The next stop for the TUNDRA Super Late Model Series is Saturday, August 7 at State Park Speedway in Wausau, Wis.  Justin Mondeik scored his first series win after setting fast time in last year’s visit to the facility.

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

PORTAGE, Wis. (July 16, 2021) – Breaking a track record requires a whole host of things to go right. The car has to be perfectly tuned, the tires have to be on point, the weather has to be correct, and the stars have to be aligned. 

Last season when the TUNDRA Super Late Model Series visited Jefferson, everything worked in Jordan DeVoy’s favor to clip off a lap of 13.324 seconds – a new track record. He later jousted with Casey Johnson on the way to the front of the field and looked to be in contention for the win. An incident sent him to the tail, but he was able to recover for a Seventh Place finish.

In many ways it was a breakout race for DeVoy who went on to set fast time in an Alive for Five race at the Dells and win the Golden Sands Speedway Harvest race.  His speedy afternoon last July in Jefferson put him on the map as a top Super Late Model contender in the area.  Now he’s hoping to repeat that magic Saturday in Transport Services LLC Round Three.

“I would say a highlight of my short career was racing Casey Johnson to the front in that race. I think we put on a heck of a show,” DeVoy said of last year’s visit to Wisconsin’s Action Track. “The confidence level in the team was much higher after Jefferson. Following Jefferson we had great runs and I learned something new every time we were on track.”

Although he may not have completed the perfect day by leaving with his first TUNDRA win, the track record was a huge accomplishment for the team, and one they continue to pull from the memory banks.

“I always strive to have the fastest car at every race,” DeVoy said. “I feel it is one thing to win a race from the front row but to set fast time is man and machine vs. everyone else for three laps. I hope to hold the track record until the end of time.”

If he is to repeat the performance – and perhaps fare better in the race too – it will be a major boost to team morale.  The start of the season has been rough for DeVoy.  He experienced issues during practice during Round Two after fixing his machine from a nasty wreck at Jefferson on Memorial Day weekend.

“I had such high hopes for 2021, we came off a solid 2020 season with good runs at different tracks,” DeVoy said. “At the start of 2021, teammate James Swan fired off the TUNDRA schedule really well at Kaukauna we just weren’t able to continue the success at Marshfield.”

Turning the tide is always easier said than done and DeVoy isn’t exactly sure how to channel the luck, but he has a few ideas to try.

“Hell, if I knew I’d do it,” he joked. “I’ll try wearing my lucky underwear on Saturday.  I want to keep my expectations in check, I would love to go Days of Thunder on the weekend and go from destroying the car at the last Jefferson show to winning the TUNDRA show. We really just need a good weekend to get things back on track.”

It doesn’t come as much of a surprise that Jefferson is the track where DeVoy is enjoying his earliest TUNDRA success.  He made his debut with the series in 2016 and ran in the Top Five until an incident had him settling for a Ninth Place finish.

“I tested on eight-inch tires for the Jefferson two-day show as a limited on a Thursday, but was telling James and Katie Swan that it lacked grip,” DeVoy said. “James said, ‘Put ten-inch tires on, we will pay your entry for the TUNDRA race Sunday.; Shortly into the race we raced our way into the Top Five and were having a blast.”

Since his debut DeVoy has recorded two Seventh Place and one Tenth Place finish. He’ll be hoping Saturday brings him a few spots further to the front.  Bringing his a little more luck would be helpful too, potentially boosting the team for the remainder of 2021.

The TUNDRA Super Late Model Series head to Jefferson for Transport Services LLC Round Three next Saturday, July 17.  TUNDRA will be joined by the Hobby Stocks, Bandits, and Road Warriors. Qualifying is at 5 pm with racing beginning at 7 pm.

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

PORTAGE, Wis. (July 14, 2021) – No matter how far a racer spreads his or her wings, there will always be that one track they call home.  For four-time and defending TUNDRA Super Late Model Series Champion that place is Jefferson Speedway.

Despite racing in big races throughout the country (and winning his fair share), there is still an extra level of excitement in Johnson’s voice when he talks about Wisconsin’s Action Track. This Saturday he’ll have a chance to grab his third series win at home in Transport Services LLC Round Three.

“It feels great going back,” Johnson said. “Not only do I love that track, but there aren’t many things like racing a Super Late Model at Jefferson Speedway. It’s just a little bullring with a ton of grip. It should be a heck of a show.”

Johnson has had plenty of success in TUNDRA races at Jefferson. In his series debut in 2013 he raced his way to Fourth before rain shortened the event. He returned in 2014, capturing his first series win. After a runner-up finish in 2015, Johnson completed the clean sweep and wrapped up his first series title in 2016.

The last two visits found Johnson again contending for the win, including another runner-up finish last season. He wants badly to find his way to Victory Lane at his home track again, but knows it will not be easy.

“Getting a TUNDRA victory is just getting harder and harder every race,” Johnson said.  “The competition is getting better. The guys are getting the hang of Jefferson every time we go back.  Getting a win there would be huge.”

Earlier this season, Johnson was able to get the monkey off his back of sorts.  After capturing the Championship in 2020 without a win, Johnson got back to his winning ways in Round One at Wisconsin International Raceway as he was able to outpace his mentee Grant Thompson.  It was Johnson’s first win in the series since August of 2019.

This season will see another challenge for Johnson as he enters in a brand new situation. Johnson will be driving for Aaron Larson. He also will be fielding an entry with 15-year-old Alabama driver Grant Thompson behind the wheel.  So far the tandem have done well with both recording back-to-back Top Ten finishes.  Aside from going for the win, Johnson will also have to be a coach.

Coaching Grant Thompson and being the man to beat at Jefferson brings Johnson to a new level in his journey as a racer.  He began racing as a teen at the quarter-mile and had a hard time convincing his dad to let him compete.  Eventually, he started taking lessons from the veteran racers.

“To be honest, I just followed all of the good guys there,” Johnson said. “Early in my career I remember on a Thursday night my dad would only let me practice just because he didn’t think I was ready to race yet.  Jason Schuler popped up out there. I jumped behind him and thought, ‘I’m going to hang with this guy.’ First corner I sent it in and spun it around. Apparently I wasn’t ready. It takes years of just watching the veterans then trying to beat the veterans.  I just kind of got a knack for it.”

After getting a handle on the weekly racing and taking three Championships, Johnson moved focus to Super Late Model racing. Although he has plenty of laps in the Late Model, he said Super Late Model racing was a big adjustment.  He also said it makes for some wild action from green to checkered.

“With the eight inch tires we have to peddle it a little bit and keep the car underneath you. With the Super Late it feels like you’re qualifying 75 laps straight,” Johnson said.  “You just go crazy. Some of those races the fastest laps run are the last ten laps of the race.”

The focus for Johnson is to win the race on Saturday, and most likely to help Grant Thompson along the way as well.  What Johnson won’t be too highly focused on is the Championship standings, where he leads again and can build a cushion as he seeks his fifth series title.

“I’m not much of a guy that looks at points. We’ve been around that for a lot of years and we’ve been able to win a lot of them,” he said. “I just know if you win the race, you’ll win the Championship.”

The TUNDRA Super Late Model Series head to Jefferson for Transport Services LLC Round Three next Saturday, July 17.  TUNDRA will be joined by the Hobby Stocks, Bandits, and Road Warriors. Qualifying is at 5 pm with racing beginning at 7 pm.

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