State Park’s Best Square Up with Midwest’s Best for Detjens Memorial Trophy

Wausau, WI- The next stop for the ‘Stars and Cars’ of the ARCA Midwest Tour is the Auto Select Larry Detjens Memorial this Saturday night July 24, 2021 at Wausau’s State Park Speedway. Here is a breakdown of those drivers entered for Saturday night’s 125 lap feature event:

4 Luke Fenhaus Wausau WI Dun Rite Exteriors/Kulwicki Driver Devel/PGA/Central WI Vending Chevrolet -The 2018 State Park Speedway Champion returns home after winning the Slinger Nationals earlier this month and finishing 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 and former State Park Speedway Champion finds himself second the ARCA Midwest Tour Point Standings heading into Wausau.

5 John Beale Verona WI Gildan/American Apparel/Comfort Colors/Prim + Preux/AMS Chevrolet -John Beale has had his share of success in Central Wisconsin over the past three seasons. The 2019 Wisconsin Challenge Series Champion followed that title up with the 2020 Central Wisconsin Racing Association Crown. The 5b has feature wins at State Park Speedway in each of the last two seasons and was victorious last month at Golden Sands Speedway.

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 the Detjens Memorial in 2018 and placed second to Gabe Sommers in the 2019 edition. Johnson has amassed two championships at Wisconsin International, three at Jefferson, two in Big 8, two Tundra titles, six Wisconsin State Championships, one Red White and Blue Championship and two National Short Track Championships at Rockford Speedway.

7 Paul Shafer, Jr Portage IN Paul’s Auto Yards Chevrolet -Paul Shafer started his season by winning three in a row at Illinois’ Grundy County Speedway. The 2020 Grundy track champion and two-time Bettenhausen Classic winner rallied to a seventh place finish during the 2019 Detjens Memorial. 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.

9 Derek Kraus Stratford WI Shockwave Marine Seating Toyota – Derek Kraus returns to State Park Speedway where he claimed the checkered flag at the 2016 Detjens Memorial. Kraus became the youngest winner in ARCA Midwest Tour history when he won at Dells Raceway Park on Labor Day Weekend of 2016. Derek went on to become the NASCAR K&N West Series Champion and is now a regular in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. He will pilot his family’s #9 Saturday night.

12 Mark Mackesy Wausau WI Bull Falls Brewery/Northwest Tool & Mfg/Joe Rader Towing Ford -In search of a fourth Detjens Memorial victory, local favorite Mark Mackesy will take on the Touring Stars at his home track. The four-time State Park Speedway Champion bested the Touring Stars at SPS in 2011. He was victorious back in May at SPS in weekly Super Late Model competition.

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 son wrenches 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 -A former winner at New Smyrna Speedway’s (FL) World Series of Asphalt, Austin Nason is fresh off a third place showing at The Milwaukee Mile, the Tour’s last event. Nason is a two-time Tour 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 nearly nabbed the win early this month at Anderson Speedway’s (IN) Redbud 400 and finished fifth at the Slinger Nationals.

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. 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 last month at California’s Irwindale Speedway, Gabe Sommers nearly doubled his win column, finishing second at Milwaukee on Father’s Day.

17 Max Kahler Caledonia IL Windsor Auto Sales/Retool/B&K Concrete Ford -The 2020 Big 8 Series Champion has made the jump into the Super Late Model ranks this season full time. Max has shown enough speed, qualifying into the Tour event at Jefferson after racing his way in through the last chance race at Madison. The Kulwicki Development Driver won the 2020 National Short Track Championships at Rockford and was sixth during the Big 8 Detjens event last year.

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. Saturday night he will return to the friendly confines of SPS where he started his Super Late Model.

