Wisconsin Dells WI 9/1/2021-Wisconsin Dells, WI- The ‘Stars and Cars’ of the ARCA Midwest Tour head to Dells Raceway Park this Saturday Night September 4, 2021 for the $15,555 to Win Jim Sauter Classic presented by Habelman Brothers Cranberries and Don’s Auto Truck Center. One driver could walk away with the largest payday in Midwest Tour history if they accept and win the ‘Pit Pay Ultimate Challenge’ which offers a $5,000 bonus to the fastest qualifier if they elect to start at the tail of the field and can win the 200-lap Super Late Model contest. The Midwest Truck Series and 602 Outlaw Late Models will join the racing program. Here is a breakdown of the drivers entered for Saturday night’s Jim Sauter Classic, Wisconsin’s Richest One Day Race which pays $1,005 to start in the 25 car field:
4 Luke Fenhaus Wausau WI Dun Rite Exteriors/Kulwicki Driver Devel/PGA/Central WI Vending Chevrolet -The 2018 State Park Speedway Champion is the current point leader at Slinger Super Speedway where he also claimed the Slinger Nationals earlier this year and finished second to Marco Andretti in SRX action. He started the season with a win at Dells Raceway Park in the Icebreaker and followed that up with a pair of runner-up efforts and fast times at Madison and Jefferson in Midwest Tour action. The Kulwicki Development Driver is currently second in ARCA Midwest Tour points and finished third in the Alive for 5 event three weeks ago at DRP.
5 Casey Johnson Edgerton WI Montgomery Ward/Hougan Farms/UAW Region 4 Chevrolet -Johnson is the two-time and defending Midwest Tour Champion and won last Friday’s Howie Lettow Classic at Madison International in commanding fashion. Johnson went two for two to finish July, winning in Big 8 action at Madison and then winning the weekly Late Model feature at Jefferson the following night. Earlier this season he won his second Red, White and Blue State Championship by winning the White and Blue races at WIR. Johnson has amassed two championships at Wisconsin International, three at Jefferson, two in Big 8, two Tundra titles, six Wisconsin State Championships and two National Short Track Championships at Rockford Speedway.
5 Jim Sauter, Jr Tomah WI Don's Auto/Howe Racing/Capauls Floor Covering/Sauter Floor Covering Chevrolet -Jim Sauter, Jr has proven that he can run with the best of them and finished third at the Midwest Tour’s last visit to Marshfield Super Speedway in 2017. Four years later Sauter, Jr will once again look to run up front with the ‘Stars and Cars’ in a race paying tribute to his late father.
5 Johnny Sauter Necedah WI Deppe Enterprises/Sal's Towing/Pathfinder Chassis Chevrolet -His last two visits to Dells Raceway Park have resulted in the #5 car sitting in victory lane at night’s end. Sauter, the 2016 NASCAR Truck Champion sits sixth on the all-time Tour wins list with seven with his most recent Tour win coming last Labor Day Weekend at the Dells following a thrilling battle with Casey Johnson and Gabe Sommers. Sauter won the most recent Alive for 5 Series event at DRP just three weeks ago and finished second Friday night at Madison.
5 Travis Sauter Prairie Du Sac WI NAPA of Cheyenne/Tim O'Brien Homes/DeAngelis Const/Don's Auto Chevrolet -He is a four-time Oktoberfest winner and is tied for fourth on the all-time tour wins list with nine victories. Though he has found himself as a crew chief more than a driver as of late, his few starts have resulted in two top-ten finishes on the Tour in just four starts.
7 John DeAngelis, Jr Hubertus WI DeAngelis Construction/JD7 Trucking Ford -DeAngelis put the competition on notice as he dominated the first half of the Gandrud Auto Group 250 earlier this month, setting a blistering pace. Though the Tuesday night finish was not what he and his crew anticipated after such a performance, they bounced back last Friday at Madison, recording a podium finish in third, his seventh career top five in Tour action. DeAngelis finished third in the final 2019 point standings, was fifth at the Dells last Labor Day Weekend, second in the Spring and fourth three weeks ago at DRP.
7 Tyler Sauter New Lisbon WI BOHICAS Pub and Grub/Don's Auto and Truck Center/R and R Roofing Chevrolet -Moving into the Super Late Model ranks is Tyler Sauter, a former Sportsman standout with the Great Northern Sportsman Series and in weekly action across the state, Tyler is the latest Sauter to enter Saturday night’s Jim Sauter Classic at DRP.
