ARCA Midwest Tour Heads Back to Elko Speedway Sept 19th-20th
by Kari Shear-Carlson
Sept 11, 2014 – Next weekend, the ARCA Midwest Tour presented by Scag Power Equipment will make its annual stop at Elko Speedway for the 6th Annual Thunderstruck 93 presented by NAPA Auto Parts. Many of the Tour’s current and past drivers have come from the area, so it is a time for the locals and Touring Stars to go up against one another and battle it out until the end.
One driver who will have the opportunity of his lifetime is Darren Wolke. Wolke will be behind the wheel of the #8 machine owned by Mike and Patti Butz.
“This is the best opportunity I have had in my entire racing career, to be able to drive for one of the best teams in the country. I am honored and humbled that Mike and Patti would consider me to drive for them,” said Wolke.
“I am excited to work with a new driver at the ARCAMT event at Elko Speedway. It is always exciting to race against the ARCA Midwest Touring Stars since they are some of the best drivers in the Midwest,” added Butz.
Earlier this season, Boris Jurkovic, who was slated to race as a Touring Star for the ARCAMT this season, was injured in an accident at Illiana Motor Speedway. Unfortunately, Jurkovic has not been cleared to return to the track just yet, so Mike and Patti have generously given other drivers the opportunity to get behind the wheel.
“As we all heard about Boris’ accident, I jokingly spoke with Mike on Facebook and asked if he was coming up to Elko for the Tour race, and told him if he needed a driver I was available,” said Wolke.
“A couple weeks later he asked if I was serious and if there was there anyway I could help with expenses, if so, he would like to talk about it. I made a couple phone calls and secured sponsorship from Chanticlear frozen pizza and they were excited for this opportunity.”
Wolke is no stranger to Elko Speedway or racing against ARCA Midwest Tour drivers. He has logged a lot of laps around the speedway and has raced against many of the drivers in the ARCA Midwest Tour throughout the years.
“We are not going into this blindly. The ARCA Midwest Tour has some of the best talent in the country. I know Mike’s team can bring a winning car and I am confident in my abilities. I think that it could be a winning combination and I’m very excited for the opportunity,” added Wolke.
Wolke knows that he couldn’t do this without the overwhelming support of so many people. “I would like to thank Mike and Patti for giving me this opportunity, Ryan at Chanticlear Pizza for partnering up with me for this race, and of course my family for their support as well.
Be sure to follow the ARCA Midwest Tour on Facebook (midwesttour) and Twitter (@midwesttour).
For complete event details log on to arcamidwesttour.com.
Upcoming Event Information
What: 6th Annual Thunderstruck 93 presented by NAPA Auto Parts
Where: Elko Speedway, Elko, MN
When: Saturday, Sept 20, 2014
Times: 12:00PM ARCAMT Practice Begins, 4:00PM ARCAMT Qualifying, 5:30PM Heat Races, 7:00PM Opening Ceremonies, Racing Begins
Divisions: ARCA Midwest Tour, Mini Stocks, Legends, Mid-Am Stock Cars, Big 8 Series, 11th Annual Thunder Car Nationals
To learn more about the Automobile Racing Club of America Midwest Tour, log on to arcamidwesttour.com. For questions, call Tim Olson at (612) 327-5831 or e-mail tim@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.