36 Louis Goss Green Bay WI Mikel Bushmaker @ People’s Home Equity Mortgage Chevrolet -A former NASCAR Truck Series driver and owner, Louis Goss is back at the short tracks on his home state and looks to make his first ARCA Midwest Tour feature event in the Tom Gee prepared Chevrolet after just missing the starting field in last year’s Gandrud Auto Group 250 at Wisconsin International Raceway

40 Jeremy Lepak Plover WI R&J Auto/Mike Winter Construction Dodge – A former Slinger (WI) Super Speedway Champion (2011) and two-time Rockford (IL) Speedway National Short Track Championship winner (2006, 2007); Jeremy Lepak will be making a rare ARCA Midwest Tour start during Saturday’s Detjens Memorial 125, a race in which he finished sixth in 2019. Lepak is the 2015 SPS Track Champion.

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. One of those wins was the Larry Detjens Memorial at State Park Speedway, his first Midwest Tour triumph. Now he looks to defend that win and does so on the strength of four weekly wins at SPS in 2021 where he is the point leader. Mondeik was victorious at Norway Speedway for the second time in 2021 earlier in July, winning the Stateline Challenge. The 2020 State Park and Golden Sands Champion finished third in the 2020 Midwest Tour points.

45 Rich Bickle, Jr Edgerton WI T1 Racing/Wegner Automotive/Barnyard to Brickyard Chevrolet – Few drivers remain behind the wheel today that competed during the time that Larry Detjens was winning Super Late Model races across the nation and throughout the Midwest. One driver that has a special connection to Detjens, the 1977 SPS Track Champion, is Rich Bickle, Jr. As outlined in his biography “Barnyard to Brickyard”, Bickle won at Lake Geneva (WI) Raceway in 1981, his first ever Super Late Model feature win, using an engine which just two weeks earlier Detjens had sold to the young second generation driver. Bickle started the Tour season by winning May’s Joe Shear Classic at Madison where he is a two time track Champion and just won Sunday 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.

52 Brock Heinrich Wausau WI Incredible Bank/Compass Insurance/PGA Plumbing/United Structures Chevrolet -The progression continues for the back to back Late Model Champion at State Park Speedway (2017-18). After making the move to Super Late Models in 2019, Heinrich had a great 2020 campaign, winning Rookie of the Year honors in the TUNDRA Super Late Model Series and finishing runner-up in the points at State Park. He started the 2021 season with a win at Wausau and now looks to improve upon his third place showing in last year’s Detjens Memorial.

75 Dillon Hammond Grand Marsh WI Hammond Auto Mauston, WI Chevrolet -Dillon has been ultra-fast this season but has yet to have a finish to show it. The family effort has qualified seventh, fifth and fourth in the three Tour events thus far. 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.

76 Travis Volm Kronenwetter WI New Life Ink/Bob’s Electric Chevrolet -Travis Volm looks to make his third career Midwest Tour start in Saturday’s Detjens Memorial. Volm recorded a pair of victories at State Park Speedway in 2019 and again placed his #76 in Victory Lane during the 2020 race season.

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. 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. Eilen charged to a fifth place showing in last year’s Detjens Memorial at State Park.

91 Ty Majeski Seymour WI iRacing.com/Ken’s Sports/Lucas Oil/CRC Industries/PFC Brakes Ford -Hot off his Tour wins at Jefferson Speedway on Memorial Day Weekend and at The Milwaukee Mile on Father’s Day, the 2020 Snowball Derby Champion now has 27 Midwest Tour wins on his resume to go along with his four Championships. In between all of his short track racing, Majeski has made the best of two NASCAR Truck starts, posting top ten finishes in both. Majeski won three consecutive Tour races at State Park Speedway 2015-2017.

119 Dalton Zehr Daytona Beach FL Gildan/American Apparel/Comfort Colors/Prim + Preux/AMS Chevrolet -The 2018 ARCA Midwest Tour Champion was runner-up in last season’s Larry Detjens Memorial. Dalton Zehr would like to add to his three Tour wins by finishing one position better this Saturday night. His last two visits to State Park Speedway in Tour action have netted the veteran an average finish of 2.5 as he finished third in 2018 to go along with his second place effort in 2020.

