Kaukauna, WI- When the green flag waves over the starting field Tuesday Night August 2 for the Forest County Potawatomi ‘Dixieland 250’ at Wisconsin International Raceway, Midwest race fans will be witnessing Champions and Challengers from seven states. The ARCA Midwest Tour presented by SCAG Power Equipment will contest the Dixieland 250 and will be joined by the Big 8 Late Model Series for the Dixieland Delight 38. Currently 34 drivers are expected to battle for one of 30 starting positions in Wisconsin’s Richest One Day Race.
The Stars and Cars of the ARCA Midwest Tour presented by SCAG will bring a slew of talent to the table on Tuesday night. The Nation’s top ranked Super Late Model driver, Ty Majeski leads the charge for the touring stars. The two time defending Tour Champion and current point leader had the 2015 Dixieland in his grasp before a mechanical mishap curtailed his efforts. The Seymour, WI native has been signed to the Roush Fenway Racing Development Program while recording wins throughout the country this season and hopes to add a Dixieland win to his list of accomplishments. Paul Shafer, Jr, who sits second in tour points recorded an impressive third place showing in last year’s Dixieland 250. The former Illiana Motor Speedway Champion recorded a runner up finish when the Midwest Tour visited Gateway Motorsports Park in June and has finished no worse than fourth in the last three Tour events. Another Chicagoland Champion, Ricky Baker also has momentum on his side, recording a fourth place effort at Rockford Speedway and a third place showing at Grundy County Speedway, where he is a two time track Champion. Former Tour Champs Jonathan Eilen and Andrew Morrissey have new found energy this season, Eilen won at his hometrack Elko Speedway and Morrissey recorded a big Spring win at Dells Raceway Park. Meanwhile Jason Weinkauf, a former Marshfield Super Speedway Champ looks to continue his string of good showings while his brother Chris, who is always fast looks to shake the bad luck which has not left him since Rockford. One driver who found luck is Rookie of the Year contender and multi-time Mid-American Series Champion Jeff Holtz, who recorded his first career Tour win earlier this year at Rockford.
Seven of the top eight Thursday Night Fox River Racing Club drivers from Wisconsin International Raceway have indicated their intentions of winning Wisconsin’s Richest Single Day Event, which happens to be at their home track. Lowell Bennett, a five time track Champion including the last two will be amongst the hometown favorites for the Forest County Potawatomi Dixieland 250 on Tuesday Night. Bennett was strong in last year’s event before being sidelined by an early multi-car mishap in the dogleg. Joining the hometown effort will be four time FRRC Champion Jeff VanOudenhoven, the former MARS Super Late Model Champion was sidelined for much of 2015 after an early season incident but is back in form and currently sits atop the point standing. Wisconsin’s Busiest Racer, Casey Johnson is second in FRRC points, third in ARCA Midwest Tour Points and leads the Tour Rookie of the Year standings, recorded the White Race victory at WIR and likes his chances heading into the Dixieland, having just missed victory by inches last season. Maxwell Schultz and Bobby Kendall will make their first Dixieland appearances, they currently sit third and fourth in FRRC points, they are joined by Andy Monday whom finished eighth, Cory Kemkes ninth and Kyle Calmes who lead the middle stages of the 2015 Dixieland. Also joining the hometown team will be Brandon Reichenberger, the young driver currently leads FRRC Rookie standings.
Drivers with a National flare will also be chasing the checkered flag Tuesday at Wisconsin International Raceway. Last year he set a track record at this event with a lap of 19.026 seconds, now Johnny Sauter will look to add his name to the record books. Sauter is a two time NASCAR Truck Series victor at the World Center of Speed, Daytona International Speedway. A new name for Midwest fans will be behind the wheel of a familiar car as Richie Wauters Racing brings Las Vegas native Noah Gragson to the Dixieland 250. Gragson recently turned 18 and is a former Late Model competitor at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring, however he made his mark in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West last season, recording two victories and a runner-up effort in the point standings. Dalton Zehr has made a solid name for himself in the Midwest, recently recording the TUNDRA win at LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway in early July. The Daytona Beach, FL driver finished sixth in the 2015 Dixieland event. These three will be joined by 2015 Slinger Nationals Champion Dennis Prunty who is no stranger to some of the nation’s biggest events including Pensacola, FL, LaCrosse, WI, Nashville, TN and Anderson, IN.