7 Paul Shafer, Jr Portage IN Paul's Auto Yards Chevrolet -Paul Shafer beat the best of the best earlier this month, claiming the checkered flag at the Gandrud Auto Group 250 at Wisconsin International, easily the biggest win of his career. The 2020 Grundy track champion and two-time Bettenhausen Classic winner began the year by clicking off three wins in a row at Grundy. Quickly becoming one of the fan favorites on the Tour, the 2013 Illiana Motor Speedway Champ has finished no worse than sixth in the last six years in Midwest Tour points and currently sits third.
10 Andy Monday Appleton WI Monday & Assoc/B&B Engines/Darboy Corner Store Toyota -Andy Monday is amongst the tough veteran drivers that compete at WIR on Thursday nights. Having won the 2017 Fox River Racing Club Championship, Monday has been venturing to more ARCA Midwest Tour events with help from former ASA Late Model Champion Travis Dassow. Monday has four top ten finishes in ARCA Midwest Tour racing.
13 Andrew Brocker Jefferson WI American State Equipment Chevrolet -This father son duo is unlike most in the pit area these days as it is Andrew, the dad racing the car while his sons wrench in the pits. The family owned team has been a loyal supporter of the Midwest Tour and finished 12th in the 2019 Point Standings.
14 Austin Nason Roscoe IL Montgomery Ward/Haase Builders/JRS Shocks/Kar Korner Ford -Nason is a two-time Tour point runner-up and has big wins including the Joe Shear Classic at Madison, the 2019 Father’s Day 100 at The Milwaukee Mile and Rockford’s All-Star 100 to go along with a 2018 Madison Triple Crown Championship and 2015 Tour Rookie of the Year title. Nason was third at Milwaukee in June, he nearly nabbed the win in July at Anderson Speedway’s (IN) Redbud 400 and finished fifth at the Slinger Nationals. He charged to a fourth place finish during the Gandrud 250 and was second at Milwaukee Sunday in his Big 8 Series car.
15 Gabe Sommers Plover WI Rowdy Energy/Kwik Trip/Tasteful Selection Potatoes/DeKalb Toyota -Just two years ago, Gabe Sommers recorded his breakthrough win at the Larry Detjens Memorial at State Park Speedway. He went on to become the 2019 Midwest Tour Rookie of the Year and backed up that effort with a runner-up points finish a season ago. A winner in June at California’s Irwindale Speedway, the young driver placed second at Milwaukee on Father’s Day. Sommers nearly stole the win away at DRP last Labor Day Weekend, finishing a close second to Johnny Sauter.
19 Andrew Morrissey DeForest WI Lefthander/Performance Parts Supply/Lensing Storage Chevrolet -Andrew Morrissey the 2011 ARCA Midwest Tour Champion will pilot the Lefthander Chassis House Car in the 200-lap contest. The 2018 Oktoberfest winner has five Tour wins including two Joe Shear Classic victories at Madison. Morrissey is always in the mix at Dells and is a former winner of the Icebreaker event held annually at the one-third mile paved oval.
23 Levon VanDerGeest Merrill WI Central Sawdust of WI/Breber Music/Culver's Chevrolet -Levon VanDerGeest became the youngest winner in Milwaukee Mile history when he rolled to the Midwest Truck Series victory on Father’s Day 2019. Levon went on to become the 2019 Truck Champion and is now running for the 2021 ARCA Midwest Tour Rookie of the Year. Levon had a strong showing on Father’s Day at The Milwaukee Mile, posting a seventh place finish and just finished out of the top ten two weeks ago when the Tour visited Hawkeye Downs.
25 Jeff Storm East Troy WI 3-D Ranch/Duramax Trucking/Breber Music/River City Lanes Toyota -Anyone that was at Madison for the Joe Shear Classic in May now knows that Jeff Storm once again has a fast race car. The two-time Mid-American Stock Car Series Champion wheeled his familiar #25 Super Late Model to a fifth place finish in the 200 lap contest. He backed that up with a sixth place effort at Madison during the Howie Lettow Classic.
30 Pete Vandermolen Oshkosh WI Stockbridge Engineering/The Dude Design/Don's Autobody Chevrolet -He is an old school racer, one of the few to still pull his racecar to the track with a cube van. Pete Vandermolen is a mainstay on Thursday nights at Wisconsin International Speedway, as he’s been since the 1980’s. Now in his 41st year of racing, Vandermolen will again aim to put his family owned car in the starting field Saturday night.
