KAUKAUNA, WI – Former NASCAR Canadian Tour Champion Cayden Lapcevich will attempt to make his first career ARCA Midwest Tour start this Tuesday Night August 4 at Wisconsin International Raceway during the Gandrud Auto Group 250. Not only is it his first Tour start, but his first start at the tricky D-shaped half mile paved oval which has left many top drivers scratching their heads as they attempt to maneuver the distinct turns at the track once known at KK Sports Arena.
Luckily for Lapcevich, he has some help in his corner. That help comes in the form of former ARTGO Challenge Series Star, ‘The Indiana Outlaw’ Bobby Blount. Blount’s name may be familiar to seasoned WIR fans as the second-generation Plymouth, IN driver stole a win away from the top ARTGO and WIR stars in 1993, marking his second of three career wins on the popular Midwest based ARTGO circuit. “I was about to get lapped early in the race, my car never got faster but everyone else’s got slower.” Recalled Blount, whose family set the bar for Outlaw Late Model racing in Northern Indiana for decades. “The next thing you know we are in the lead and won the race.” Blount noted that his tire management helped him, that may play crucial again as teams are limited to just six tire Tuesday night.
Lapcevich has proven to be quite a talent in his own right and turned template Late Model heads last fall at Grundy County (IL) Speedway during the Tony Bettenhausen Memorial in which he rallied to a fourth place finish in his Bobby Blount prepared mount. In Outlaw Late Model competition, the 20 year old won the prestigious Glass City 200 at Toledo (OH) Speedway, also winning at Midvale (OH) Speedway and Flamboro (ON) Speedway. Having won six times on the NASCAR Canadian Tour and capturing the 2016 Championship in the process, the native of Grimsby, Ontario will be joined by top Super Late Model talent from across the region and nation Tuesday night.
Advance discount tickets for the Gandrud Auto Group 250 are $20 and can be purchased online at www.midwesttour.racing through August 3. Tickets will also be available on race day at the gate for $25. Spectator gates open at 4pm, qualifying will begin at 5pm with the first race at 7pm during the Tuesday Night August 4 Special Event at Wisconsin International Raceway.
A 28 car field is scheduled to start ‘Wisconsin’s Richest One Day Race’ which pays $10,000 to the winner of the 250 lap event and $1,200 to start. Drivers from ten states and Canada are expected to attempt to make the starting grid. The Midwest Truck Series will join the ARCA Midwest Tour with the trucks contesting a 35 lap feature event.
(see full entry list below)
ARCA Midwest Tour Release and Photo
Gandrud Auto Group 250 – Entry List
No. | Name | Hometown | State | Sponsor | Make |
4 | Luke Fenhaus | Wausau | WI | Kulwicki DDP/Accu-Mix Concrete & Trucking/Ave Mtspts | Chevrolet |
5 | Johnny Sauter | Necedah | WI | Deppe Enterprises/Sal’s Towing/Pathfinder Chassis | Chevrolet |
7 | John DeAngelis, Jr | Hubertus | WI | DeAngelis Construction/D+H Demolition | Ford |
7 | Paul Shafer, Jr | Portage | IN | Paul’s Auto Yards | Chevrolet |
9 | Braison Bennett | Neenah | WI | PMF Landscape Supply/Lamers Motor Racing | Ford |
9 | Derek Kraus | Stratford | WI | B&K Trucking/Fanetti, Inc | Toyota |
10 | Andy Monday | Appleton | WI | Monday & Assoc/B&B Engines/Darboy Corner Store | Toyota |
11 | Bobby Kendall | Montello | WI | Interstate Sealant & Concrete/Tabitha Pierce American Family | Chevrolet |
13 | Andrew Brocker | Jefferson | WI | American State Equipment | Chevrolet |
14 | Austin Nason | Roscoe | IL | Montgomery Ward/Haase Builders/JRS Shocks/Kar Korner | Ford |
14 | Carson Hocevar | Portage | MI | GM Parts Now/Precision Fleet Image/Berger Chevrolet | Chevrolet |
15 | Gabe Sommers | Plover | WI | DeKalb/Kwik Trip/Tasteful Selections Potatoes/Allied Co-op | Toyota |
16 | Cayden Lapcevich | Grimsby | ONT | A Services/AP Race Engines/All-Star Perf | Ford |
17 | Grant Griesbach | Pewaukee | WI | Schaefer Power Systems/Cobblestone Hotels/Racersites | Ford |
26 | Bubba Pollard | Senoia | GA | Racecar Engineering/Strange Oval | Ford |
26 | Travis Braden | Wheeling | WV | Platinum Express/Brands Truck Insurance | Chevrolet |
28 | Cory Manders | Hilbert | WI | Bugtussel Wireless/McKinley Reserve/Kriete Truck Center GB | Chevrolet |
30 | Pete Vandermolen | Oshkosh | WI | Stockbridge Engineering/The Dude Design/Don’s Autobody | Chevrolet |
33 | Trevor Vandermolen | Oshkosh | WI | Kirkpatrick Law/Stockbridge Engineering/The Dude Design | Chevrolet |
34 | Maxwell Schultz | Reedsville | WI | Bob’s Classic Restoration & Auto Body/SSS Mini Warehouses | Chevrolet |
36 | Louis Goss | Green Bay | WI | Mikel Bushmaker @ People’s Home Equity Mortgage | Chevrolet |
36 | Tim Sprinstroh | Depere | WI | Cut In Stone, LLC/Cambria/Tom’s Cabinets/Pirsch Law Offices | Chevrolet |
39 | Andrew Morrissey | DeForest | WI | B&B Racing Engines/MRI, Inc Chassis & Fabrication | Ford |
42 | Dennis Prunty | Knowles | WI | Anderson’s Pure Maple Syrup/Pathfinder | Chevrolet |
44 | Justin Mondeik | Gleason | WI | AGRA Industries/Aqua Finance/Industrial Accessories Company | Chevrolet |
45 | Jeff VanOudenhoven | Appleton | WI | VanDenHeuvel Electric/Badgerland Demo/Bay Area Granite | Ford |
45 | Rich Bickle, Jr | Edgerton | WI | T1 Racing/Wegner Automotive/Barnyard to Brickyard | Chevrolet |
47 | Casey Johnson | Edgerton | WI | Montgomery Ward/Hougan Farms/UAW Region 4 | Chevrolet |
51 | Kyle Busch | Las Vegas | NV | Rowdy Energy/Hy-Vee | Toyota |
51 | Sammy Smith | Johnston | IA | TMC Transportation | Toyota |
52 | Brent Strelka | Freedom | WI | Valley Gasket/Lake Park Pub/Pathfinder Chassis/Tesar Engines | Chevrolet |
52 | Ricky Baker | Plainfield | IL | Rod Baker Ford/Illinois Truck and Equipment | Ford |
53 | Boris Jurkovic | Manhattan | IL | Reliable Recovery Services | Toyota |
77 | Jonathan Eilen | Hampton | MN | Eilen & Sons Trucking & Landscape/Graber Auto Body | Ford |
80 | Ryan Farrell | Big Bend | WI | Tiry’s Race Engines/R&R Associates/Oak Creek Automotive | Chevrolet |
91 | Ty Majeski | Seymour | WI | iRacing.com/LeJeune Bolt/Black Diamond/Ken’s Sports | Ford |
98 | RJ Braun | Wales | WI | PD Peterka/Wisconsin Automotive | Ford |
119 | Dalton Zehr | Daytona Beach | FL | Gildan/American Apparel/Comfort Colors/Prim + Preux/AMS | Chevrolet |
For more information on the ARCA Midwest Tour visit midwesttour.racing