Kaukauna, WI- Tuesday Night’s (August 5, 2025) Gandrud Auto Group 250 at Wisconsin International Raceway boasts a strong entry list of ASA Midwest Tour Super Late Model ‘Stars and Cars’ for the traditional short track event which pays $15,000 to win. Past event winners, Tour Champions, National and Regional headliners and multiple NASCAR Champions are amongst those drivers chasing the checkered flag at the half mile paved oval.
Defending NASCAR Truck Champion Ty Majeski returns to WIR where he has won five of the last six Gandrud Auto Group 250 events. A five-time Midwest Tour Champion and all-time wins leader with 39, Majeski will be one to watch after having visited victory lane earlier this month at WIR. Casey Johnson is a two-time Fox River Racing Club Champion and has two Red, White and Blue State Championships at WIR. Johnson is the current ASA Midwest Point Leader on the strength of three wins including May’s $15,000 to win Joe Shear Classic at Madison International Speedway and seeks his second Gandrud 250 triumph.
Current NASCAR Cup Star Erik Jones, the 2015 NASCAR Truck Champion will make his second appearance at WIR on Tuesday Night. Jones has won his share of major short track events in America including wins at the Snowball Derby, Winchester 400, Oktoberfest Race Weekend and one career Midwest Tour victory, having won the Howie Lettow 150 at The Milwaukee Mile in 2014. Will he be the latest full-time NASCAR driver to add his name to the Gandrud 250 record books?
Two fan favorites heading into Tuesday night are Paul Shafer, Jr and Penn Sauter. Shafer outran the competition to win his lone Gandrud 250 in 2021 taking advantage of early race tire strategies. The Chicagoland Champion at both Illiana Motor Speedway (IN) and Grundy County Speedway (IL) has four Midwest Tour career wins and placed third at WIR in 2024. Penn Sauter, the son of Johnny Sauter and Grandson of Jim Sauter has strung together multiple impressive runs in his rookie season behind the wheel of a Super Late Model. Johnny is a two-time winner of this event while Jim Sauter won the 1982 edition.
A trio of ASA Midwest Tour Champions continue to chase their first ‘First Tuesday in August’ trophy. Two-time defending ASA Midwest Tour Champion Gabe Sommers has won the Oktoberfest 200 and Jim Sauter Classic 200, and Andrew Morrissey has wins at the Joe Shear Classic and Fest. Both battled amongst the leaders last season and show no signs of slowing down. Morrissey chased Majeski beneath the checkered flag last year. Likewise, Dalton Zehr who won the ASA Midwest Tour visit to Norway Speedway (MI) in June knows how to hang around, save his equipment and be in position to win. Zehr won both the Fox River Racing Club Championship and Red, White and Blue State Championship in 2022.
Tour front runners Levon VanDerGeest and Justin Mondeik have been on a roll lately. Mondeik won twice in Tour action last season and has posted two top threes so far this year including a runner-up finish last week at Madison after dominating the first half of the event. Levon VanDerGeest has posted three top three finishes on the year as he seeks his first Tour win, which many thought was coming in last year’s Gandrud 250, ultimately finishing fifth. He had commanding leads at both Norway and Hawkeye Downs (IA) and will again be one to keep an eye on Tuesday at WIR.
Derek Kraus set fast time twice last weekend, at Madison and Anderson (IN) during the Redbud 400. There is no doubt the Kraus family’s #9 is dialed in having won the ASA Stars National Tour event at Newport Speedway (TN) over Memorial Day Weekend. Another driver finding success on the ASA National scene is Austin Nason. Nason will make just his second Midwest Tour start of the year, he is a past Tour winner at Madison, Rockford and The Milwaukee Mile.
Having moved up into the NASCAR Truck Series ranks this season, Luke Fenhaus returns to Wisconsin for Tuesday night’s event. The former Slinger Nationals winner will look to turn his Super Late Model luck around in an event he finished fourth a year ago. Minnesota pilot Ty Fredrickson is another driver that is starting to capitalize on his speed. A fender rub following a battle for the lead at Hawkeye slowed his progress while a fourth place finish at Madison’s Howie Lettow Classic has the team’s confidence headed in the right direction. Another Minnesota entry is Joe Valento, a former Midwest Truck and CARS Tour competitor that now calls the ASA Midwest Tour home, posted a top ten finish in his only Gandrud 250 appearance.
The Chase Motorsports entry will have current NASCAR National Weekly point leader Jacob Goede behind the wheel. The popular Fox Valley based team has joined forces with the former NASCAR National Champ who has also won at Bristol Motor Speedway (TN). Other Fox River Racing Club regulars entering the Gandrud Auto Group 250 include weekly winner Jordan Thiel, Cody VanderLoop, 2017 FRRC Champion Andy Monday, Corey Manders, Michael Anthony and Pete Vandermolen as well as 2025 Thursday Night winner and Tundra Champion Riley Stenjem.
Iowa’s Kody King, a former Hawkeye Downs Late Model Champion currently sits atop a tight Rookie of the Year battle which includes former Big 8 and Tundra R-O-Y Mitch Haver, Truck Series standout and Kulwicki Development Driver Bryce Miller as well as Sauter.
John DeAngelis, Jr returns to WIR after once again being amongst the favorites before having to retire due to mechanical issues just past the 200 lap mark a year ago. For the past two seasons, DeAngelis has been in a position to win, he looks to put himself up front again. Norway Track Champion Joey Pontbriand and weekly winner Joseph Scholze.
ASA Midwest Tour’s Gandrud Auto Group 250
Tuesday, August 5th – Wisconsin International Raceway, Kaukauna, WI.
Tuesday, August 5th Racing Divisions: The ASA Midwest Tour Super Late Models will be joined Tuesday Night by the Midwest Truck Series.
Schedule of Events for Tuesday:
10 a.m. ASAMT Pit Gate Opens
2:15 p.m. Practice Begins
4 p.m. Front Gates Open
5 p.m. Qualifying Begins
6:30 p.m. Racing Begins
General Admission Pricing Tuesday:
Adults $30, Children ages 12 and under admitted free. Advance tickets available on the Ticket Hoss App for $25, click here.
Location: Wisconsin International Raceway is located at W1460 County Rd KK in Kaukauna, WI. For camping and other information visit www.wirmotorsports.com or call 920-766-5577.
Complete List of Past Gandrud Auto Group 250 Winners1981 Mark Martin
1982 Jim Sauter
1983 Dick Trickle
1984 Mark Martin
1985 Butch Miller
1986 Butch Miller
1987 Dick Trickle
1988 Butch Miller
1989 Rich Bickle Jr.
1990 Dick Trickle
1991 Dick Trickle
1992 Steve Holzhausen
1993 Scott Hansen
1994 Joe Shear
1995 Bryan Reffner
1996 Joe Shear
1997 Steve Carlson
1998 Steve Carlson
1999 Scott Hansen
2000 Brian Hoppe
2001 Steve Carlson
2002 Brian Hoppe
2003 Steve Carlson
2004 Steve Carlson
2005 Stephen Leicht
2007 Kyle Busch
2008 Steve Carlson
2009 Steve Carlson
2010 Johnny Sauter
2014 Johnny Sauter
2015 Nick Murgic
2016 Dennis Prunty
2017 Casey Johnson
2018 Chase Purdy
2019 Ty Majeski
2020 Ty Majeski
2021 Paul Shafer, Jr.
2022 Ty Majeski
2023 Ty Majeski
2024 Ty Majeski