33 Trevor Vandermolen Oshkosh WI Kirkpatrick Law/Stockbridge Engineering/The Dude Design Chevrolet -The second generation driver has been a mainstay at WIR during Fox River Racing Club action attempted to make his first Midwest Tour event last August and will make his fourth Midwest Tour appearance Saturday night. He finished third in last year’s Club LaMark/Dave’s White Rock Last Call event at Dells.
44 Justin Mondeik Gleason WI AGRA Industries/Aqua Finance/Industrial Accessories Company Chevrolet -Justin Mondeik crossed the finishline first more than any other driver in the Midwest last season, 14 wins in all. So far in 2021, he has recorded 14 feature wins including last Thursday night at State Park Speedway, winning his second consecutive Championship there. The 2020 State Park and Golden Sands Champion finished third in the 2020 Midwest Tour points on the strength of his first career Tour win, the Larry Detjens Memorial 125 at State Park Speedway.
44 Mike Lichtfeld Pardeeville WI The Country Plumber/Assembly Prod/Portesi Frozen Pizza & Cheese Fries Toyota -So far in 2021, if a weekly Late Model has been to victory lane at Dells Raceway Park, if likely had a #44 on the door. Mike Lichtfeld has six wins in nine weekly Late Model events and won the $5,000 to win Assembly Products Shootout last month. Additionally he has five fast time awards and was the fastest Super Late Model in the house three weeks ago. He has two career Championships at DRP both coming in support divisions and is making just his fourth career Tour attempt Saturday.
45 Rich Bickle, Jr Edgerton WI T1 Racing/Wegner Automotive/Barnyard to Brickyard Chevrolet - Bickle started the Tour season by winning May’s Joe Shear Classic at Madison where he is a two-time track Champion and has won twice this season at Slinger. The five-time Snowball Derby Champion, four-time Slinger Nationals winner and two-time National Short Track Champion is set to retire at year’s end. He rallied to a fourth place finish at Hawkeye Downs two weekends ago and drove to a fifth place finish in Friday night’s Howie Lettow Classic at MIS.
50 Michael Anthony Appleton WI Jeff Heiting Builders/Insta-Print/Lake Park Pub/Darboy Corner Chevrolet -Another driver with limited Midwest Tour experience that has thrown his hat into the ring for Saturday night is Michael Anthony. Anthony, a weekly Fox River Racing Club driver at Wisconsin International has multiple Super Late Model preliminary wins to his credit at WIR.
70 Brady Bill Reedsburg WI H&H Pools & Spas/Reedsburg Auto Body/Neumann Heating & Cooling Ford -He looks to make his second career Midwest Tour start in Saturday night’s Jim Sauter Classic 200. His first came during last year’s Oktoberfest Race Weekend. Now on familiar ground, the 2019 Dells Rookie of the Year and 2020 602 Late Model Champion is ready to see how he stacks up against the ‘Stars and Cars’.
75 Dillon Hammond Grand Marsh WI Hammond Auto Mauston, WI Chevrolet -The family effort has qualified seventh, fifth, fourth, third, eleventh and third in the first six Tour events. Hammond drove to an eighth place Midwest Tour effort last month at State Park Speedway and posted his best Tour finish of the season at Hawkeye Downs as he overcame early damage to finish sixth. Back on the Midwest Tour in 2021 as a Touring Star, Hammond has two career top five efforts on the Tour including a fourth-place finish in the 2019 Detjens Memorial at State Park.
77 Jonathan Eilen Hampton MN Eilen & Sons Trucking & Landscape/Graber Auto Body Ford -After running an abbreviated schedule the past couple of seasons, Jonathan Eilen the 2012 Midwest Tour Champ is back on the Tour and contending for wins again, finishing third two weeks ago at Hawkeye Downs. The #77 sits seventh all-time in tour wins with five, including the first ever Tour event in 2007 which was held at Elko Speedway.
78 Skylar Holzhausen Bangor WI Kempf Logging/Wehrs Machine/Fechner Motors Ford -The third generation driver made his first Tour start of 2021 last Friday and after mechanical issues forced him out of the action early, the family team returns to DRP where Skylar finished third in Tour action Labor Day Weekend of 2019. A former standout at LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway, Holzhausen has won the Original Dick Trickle 99 at Oktoberfest and has two career Midwest Tour wins and an incredible 57% top ten finishing position in Tour action.
