West Allis, WI- This Sunday afternoon June 16 will feature over 40 Super Late Model drivers from 11 states battling for just 32 ARCA Midwest Tour starting positions for the Father’s Day 100. Champions from across the short track racing scene have filed entries for the Sunday afternoon contest, marking the return of racing to ‘America’s Legendary Oval’ for the first time in four years.
Four drivers that have garnered eight ARCA Midwest Tour Championships will lead the charge for the Midwest this Sunday. Two-time Tour Champion Dan Fredrickson is the only one of the four to have tasted victory at Milwaukee thus far, the 2008 and 2013 Champ won a MARS Series event in West Allis in 2004. One of the few tracks that four-time Champ Ty Majeski has not won on in his home state is Milwaukee. The all-time Tour win leader with 19 victories is coming off back to back ARCA Menards Series wins at Charlotte (NC) and Pocono (PA), coming up just short of a third in a row at Michigan last weekend, surrendering the lead on the final lap as he ran out of fuel. The two drivers with the most recent Tour success have been Andrew Morrissey and Dalton Zehr. Morrissey, the 2011 Tour Champion posted two wins last season including a victory in the 49th annual Oktoberfest Race Weekend at LaCrosse (WI). Making his first Midwest Tour start of the season will be 2018 Champion Zehr. He comes into Milwaukee with three career Tour wins to go along with numerous victories throughout the region.
Colorado’s Preston Peltier has thrown his hat into the ring for Sunday as well. The veteran driver visited victory lane in SRL competition at Irwindale Speedway (CA) this April. The 2010 PASS Champion has five career Easter Bunny 150 victories at Hickory (NC) in addition to big wins at the World Cup 300 (GA) and the Challenge Cup at Colorado National. Another PASS Champion that has entered is three-time and defending PASS South Champion Matt Craig. Craig has 9 career PASS wins to his credit in his young career. 2018 CRA Super Series Champion Josh Brock will be making his first Midwest Tour attempt while 2016 Southern Super Series Champion and 2017 All-American 400 (TN) Donnie Wilson looks to add another marquee win. A surprise entry is that from Massachusetts front runner Eddie MacDonald. He has four career wins at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, another mile track, two in NASCAR East action and two in ACT competition. MacDonald has also notched an Oxford 250 (ME) victory and has won at Bristol Motor Speedway (TN), one of his seven NASCAR Pro East wins.
The most recent Midwest Tour victor and current point leader Casey Johnson leads the charge of Touring Stars when they head to Milwaukee. Johnson, who scored the biggest win of his career in the 2017 Dixieland 250 at Wisconsin International Raceway followed that up with the 2018 title at WIR. Having already recorded three Super Late Model wins this season, the three-time Jefferson Speedway (WI) Champion looks to make it win number four for the season. Johnson was victorious at The Mile during Big 8 competition in 2013. In addition to Johnson, WIR is well represented in the Father’s Day field. One driver not to overlook is five-time Fox River Racing Club and three-time Red, White and Blue State Champion Jeff VanOudenhoven. Having won the last two Red, White and Blue State Championships, second generation driver Bobby Kendall and FRRC Opening Night winner Maxwell Schultz are both looking to put their names on the national radar and Milwaukee may just be the place for them to do that.
Winners of the last four Tony Bettenhausen Classics will lead the Chicagoland contingent. Paul Shafer, Jr has become quite popular across the nation with Dale Earnhardt, Jr taking notice of this front running driver who finally recorded his first Tour win last May at Jefferson. Shafer is the 2013 Illiana Motor Speedway (IN) Champ and sped to victory last September in the Bettenhausen. Two-time Grundy County (IL) Champ Ricky Baker will be back in action after an abbreviated season, the 2016-2017 Betttenhausen winner has two Tour wins to his credit. Meanwhile, Berlin Raceway (MI) has been kind to Boris Jurkovich so far this season. The Chicagoland ace has been stellar in his new ride, winning the opening event at Berlin and backing that up with a Memorial Day Weekend victory at the tricky half mile. Jurkovic is a past winner of both the All-American 400 and Winchester 400 (IN).
Rich Bickle, Jr has been on a roll, with finishes of third at the Dells (WI) Icebreaker and a runner-up effort during the Joe Shear Classic at Madison (WI), the Midwest Short Track Legend and multi-time Snowball Derby Champion (FL) is still chasing his first ever win at The Milwaukee Mile. The former NASCAR driver has led twice in Grand National competition and posted a Milwaukee career best third place in NASCAR Truck action in 1997. Austin Nason had a stellar season in 2018, not only recording his first tour triumph in the Joe Shear Classic but also laying claim to the Madison International Speedway Super Late Model Triple Crown Title and adding the Kar Korner All-Star 100 at Rockford Speedway (IL) to his resume. Nason narrowly missed capturing the Tour title last season in a five way battle that came down to Oktoberfest. Carson Kvapil, who along with Shafer and 2018 State Park Speedway (WI) Champion Luke Fenhaus, are all part of the Alan Kulwicki Driver Development Program. Kvapil recorded the win last August at Golden Sands (WI), winning in his first Tour start. The 16 year old who calls Mooresville, NC home, is the son of former NASCAR Truck Champion Travis Kvapil.
2018 TUNDRA Runner-Up John Beale who is hot off back to back Super Late Model wins, 2018 Wisconsin Challenge Series Champ Ryan Farrell, Central Wisconsin standout Justin Mondiek, World Series of Asphalt (FL) Runner-Up Gabe Sommers, Marshfield (WI) Champion Jason Weinkauf and John DeAngelis, Jr whom led the most laps at the Joe Shear Classic in May are all expected entries for Sunday afternoon.
The ‘Stars and Cars’ of the ARCA Midwest Tour will highlight the Sunday afternoon Special Event. Joining the Midwest Tour Super Late Models will be the Vintage Indy Registry, Midwest Truck Tour, Mid-American Stock Car Series and Upper Midwest Vintage Series. Grandstand gates open Sunday, June 16 at 9:00 AM, with practice at 9:30, qualifying at 11:00, and racing to take the green at 1:00 PM. Reserved tickets are available for $25 in advance or $30 on raceday. General admission tickets are $25. Tickets for children aged 11 and under are $5. Raceday infield tickets will be $20 each for adults and $5 for kids. Advance sale discount tickets as well as more information is available online at www.trackenterprises.com or by calling the office at 217-764-3200. Tickets will also be available at the gate on raceday.
