by Kari Shear Carlson / July 11, 2016 – This Friday, July 15th, the ARCA Midwest Tour presented by Scag Power Equipment will return to Grundy County Speedway for the Wayne Carter Classic presented by Rod Baker Ford and Illinois Truck Equipment, a race that carries with it as much excitement as it does history.
The Wayne Carter Classic has one of the richest histories in Midwest short track racing. The first Wayne Carter Classic was held in 1975 in honor of the late Wayne Carter who brought racing to the Grundy County Fair 59 years earlier. Wisconsin Rapids, WI native, Tom Reffner, held off Bob Roper and Joe Shear to win the inaugural event in 1975.
Just as the list of entries for this year’s Wayne Carter Classic is filled with the Stars and Cars of today, the list of past winners and participants is one filled with legends and greats that cannot be compared with.
The late Jim Sauter won with a broken axle in 1982, as a young Mark Martin finished third. The late Dick Trickle rolled to his second event win in 1997, a race that also included the late Dale Earnhardt. Other NASCAR greats who attempted to add their names to the winner’s list included Rusty Wallace, Darrell Waltrip, Bobby Allison, Davey Allison, and Matt Kenseth.
The late Joe Shear still has the most Wayne Carter Classic wins of any driver. His first win was in 1986 followed by another in 1988. He won consecutively in 1993, 1994, and 1995, and also won the final event under the ARTGO banner in 1997.
The NASCAR Elite division continued the race in 1988 and 1989, won by Eddie Hoffman and Steve Carlson. The Wayne Carter Classic returned in 2011 with the Midwest Tour and has continued every year since. Ross Kenseth won in 2011. Jonathan Eilen, Chris Weinkauf and Eddie Hoffman are the most recent winners, with Hoffman claiming his third win in 2015.
In addition to a full racing program, last year’s winner and Chicagoland’s own, Eddie Hoffman, and the 2014 and 2015 ARCA Midwest Tour Champion, Ty Majeski, will go head-to-head in a best out of three match race.
When the 32 drivers roll into Grundy County Speedway for this Friday night’s Wayne Carter Classic, history will continue to unfold as the generations that paved the way continue to be remembered.
Gates open at 5:30pm. Qualifying begins at 6:05pm., followed by an ARCAMT Autograph Session at 6:45pm. Racing begins at 7:30pm.
The ARCA Midwest Tour will be joined by the Mid-American Stock Car Series as well as the Pure Stocks.
For complete event details, log on to 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. 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 Speedway.
Expected Entries
Wayne Carter Classic presented by Rod Baker Ford and Illinois Truck Equipment
ARCA Midwest Tour
Friday Night July 15, 2016
Grundy County Speedway, Morris, IL
32 as of 7/11/16
Car # Name Hometown State
1 Nick Barstad Prior Lake MN
3 Boris Jurkovic Joliet IL
7 Erik Darnell Huntersville NC
7 Paul Shafer, Jr Portage IN
8 Eddie Hoffman Wheaton IL
8T Scott Tomasik Avon IN
9 Derek Kraus Stratford WI
11 Andy Jones Gurnee IL
14 Austin Nason Roscoe IL
16 DJ Weltmeyer Dyer IN
17 Tony Scalpelli, Jr Oswego IL
21 Kevin Zielezinski Carpentersville IL
24 Jim Olson Harvard IL
28 Jake Finney Sycamore IL
29 Austin Kunert Batavia IL
30 Larry Schuler Minooka IL
33 Jeff Cannon Griffith IN
38 Jeff Holtz Franksville WI
39 Andrew Morrissey DeForest WI
43 Matt Kocourek Franklin WI
47 Casey Johnson Edgerton WI
51 Anthony Danta Downers Grove IL
52 Ricky Baker Plainfield IL
55 Scott Koerner Joliet IL
75 Chris Weinkauf Merrill WI
76 Jason Weinkauf Merrill WI
77 Jonathan Eilen Hampton MN
91 Ty Majeski Seymour WI
93 John Beinlich Lincolnshire IL
96 John Nutley Midlothian IL
99 Justin Oertel Lincolnshire IL
O4 Natalie Decker Eagle River WI
| Wayne Carter Classic Previous Winners | |||
|
1975 |
Tom Reffner | ARTGO | 59 Laps |
|
1976 |
Dave Watson | ARTGO | 100 Laps |
|
1977 |
Larry Phillips | ARTGO | 100 Laps |
|
1978 |
Mike Miller | ARTGO | 100 Laps |
|
1979 |
Mike Miller | ARTGO | 100 Laps |
|
1980 |
Mark Malcuit | ARTGO | 100 Laps |
|
1981 |
Larry Schuler | ARTGO | 100 Laps |
|
1982 |
Jim Sauter | ARTGO | 100 Laps |
|
1983 |
Tom Reffner | ARTGO | 100 Laps |
|
1984 |
Dick Trickle | ARTGO | 100 Laps |
|
1985 |
Butch Miller | ARTGO | 100 Laps |
|
1986 |
Joe Shear | ARTGO | 100 Laps |
|
1987 |
Dick Trickle | ARTGO | 100 Laps |
|
1988 |
Joe Shear | ARTGO | 100 Laps |
|
1989 |
Ted Musgrave | ARTGO | 100 Laps |
|
1990 |
Steve Carlson | ARTGO | 100 Laps |
|
1991 |
Kevin Cywinski | ARTGO | 100 Laps |
|
1992 |
Steve Holzhausen | ARTGO | 100 Laps |
|
1993 |
Joe Shear | ARTGO | 100 Laps |
|
1994 |
Joe Shear | ARTGO | 100 Laps |
|
1995 |
Joe Shear | ARTGO | 200 Laps |
|
1996 |
Dave Weltmeyer | ARTGO | 200 Laps |
|
1997 |
Joe Shear | ARTGO | 200 Laps |
|
1998 |
Eddie Hoffman | NASCAR Elite | 125 Laps |
|
1999 |
Steve Carlson | NASCAR Elite | 150 Laps |
|
2011 |
Ross Kenseth | ASA Midwest Tour | 125 Laps |
|
2012 |
Eddie Hoffman | ASA Midwest Tour | 100 Laps |
|
2013 |
Johathan Eilen | ARCA Midwest Tr | 100 Laps |
|
2014 |
Chris Weinkauf | ARCA Midwest Tr | 100 Laps |
|
2015 |
Eddie Hoffman | ARCA Midwest Tr | 100 Laps |
| compiled by Stan Kalwasinski/Chicagoland Auto Racing.com | |||