Rising stars will also be present on Tuesday night. Both Natalie Decker and Derek Kraus have already recorded Super Late Model victories in Central Wisconsin this summer and are staking their claim to racing’s big leagues, Decker with NASCAR Truck efforts and Kraus inking a development deal with Ganassi Racing last week. Roscoe, IL’s Austin Nason has also made a splash of his own, the former Big 8 Series standout made the jump to Super Late Models and recorded a win during Speedweeks. Second generation driver Andy Jones was leading the Gateway event before ‘the wheel came off’ and backed up that effort by setting fast time at Grundy County in July. Another familiar name joining the field will be Skylar Holzhausen, who cashed a $10,000 winner’s check on the tour after a big win at Elko Speedway, he returns to tour action in hopes of Dixieland Glory, an event his father Steve won in 1992.
Not to be outdone, Minnesota’s top trio will march into Kaukauna, last year they took the big check home and have intentions of doing the same in 2016. Nick Murgic recorded the biggest win of his career last August, as he bolted across the line for the win just ahead of Casey Johnson with no brakes, which would send his ride hard into the outside retaining wall. Murgic captured the hearts of those in attendance as he took a victory lap in the tow truck, with his crumpled orange number 12 in tow, checkered flag and $10,000 check in hand. Jacob Goede knows what big wins are, he won an ASA Late Model event at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2007. He has since perfected his craft, winning the Elko Speedway Championship the past two seasons and racing his way to a fourth place finish in the NASCAR National Point Standings for the Whelen All-American Series in 2015. Former Midwest Tour Champion Dan Fredrickson has indicated he too will make his first Tour start of the season. Fredrickson is always a force at any track and in any series, he is a four time Oktoberfest Race Weekend Champion. In fact his most recent Tour win came during last year’s FEST, after a daring late race pass for the lead.
Spectator gates will open at 4pm on Tuesday August 2 at Wisconsin International Raceway. Fans are invited to partake in the post-qualifying autograph session in the grandstands, racing action which includes the always exciting Big 8 Late Model Series will begin at 7pm. Adult general admission tickets are just $15, ages 12 & under are admitted FREE. WIR is located in Kaukauna, WI at the intersection of Hwy 55 and County Road KK.
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To learn more about the Automobile Racing Club of America Midwest Tour, log on to 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 Speedway.
Expected Entries Forest County Potawatomi ‘Dixieland 250’ ARCA Midwest Tour Tuesday Night August 2, 2016
Wisconsin International Raceway, Kaukauna, WI
34 as of 7/26
Car # Name Hometown State 2 Lowell Bennett Necedah WI 3 Brandon Reichenberger Appleton WI 5 Noah Gragson Las Vegas NV 5 Johnny Sauter Necedah WI 7 Paul Shafer, Jr Portage IN 9 Derek Kraus Stratford WI 9 Kyle Calmes Gillett WI 10 Andy Monday Appleton WI 11 Andy Jones Gurnee IL 11 Bobby Kendall Montello WI 12 Nick Murgic Rosemount MN 14 Austin Nason Roscoe IL 22 Nick Panitzke Lakeville MN 28 Jake Finney Sycamore IL 34 Maxwell Schultz Reedsville WI 36 Dan Fredrickson Lakeville MN 38 Jeff Holtz Franksville WI 39 Andrew Morrissey DeForest WI 42 Dennis Prunty Knowles WI 43 Matt Kocourek Franklin WI 45 Jeff VanOudenhoven Appleton WI 47 Casey Johnson Edgerton WI 52 Ricky Baker Plainfield IL 58 Cardell Potter Camp Douglas WI 72 Jacob Goede Carver MN 75 Chris Weinkauf Merrill WI 76 Jason Weinkauf Merrill WI 77 Jonathan Eilen Hampton MN 78 Skylar Holzhausen Bangor WI 79 Dan Lindsley Iron Mountain MI 91 Ty Majeski Seymour WI 119 Dalton Zehr Daytona Beach FL O4 Natalie Decker Eagle River WI
O7 Cory Kemkes Appleton WI