He has positioned himself as one of the top ARCA Midwest Touring Stars by racing throughout the region, but Paul Shafer, Jr continues to find success at Grundy County Speedway. The second generation driver is the weekly point leader at the Morris track where he has also won the last two Tony Bettenhausen Memorial events. This Saturday (July 11), Shafer and a strong contingent of Touring Stars will go head to head with Chicagoland’s best as well as former Tour Champions alike during the 34th Wayne Carter Classic presented by Rod Baker Ford and Illinois Truck and Equipment. The 100-lap feature event will see drivers from five states and Canada racing their Super Late Models under the new LED lights.
After collecting the 2013 Track Championship at Illiana (IN) Motor Speedway, the Super Late Model world learned that Shafer would be a force for years to come. With two finishes in the second place points position and another finish of third in the season end Tour point tally, Shafer has been on the verge of breaking through in Tour competition. With his lone tour win coming at Jefferson Speedway (WI), he has collected non-Tour wins at Madison (WI) International as well as Grundy.
Another driver who has come up just short of a Tour Championship is Austin Nason, the Tour’s point runner-up the past two seasons. With Tour wins at Madison (WI), Rockford (IL) and most recently at the Milwaukee Mile (WI) last season. The 2015 Tour Rookie of the Year has posted wins during the World Series of Asphalt at New Smyrna (FL) Speedway. 2019 Tour Rookie of the Year Gabe Sommers captured his first Tour feature win in the Larry Detjens Memorial at State Park Speedway (WI) last July. Having finished second in the overall World Series of Asphalt Standings in 2019, the young Central Wisconsin standout was also able to test an ARCA Menards Series car at Daytona (FL) International Speedway over the off-season.
With four feature wins during the opening month of the 2020 race season, Justin Mondiek has stepped his game up a notch heading into Saturday night’s Wayne Carter Classic. With a pair of wins at State Park Speedway and an additional win at Golden Sands (WI) Speedway in Central Wisconsin, Mondiek outdueled former Tour Champ Dalton Zehr to win Norway (MI) Speedway’s Stateline Challenge last Friday night. On the strength of the ‘Best Non-Paid Crew in Racing’, Ryan Farrell added another win to his Super Late Model accomplishments by besting a strong Alive for 5 field at Dells (WI) Raceway Park.
Rich Bickle, Jr has multiple wins in some of the biggest short track events throughout the country, including the Snowball Derby, National Short Track Championships, Oktoberfest, Slinger Nationals and the Dixieland 250. With a little over a year left in his racing career, he has teamed up with T1 Racing in an effort to add more wins, including the Wayne Carter Classic. While Bickle has been competing at the one-third mile since the 1980’s, drivers like 12th place Tour points man Andrew Brocker will be making his first career start at Grundy.
Two other former Touring Stars that have indicated they are going to try their hand at claiming the $5,000 top prize are Skylar Holzhausen and Jeff Storm. Holzhausen, whose father Steve celebrated an ARTGO Wayne Carter Classic win in 1992 was the 2011 ARCA Midwest Tour Rookie of the Year and has two career Tour victories, Elko (MN) and Marshfield (WI) and is also a past winner of the prestigious Dick Trickle 99 during the Oktoberfest Race Weekend at LaCrosse (WI) Fairgrounds Speedway. Jeff Storm, one of the original Midwest Touring Stars has a new car built for 2020 and hopes to be fast out of the box. A two-time Mid-American Stock Car Series Champion, Storm has had his share of solid races at Grundy.