O2 Rayce Haase Wausau WI Ted’s Steel and Scrap Metal/Badgerland Overhead Doors/Riverview Wash Chevrolet -His Grandfather Rick was a State Park Speedway Champion and his father Jesse was crowned Champion at SPS as well, now Rayce Haase looks to become a third generation Champion at the Wausau Speedplant. Saturday night will mark Rayce’s first appearance in Midwest Tour action, and it comes in a race that his father won in 1998.

Saturday Racing Divisions: The ARCA Midwest Tour Super Late Models will be joined Saturday night by the Bandoleros, Mini-Stocks, Mini-Mods and Pure Stocks.

Schedule of Events for Saturday:
11am ARCAMT Pit Gate Opens
2pm Practice Begins
3:30pm Front Gates Open
4:30pm Qualifying Begins
6:00pm Racing Begins

General Admission Pricing Saturday: Adults $20, Kids (ages 6-12) $10 with children ages 5 and under admitted free.

Friday Night: The two day Detjens Memorial Weekend will feature the Big 8 Late Model Series on Friday night along with the Bandoleros, Mini-Stocks and Mini-Mods.

Location: State Park Speedway is located at 14771 North Mountain Road in Wausau. For camping and other information visit www.stateparkspeedway.com or call 715-212-9006.

Past Detjens Memorial Winners
2020 Justin Mondeik
2019 Gabe Sommers
2018 Casey Johnson
2017 Chris Wimmer (2)
2016 Derek Kraus
2015 Johnny Sauter
2014 Tim Sauter (2)
2013 Tim Sauter
2012 Mark Mackesy (3)
2011 Chris Weinkauf (3)
2010 Chris Weinkauf (2)
2009 Andrew Morrissey (Golden Sands)
2008 Not Run
2007 Not Run
2006 Mark Mackesy (2)
2005 Allen Check
2004 Charlie Menard
2003 Chris Weinkauf
2002 Scott Wimmer (2)
2001 Scott Wimmer
2000 Chris Wimmer
1999 Mark Mackesy
1998 Jesse Hasse
1997 Donnie Woller (3)
1996 Wayne Breitenfeldt (2)
1995 Kirby Kurth (2)
1994 Donnie Woller (2)
1993 Joe Krzykowski
1992 Kirby Kurth
1991 Donnie Woller
1990 Bryan Reffner
1989 Wayne Breitenfeldt
1987 Tom Reffner (2)
1986 Kevin Cywinski
1985 Dick Trickle (3)
1984 Tom Reffner
1983 Kevin Stepan
1982 Dick Trickle (2)
1981 Dick Trickle

Expected Entries
Larry Detjens Memorial
ARCA Midwest Tour
Saturday Night July 24, 2021
State Park Speedway

22 as of 7/19/21

Car# Name Hometown State
4 Luke Fenhaus Wausau WI
5 Casey Johnson Edgerton WI
5 John Beale Verona WI
7 Paul Shafer, Jr Portage IN
9 Derek Kraus Stratford WI
12 Mark Mackesy Wausau WI
13 Andrew Brocker Jefferson WI
14 Austin Nason Roscoe IL
15 Gabe Sommers Plover WI
17 Max Kahler Caledonia IL
23 Levon VanDerGeest Merrill WI
36 Louis Goss Green Bay WI
40 Jeremy Lepak Plover WI
44 Justin Mondeik Gleason WI
45 Rich Bickle, Jr Edgerton WI
52 Brock Heinrich Wausau WI
75 Dillon Hammond Grand Marsh WI
76 Travis Volm Kronenwetter WI
77 Jonathan Eilen Hampton MN
91 Ty Majeski Seymour WI
119 Dalton Zehr Daytona Beach FL
O2 Rayce Haase Wausau WI