Blake Brown Has Momentum Coming into Saturday’s Wayne Carter Classic

By: Kevin Ramsell
(Morris, IL) – Fresh off his third feature win last Friday night, Blake Brown is eager for this weekend’s ASA Midwest Tour’s Wayne Carter Classic 100 at Grundy County Speedway in Morris, IL.

The Twin Lakes, WI driver feels that the timing is right to make a strong contender this Saturday night.

“We just won our third feature of the year last Friday and couldn’t be better timing to hit a good stride heading into the Wayne Carter Classic,” Brown exclaimed. “I’m as confident as ever in our chances to run up front and it would be one of my top racing accomplishments to bring home the win.”

Brown is not only excited about the upcoming historic short track event, but it’s being run under the ASA Midwest Tour banner.

“As a Grundy regular, this is one of the races circled on my calendar at the start of the season. The Midwest Tour is home to some of the absolute best drivers in the country and I’ve had a special love and appreciation for the series ever since I ran it full time early on in my racing career.”

Brown’s racing career has basically been at Grundy County Speedway.

“I was born and raised in Wisconsin, have lived here my whole life, and used to race up here a lot, but Grundy has become a special place to me over the years,” Brown explains his personal history with the track. “My grandpa (Terry Kunes) used to sponsor Brett Sontag at Grundy, and I remember watching him racing against Eddie Hoffman and Larry Schuler when I was a kid, getting his autograph in the pits after the races, and now I get to be out on the track competing with some of those same guys.

“Driving for my grandpa in the past and now Jeffy Rocket Racecars, who I’ve driven for since 2020, they’re both local to Grundy, so over the years it’s kind of become my racing home away from home.”

He has built up a strong racing resume at Grundy, so a win in the Wayne Carter Classic 100 would be a nice addition.

“Any type of car I’ve ever raced other than trucks, I’ve won at Grundy at some point,” Brown said. “Bandoleros, Legends, Mid Ams, and Super Lates. My first feature win in a full-size racecar was at Grundy in Mid Ams in my third start when I was 15.

“Since coming back racing full time since 2020, we’ve run for points at Grundy four out of those five years. In points, we’ve finished 2nd (Mid Am 2020), 1st (Mid Am 2021), 2nd (Super Lates 2024), and are currently 2nd in points.”

Brown could be one of the locals to beat out the “Stars and Cars” of the ASA Midwest Tour on Saturday night.

The Wayne Carter Classic honors Wayne Carter, who brought auto racing to the Grundy County area.  Since 1975, when Art Frigo and John McKarns formed ARTGO Racing and began this event, the goal was to bring the top Wisconsin and Midwest drivers into Chicagoland to take on the top local talent.  Just as it was 50 years ago, this Saturday night’s contest will continue the rich tradition of the Wayne Carter Classic.

Entry List

Click here to purchase tickets online.

Tickets can be purchased in advance via the Ticket Hoss App or at the Grundy County Speedway ticket gate on Saturday beginning at 3pm. Adult General Admission tickets are $25, Seniors (ages 62 and over) are $20, Students (ages 12-17) tickets are $10 with ages 11 and under admitted Free.

Click here for the full event schedule.

Event Schedule:
1:00 Pit Gate Opens
3:00 Spectator Gates Open
3:30 Practice Begins
5:45 Qualifying Begins
7:00 Racing Begins

Racing Divisions: The ASA Midwest Tour will be joined by the Midwest Truck Series and Grundy Sixers.

Past Wayne Carter Classic Winners
1975 Tom Reffner
1976 Dave Watson
1977 Larry Phillips
1978 Mike Miller
1979 Mike Miller
1980 Mark Malcuit
1981 Larry Schuler
1982 Jim Sauter
1983 Tom Reffner
1984 Dick Trickle
1985 Butch Miller
1986 Joe Shear
1987 Dick Trickle
1988 Joe Shear
1989 Ted Musgrave
1990 Steve Carlson
1991 Kevin Cywinski
1992 Steve Holzhausen
1993 Joe Shear
1994 Joe Shear
1995 Joe Shear
1996 Dave Weltmeyer
1997 Joe Shear
1998 Eddie Hoffman
1999 Steve Carlson
2011 Ross Kenseth
2012 Eddie Hoffman
2013 Johathan Eilen
2014 Chris Weinkauf
2015 Eddie Hoffman
2016 Ty Majeski
2017 Ricky Baker
2018 Dalton Zehr
2020 Paul Shafer Jr.
2022 Austin Nason
2023 Paul Shafer Jr.
2024 Rained Out