The second half of the TUNDRA Super Late Model Series season begins this Saturday with Round Four Powered by Wisconsin Potatoes at State Park Speedway in Wausau, WI. A field full of contenders is ready to rumble the foot of Rib Mountain in the 75-lap feature event.
Fresh off his dominating win in the Detjens Memorial at State Park last Saturday, Chris Wimmer is one of the favorites to make some noise in his TUNDRA debut. Wimmer will be piloting the Fury Chassis which was hooked up well in last week’s main event. However, there will be plenty of challengers hoping to keep him from visiting Victory Lane in back-to-back weeks.
Among those drivers is last year’s winner of the TUNDRA event at State Park Speedway Mark Mackesy. Mackesy won both events he entered in 2016, and will once again hope to defend his home territory. On his heels to the checkered flag last season was young Derek Kraus. Coming off his first ever pole position in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series, Kraus will be hoping to score his first TUNDRA win after coming so close a season ago.
With strong racers from State Park ready to defend their territory, the regulars of TUNDRA are eyeing an invasion, and to swoop in and take the trophy. Last year’s State Park Speedway Champion and current TUNDRA point leader Dalton Zehr is a former winner of the event. Zehr finished Third in last year’s race at the facility after being involved in two altercations.
Zehr will be among some of the top point getters hoping for a bounce-back race after Jefferson. Only Colin Reffner and John Beale escaped the melee among the top point drivers, which helped Reffner close Zehr’s point lead to just 19 markers, with Beale in Third 35 points out of the top spot. Round Two winner Cole Anderson nursed his machine to the finish and now sits just 37 points back in Fourth.
Momentum could also play a factor for a couple of the TUNDRA regulars this Saturday. After his first TUNDRA win at Jefferson, Wyatt Brooks led early in last week’s Detjens race. He and his team admit they missed the setup in the second half of the race, but think they will bounce back Saturday. The driver Brooks held at bay at Jefferson – John Beale – enjoyed an excellent Wausau debut Saturday. In his first visit to State Park Beale was able to secure a Third Place finish in the Detjens.
As far as first timers are concerned, it will be the first time Steve Apel tests State Park Speedway. Subbing in for teammate Corey Jankowski, the Round One winner will make his second appearance with the series in 2017. Apel is a three-time Slinger Champion and a former Red, White and Blue Champion at Wisconsin International Raceway.
The state of Minnesota looks like it will be well-represented too. Along with Anderson, his co-Rookie of the Year from 2015 Bryan Syer-Keske, and Nick Barstad will be on hand trying to grab a second win for the Gopher State in 2017 TUNDRA action.
Aside from Reffner and Beale who top the Dean’s Satellite and Security rookie class, three other first-year racers might be ones to watch. Justin Mondeik returns to one of his home tracks after setting his first fast time at Jefferson in Round Three. Grant Griesbach comes in off his best finish (Fourth) at Jefferson. If not for a wiring issue, Jordan DeVoy may have been on his way to his first win or podium at Jefferson, as well.
It also would be wise to keep eyes on Adam Peschek. After a Third Place finish in his debut at Jefferson, Peschek won the Late Model portion of the Detjens Memorial last weekend.
TUNDRA will be joined by the Sportsman – headlined by Dave Trute, Greg Back, Travis Volm, Jason Stark, and more – plus the Midwest Truck Series. Fan gates open at 3:30 PM, qualifying is at 5 PM, and racing is slated to begin at 6 PM.
State Park Speedway is located at 5711 N Mountain Rd. in Wausau, Wis. For more information visit www.stateparkspeedway.com
Round Four Powered by Wisconsin Potatoes State Park Speedway – Wausau, WI Expected Entries (25) as of 8/4/17 Car # – Driver, Hometown 00 – Darek Gress, Neillsville, WI 2 – Jordan Thiel, Darboy, WI 5B – John Beale, Verona, WI 9 – Braison Bennett, Neenah, WI 9 – Jerry Brickner, Wausau, WI 9 – Derek Kraus, Stratford, WI 12 – Mark Mackesy, Wausau, WI 17 – Grant Griesbach, Pewaukee, WI 31 – Nick Barstad, Prior Lake, MN 32 – Steve Lichtfeld, Portage, WI 33 – Wyatt Brooks, Amherst, WI 38 – Jordan DeVoy, Lake Geneva, WI 40 – Jeremy Lepak, Ringle, WI 44 – Justin Mondeik, Gleason, WI 44 – Mike Lichtfeld, Pardeeville, WI 51 – Steve Apel, Slinger, WI 52 – Brent Strelka, Kaukauna, WI 52 – Chris Wimmer, Wausau, WI 66 – Adam Peschek, Oconomowoc, WI 80 – Monte Gress, Neillsville, WI 81 – Bryan Syer-Keske, Lakeville, MN 87 – Colin Reffner, Wisconsin Rapids, WI 97 – Cole Anderson, Northfield, MN 98 – Brandon Selle, Dale, WI 711 – Dalton Zehr, Somewhereville, ID