Adult General Admission Tickets are $20, Seniors (62 and over) are $18, Students (ages 12-17) are $10 with kids ages 11 and under admitted Free. Tickets will be available for purchase at the gate or can be purchased in advance through Friday night on the tour website. For additional information or to buy tickets for this event, please visit www.midwesttour.racing
Expected Entries 34th Wayne Carter Classic presented by Rod Baker Ford and Illinois Truck & Equipment ARCA Midwest Tour Saturday July 11, 2020 Grundy County Speedway, Morris, IL
26 as of 7/8/20
Car #
NameHometownStateSponsorMake
0
Josh NelmsLockportILMcMahon Transport/Vandoorn Racing DevelopmentChevrolet
3
Alex ClubbMorrisILA. Clubb Lawn Care & LandscapingChevrolet
6
Eric WhiteSt. JohnINReliable Recovery ServicesToyota
7
Paul Shafer, JrPortageINPaul’s Auto YardsChevrolet
8
Eddie HoffmanWheatonILFeece Oil/Advanced GeneratorChevrolet
13
Andrew BrockerJeffersonWIAmerican State EquipmentChevrolet
14
Austin NasonRoscoeILMontgomery Ward/Haase Builders/JRS Shocks/Kar KornerFord
15
Gabe SommersPloverWIDeKalb/Kwik Trip/Tasteful Selections Potatoes/Allied Co-opToyota
16
DJ WeltmeyerDyerINEngine Masters/DeNovi Heating & CoolingChevrolet
16
Cayden LapcevichGrimsbyONTA Services/AP Race Engines/All-Star PerfFord
25
Jeff StormEast TroyWIGreat Lakes Components/Duramax Trucking/All Pro MechanicalChevrolet
28
Nathan KellyWilmingtonILElite Tradeshow/Greg and Sons Const/Whip FX Graphic WrapsChevrolet
36
Dan FredricksonLakevilleMNHerman’s Landscape Supply/Justman FreightToyota
39
Andrew MorrisseyDeForestWIB&B Racing Engines/MRI, Inc Chassis & FabricationFord
44
Justin MondeikGleasonWIAGRA Industries/Aqua Finance/Industrial Accessories CompanyChevrolet
45
Rich Bickle, JrEdgertonWIT1 Racing/Wegner Automotive/Barnyard to BrickyardChevrolet
47
Casey JohnsonEdgertonWIMontgomery Ward/Hougan Farms/UAW Region 4Chevrolet
52
Andy JonesWaukeganILKBR Performance/Evolve Concepts/Pomp’s Tire ServiceFord
52
Ricky BakerPlainfieldILRod Baker Ford/Illinois Truck and EquipmentFord
55
Scott KoernerJolietILAdvanced Powder Coating/Brandolino’s Encore Music/SontagToyota
72
Jacob GoedeCarverMNBaby Gowdy/Goetz Trucking/Northern Racing ProductsChevrolet
73
Joe VinachiMorrisILMidwest Industrial Sales/Indicom Electric/Oval EngineeringChevrolet
77
Jonathan EilenHamptonMNEilen & Sons Trucking & Landscape/Graber Auto BodyFord
78
Skylar HolzhausenBangorWIKempf Logging/Wehrs Machine/Fechner MotorsFord
80
Ryan FarrellBig BendWILingford Construction & Transport/Able PlumbingChevrolet
119
Dalton ZehrDaytona BeachFLGildan/American Apparel/Comfort Colors/Prim + Preux/AMSChevrolet
Wayne Carter Classic Winners 1975 Tom Reffner 1976 Dave Watson 1977 Larry Phillips 1978 Mike Miller 1979 Mike Miller 1980 Mark Malcuit 1981 Larry Schuler 1982 Jim Sauter 1983 Tom Reffner 1984 Dick Trickle 1985 Butch Miller 1986 Joe Shear 1987 Dick Trickle 1988 Joe Shear 1989 Ted Musgrave 1990 Steve Carlson 1991 Kevin Cywinski 1992 Steve Holzhausen 1993 Joe Shear 1994 Joe Shear 1995 Joe Shear 1996 Dave Weltmeyer 1997 Joe Shear 1998 Eddie Hoffman 1999 Steve Carlson 2011 Ross Kenseth 2012 Eddie Hoffman 2013 Jonathan Eilen 2014 Chris Weinkauf 2015 Eddie Hoffman 2016 Ty Majeski 2017 Ricky Baker 2018 Dalton Zehr