Elko New Market, MN- The ‘Stars and Cars’ of the ASA Midwest Tour return to Elko Speedway this Saturday Night (September 21, 2024) for the first time in seven seasons. The ‘Thunderstruck 93’ will feature thirteen Championship drivers accounting for 50 short track auto racing Championships. The Super Late Models will contest a 125-lap feature event on the 3/8 mile paved oval located just south of the Twin Cities.
A pair of Midwest Tour Champions are amongst the favorites Saturday Night. Current point leader and defending Tour Champion Gabe Sommers is fresh off a win at Iowa’s Hawkeye Downs last month. The 2023 Oktoberfest 200 winner will bring his stout #15 machine to Elko for the first time in his career. He will be joined by 2012 Midwest Tour Champion Jonathan Eilen who hails from nearby Hampton, MN. Eilen will make his first Tour appearance of the season, at his hometrack where he won the inaugural ASA Midwest Tour event in 2007, the first of six tour victories for the former Elko Thunder Car Champion.
Having accounted for nineteen of the last twenty-one Late Model Elko Late Model Championships, Donny Reuvers and Jacob Goede have both filed entries for the Thunderstruck 93, an event Goede has won twice. Goede clicked off ten Championships in a row at Elko and is the current point leader at LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway. The 2019 NASCAR Weekly National Champion has two career Tour wins. Reuvers is a four-time Tour winner and counts nine Elko Speedway Late Model Championships to his credit in the early 2000’s. Reuvers will be making just his second Tour start in the last ten seasons. Meanwhile, 2003 Raceway Park (Shakopee, MN) Late Model Champion Dean Cornelius will pilot the Mark Lamoreaux entry on Saturday night. Cornelius is a former front runner not only at Raceway Park but at Elko as well as on the MARS Super Late Model Series where he was a feature winner and Rookie of the Year.
Former Midwest Truck Series Champion Levon VanDerGeest leads the charge into Minnesota for the Midwest Tour Stars and Cars. VanDerGeest sits second in the point standings and is being chased by both Justin Mondeik and Riley Stenjem. Having set fast time twice this season and posting a runner-up finish at Jefferson in addition to wins in Central Wisconsin, VanDerGeest is seeking his breakthrough win in Tour competition. Mondeik, who will be making his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut on Thursday Night, won the Midwest Tour Larry Detjens Memorial 125 at State Park Speedway in July. Stenjem, the 2021 Tundra Series Champion is also seeking his first Tour win, bringing the Chase Motorsports #47 Saturday, the same car that won the Red, White and Blue State Championship at Wisconsin International Raceway last month.
Without a doubt, the driver making the longest haul to Elko for the Thunderstruck 93 is Colorado Champion Brett Yackey. The 2018 Kulwicki Development Driver Champion will make the 800 mile journey from his Greely, CO shop. Yackey is a two-time Colorado National Speedway Track Champion and has nine track championships to his credit.
A trio of Midwest Tour Rookie of the Year contenders head into Elko chasing the chance to test an ARCA Menards Series car at Daytona International Speedway next January. In addition to a Roltek Transmission, the ASA Midwest Tour Rookie is granted a test at Recently crowned Tundra Champion Ty Fredrickson currently leads the Rookie points over former Truck and Late Model Stock winner Joe Valento. Chicagoland Super Late winner James Lynch who won the Truck portion of the Tour’s Jim Sauter Classic at Dells Raceway Park is headed to ‘The Land of 10,000 Lakes’ for the first time in his career. The Fredrickson name is engrained in Elko history, Ty’s grandparents are former owners of the track, both will be there to cheer on their grandson.
Minnesota Young Guns include former Thunderstruck 93 winner Owin Giles. Giles ran the first two Midwest Tour events this season before concentrating his efforts on Elko where he has one win this season. Hunter Paine also has one win this season at Elko and will be making his second career Tour start as will former Tomah-Sparta Speedway Champion and August Dells Weekly winner Weston Marthaler. Returning to Elko is 2021 Midwest Truck Series Champion Tristian Swanson, his father Gordy is a former Elko Truck Champion.
A host of weekly winners are also entered this weekend. 2018 Tour Rookie of the Year Billy Mohn will be joined by two-time Elko (Legends, Modified) Champion and 2023 Tour ROY Bryan Syer-Keske. The last Tour appearance at Elko resulted in a fourth-place effort for Mohn and a ninth-place finish for Syer-Keske, both are past weekly Elko winners. Other weekly winners include Jerry Mueller who just won two weeks ago at Slinger, Joseph Scholze, Gregory Borchardt and LaCrosse winner Michael Beamish.
The Touring Stars will need to bring their A-Game in order to take the Thunderstruck 93 trophy back across the Mississippi River. The ASA Midwest Tour will be joined by Late Models, Power Stocks, Thunder Cars, Legends, and Bandoleros. Gates open at 4:30pm CT with racing slated to begin at 7:00.
***CLICK HERE FOR THE EXPECTED ASA MIDWEST TOUR ENTRY LIST***
About Dan Ryan, Sr.: The 125-lap race will honor Elko Speedway Hall of Famer “Thunder” Dan Ryan Sr., who passed away in 2009 after a three-year battle with ALS. Dan was a former racer who became a leader amongst the competitors in the pit area and tutored many young drivers as they worked their way through the racing ranks. The name of the event is named after Ryan’s favorite song, “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC. There will be a ten-minute break on lap 93 of the ASA Midwest Tour race to honor him.
Schedule of Events for Thunderstruck 93, Saturday September 21, 2024:
12pm Pit Gate Opens
2pm Practice Begins
4:30pm Spectator Gates Open
6pm Qualifying Begins
Ticket Pricing:
Adults: $25
Senior and Military $22
Kids ages 6-12 $5
Children ages 5 and under Free
Advance discount tickets are available by clicking ************HERE***********
Divisions: The ASA Midwest Tour will be joined by the NASCAR Late Models, Power Stocks, Thunder Cars, Legends and Bandoleros.
Location: Elko Speedway is located at 26350 France Avenue in Elko New Market, MN. For additional information visit www.elkospeedway.com or call 952-461-7223.
Past Winners Thunderstruck 93
2009- Jacob Goede
2010- Dan Fredrickson
2011- Dan Fredrickson
2012- Dan Fredrickson
2013- Andrew Morrissey
2014- Dan Fredrickson
2015- Ty Majeski
2016- Dan Fredrickson
2017- Dalton Zehr
2018- Owen Giles
2019- Jacob Goede
LIST OF CHAMPIONSHIPS
15 Sommers- 2023 ASA Midwest Tour
23 VanDerGeest- 2019 Midwest Truck Series
26 Cornelius- 2003 Raceway Park Late Model
32 Yackey- 2x Colorado National, 2018 KDDP, 9 Track Champioships total
36 Fredrickson- 2024 Tundra Super Late Models
41 Reuvers- 9x Elko Speedway (2000, 05-06-07-08-09-10-11-12)
44 Mondeik- 2022 Tundra Super Late, 3x State Park, 2x Golden Sands, 1x Norway
47 Stenjem- 2021 Tundra Super Late, 3x Legend State Champ
72 Goede- 10x Elko Speedway (2014-15-16-17-18-19-20-21-22-23), 2019 NASCAR Weekly National
77 Eilen- 2012 ASA Midwest Tour, 2002 Elko Speedway Thunder Car
81 Syer-Keske- Elko Speedway 2010 Legend and 2020 Modified
91 Swanson- 2021 Midwest Truck Series, Dells Raceway Park Legends
100 Marthaler- 2023 Tomah Sparta Speedway Modified
