Kaukauna, WI- Tuesday night’s (August 3, 2021) Gandrud Auto Group 250 featuring the ARCA Midwest Tour is attracting top Super Late Model teams from across the country, chasing a $10,000 payday. While the Midwest based drivers have mostly held their own against the travelers, the out of towners have been known to take the top prize and the money home with them.
Once such driver that has the attention of many in the pit area is two-time Southern Super Series Champion Casey Roderick. Roderick will be making the tow from Lawrenceville, GA with his own equipment to battle the best of the Midwest. Last fall he topped a four sanction All-American 400 at Nashville Fairgrounds which included many Midwest Tour regulars. A three-time Blizzard Series Champion at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, FL, Roderick’s lone Midwest Tour start resulted in a fifth place finish at Milwaukee in 2019.
Last year’s Gandrud Auto Group 250 was the first Midwest Tour attempt by Johnton, IA native Sammy Smith. Smith who won the 2019 Pro Late Model Championship at the World Series of Asphalt at New Smyrna Speedway during Florida Speedweeks, was the final transfer out of the Last Chance race. He ran a solid 250 and finished eleventh. Smith, the ARCA East point leader with three wins is now teamed with Oklahoma based Wilson Motorsports in his Super Late Model efforts and captured the top prize at Jennerstown Speedway (PA) last month and was fourth at Milwaukee in June.
It did not take long for California’s Jesse Love to visit victory lane in Wisconsin, wheeling his Wimmer Motorsports Toyota to victory at Slinger Super Speedway in late June. The 2020 ARCA West Champion also has two Junior Late Model titles and a Midget Championship to his credit. Love raced to a sixth place showing on Father’s Day at Milwaukee, his first tour start. The last outsider to take the winner’s ransom out of the Midwest was Chase Purdy and he had Chris Wimmer coaching him along at WIR.
While Love’s Wisconsin win is impressive, Carson Kvapil made the most of his 15-hour trip from North Carolina in June, winning the Red Race of the WIR Red, White and Blue State Championships. Kvapil has had a busy 2021, not only winning at WIR but also recording victories at Hickory Motor Speedway, Caraway Speedway and he won a guitar at Nashville Fairgrounds. The son of former NASCAR Truck Champion Travis Kvapil, a Wisconsin native and past participant of this event himself, showed plenty of speed at Milwaukee ending up fifth and Carson is primed for his second Midwest Tour career win on Tuesday night.
These four will join the ‘Stars and Cars’ of the ARCA Midwest Tour for a 250 lap feature event under the lights on Tuesday night in the 28 car field that pays $10,000 to the winner and $1,200 to start. The Midwest Truck Series will also be in action during the Gandrud Auto Group 250 event.
Schedule of Events for Tuesday:
10am Pit Gate Opens
2:15pm Practice Begins
4pm Front Gates Open
5pm Qualifying Begins
6:30pm Racing Begins
General Admission Pricing:
Adults $25, children ages 12 and under admitted free.
Tickets available in advance (through Monday night) at www.midwesttour.racing/tickets/ OR go on sale at the ticket gates Tuesday at 4pm.
Location: Wisconsin International Raceway is located at W1460 County Rd KK in Kaukauna, WI. For additional information visit www.wirmotorsports.com or call 920-766-5577.
Complete List of Past Gandrud Auto Group 250 Winners
1981 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