80 Ryan Farrell Big Bend WI Tiry's Race Engines/Adams Heavy Duty Tow/Jacoby Waterproof Chevrolet - With a 2018 Wisconsin Challenge Series Championship to his credit and various Super Late Model wins throughout the state including at Dells Raceway Park, Farrell is still in search of his first Midwest Tour victory. He was victorious earlier this month at Golden Sands Speedway in his Super Late Model.
91 Ty Majeski Seymour WI iRacing.com/Ken's Sports/Lucas Oil/CRC Industries/PFC Brakes Ford -He has four Tour wins this season, coming at Jefferson Speedway on Memorial Day Weekend, The Milwaukee Mile on Father’s Day, State Park Speedway’s Detjens Memorial in July and recording a clean sweep at Hawkeye Downs. The 2020 Snowball Derby Champion now has 29 Midwest Tour wins on his resume to go along with his four Championships. Currently leading the Midwest Tour point standings, Majeski looks to return to victory lane and take home the big payday Saturday night.
95 Harley Jankowski Sparta WI Hableman Brothers Cranberrys/Kurts Shop/Modern Disposal Sys Chevrolet -The former LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway competitor has made the move to Super Late Models and has found victory during Central Wisconsin Racing Association action.
119 Dalton Zehr Daytona Beach FL Gildan/American Apparel/Comfort Colors/Prim + Preux/AMS Chevrolet -Dalton Zehr won the Alive for 5 Series title in 2019 and while bad luck has hampered his efforts this season, he has been fast and the pit area knows it. Zehr, the 2018 ARCA Midwest Tour Champion is primed to charge to the front in the $15,555 to Win main event. Zehr has three Midwest Tour feature wins coming at Elko, Grundy and Golden Sands.
OO Chris Pulera Burlington WI AJ Electric/Storm Trucking/JK Tools Ford -Jumping into a Super Late Model with the help of past Lake Geneva Raceway friends, the 1992 Lake Geneva Raceway Street Stock Champion climbs back behind the wheel Saturday night.
About Jim Sauter: Jim Sauter won back-to-back ARTGO Challenge Series Championships in 1981 and 1982. Over the course of his career he recorded twenty ARTGO feature wins and seven ASA National Series wins before heading south where he made seventy-six NASCAR Winston Cup Series starts, recording four top-tens in the process. Over the course of his career, he won some of the biggest short track races of the day including the North Star 500 at the Minnesota State Fair, Rockford’s National Short Track Championship and the All-American 400 at Nashville Fairgrounds.
Dells Raceway Park is located two miles west of I-90/94 at Exit 85 just off of Highway 12.
ARCA Midwest Tour Tickets for the Jim Sauter Classic Sept 4th at Dells Raceway Park are now available on the DRP Website https://market.myracepass.com/store/tickets/?i=1253814&store=17961
as well as the ARCA Midwest Tour Website. https://midwesttour.racing/tickets/
Schedule of Events
Saturday, September 4, 2021
12:00pm Pit Gate Opens
12:15pm Tire Sales Open
12:15pm ARCAMT Tech Opens
1:30pm ARCAMT Drivers Meeting
2:00pm Spectator Gates Open
2:00pm ARCAMT Practice until 2:40pm 2:40pm
Midwest Truck Practice until 3:05pm
3:05pm Final ARCAMT Practice until 3:30pm
3:30pm 602 Late Model Practice until 3:50pm
3:50pm Midwest Truck Practice until 4:10pm
4:00pm ARCAMT Pre-Qualifying Tech in order of draw
4:10pm 602 Late Model Practice until 4:28pm
4:30pm Qualifying Begins Midwest Truck (Group),
ARCAMT, 602LM Autograph Session to follow in Grandstands
6:00pm Racing Begins
Midwest Truck Heat Races 8 Laps
ARCAMT Qualifiers 12 Laps
ARCAMT Odd/Even Heats 8 Laps
602 Late Model Heats 8 Laps
ARCAMT Last Chance (if needed) 12 Laps
Midwest Truck Feature 50 Laps or Truck Last Chance 12 Laps
ARCAMT Out of Car Intros
ARCAMT Jim Sauter Classic 200
602 Late Model Feature 25 Laps
Midwest Truck Feature if Last Chance Run 50 Laps
ARCAMT ‘Last Call’ Feature 30 Laps (if needed)