Race Results / ARCA Midwest Tour LIVE Recap
No Rest For the Weary as the Tour Heads to Dells Raceway Park Next Saturday, June 28th
by Kari Shear-Carlson
June 20, 2014 – If you were to ask Chris Weinkauf if he thought he was going to win tonight, chances are he would tell you he definitely had the car to do so. Weinkauf has been one of the fastest cars all season, but luck had just not been on his side. However tonight when the ARCA Midwest Tour presented by Scag Power Equipment raced at Grundy County Speedway in Morris, IL for the Calypso Lemonade 100, the monkey finally fell off his back. Weinkauf led flag to flag and picked up his first ever ARCA Midwest Tour victory.
Weinkauf and Nick Barstad set the field to green after winning their respective heat races. Weinkauf jumped to the lead as Jonathan Eilen slipped into second. It appeared that the ouside line was a little slower. When Barstad had the chance he slipped to the bottom into third but not without the challenge of Cardell Potter who quickly got under him for third. The #87 of Nathan Haseleu followed suit and was making a run for Potter.
Fast qualifier, Ty Majeski was running in 7th waiting for things to shake out as the field began to settle in. He made the move under local hero, Ricky Baker to take the 6th spot.
Weinkauf continued to lead on lap 10, followed by Eilen, Potter, and Haseleu. The top four had a slight advantage over the rest of the field. Nathan Haseleu closed in on the bumper of Cardell Potter trying to slip into the third spot. Barstad was still running fourth feeling the pressure from Ty Majeski.
Haseleu was all over the back bumper of Potter and finally took the third spot on lap 15. Majeski was right behind waiting for the two to settle their differences.
Meanwhile, Weinkauf and Eilen appeared to be checking out. Once Majeski got around Potter, he set his sights on Haseleu. Weinkauf and Eilen continued to pull away from the field as the battles for fourth through sixth were working themselves out. Majeski was doing all he could to take the third spot away from Haseleu, but Nathan wasn’t going to give it up easy.
Ty Majeski finally got his nose under Haseleu taking away the third spot on lap 31. Majeski was quickly reeling in the top two of Weinkauf and Eilen as they started to close in on lapped traffic.
Weinkauf was able to extend his lead a little bit through traffic, but once the track was clear, Eilen settled right back in to battle for the lead.
At the half-way point, Eilen appeared to turn on the heat and started looking to the inside of Weinkauf as he saw Ty Majeski closing in in is rearview mirror. The top three could have a blanket thrown over the top of them as all three were fighting for the same real estate.
The top three were closing in on heavy lapped traffic. Haseleu was still riding in a comfortable fourth followed by Cardell Potter. Weinkauf, Eilen and Majeski were bumper-to-bumper going into the corners, not one of them giving up anything. It was just a matter of time before somone had to make a move. Majeski thought about going to the outside but lost a little ground so settled back into third.
Majeski slipped under Eilen for second with 34 laps to go. But Eilen wasn’t giving an inch as he held tight on the outside. The two came up on lapped traffic. Majeski made a risky move going three wide with lapped traffic stealing the positiong away from Eilen.
“It was a really tough race. It was fun racing with Jonathan. When we came up on the lapped car, I saw an opportunity and had to take whatever one I ccould get,” said Majeski.
Weinkauf had a little breathing room, but Majeski was on a mission. Majeski had a clear track to gain a little ground on Weinkauf. He had 25 laps to make it happen. Jonathan Eilen looked to be closing back in on Majeski as they went around lapped traffic. Eilen was now back on the bumper of Majeski for second, this giving Chris Weinkauf the chance to extend his lead.
Eilen was not going to be forgiving as he started challenging Majeski for second. Weinkauf just had to keep hitting his marks as second and third battled it out yet again. With 12 laps to go, the three had a wide open track. Majeski and Eilen had to show what they had now or never. Eilen was all over the back bumper of Majeski.
Five laps to go and Weinkauf was still holding on to the lead. Eilen dove to the inside of Majeski coming out of four as the two were side-by-side coming to the line, but Majeski had the advantage finishing second behind Weinkauf.
The crowd cheered as Chris Weinkauf gave his victory lane interview, “My first ARCA win is dedicated to the fans in the stands. We could not do this if it wasn’t for all of you.”
Last year’s winner, Jonathan Eilen echoed Weinkauf’s words, “Like Chris said, we gotta thank the fans. We couldn’t do it without you.”
The next event for the ARCA Midwest Tour is Dells Raceway Park next Saturday, June 28th. Event details are available at arcamidwesttour.com
Be sure to follow the ARCA Midwest Tour on Facebook (midwesttour) and Twitter (@midwesttour).
To learn more about the Automobile Racing Club of America Midwest Tour, log on to arcamidwesttour.com. For questions call the ARCA Midwest Tour office at (262) 729-4111 or Tim Olson at (612) 327-5831 or Steve Einhaus (630) 212-6022 at or e-mail Tim Olson at tim@arcamidwesttour.comor Steve Einhaus at steve@arcamidwesttour.com.
The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is among the leading auto racing sanctioning bodies in the country. Founded in 1953 by John and Mildred Marcum, the organization administers more than 100 events each year in multiple racing series, including the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, the ARCA/CRA Super Series, the ARCA Truck Series and the ARCA Midwest Tour, plus weekly racing at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways.
