#Thunderstruck 93 Incredible entry list

By Jason D Searcy

September 23, 2015 - Elko, MN

The seventh annual #Thunderstruck93 presented by NAPA event is bringing out an incredible list of short track racing stars to compete for the coveted guitar trophy in the 125 lap ARCA Midwest Tour race at Elko Speedway (MN) on Saturday September 26th.

Topping the 31 car entry list is Four time winner of this event Danny Fredrickson from Lakeville (MN), he won a track Championship at Elko Speedway in 2003 and has been a Midwest tour Champion twice, in 2008 and 2013.  Fredrickson has more wins than anyone in the history of the Midwest tour (14). 

Keep your eye on two time defending Elko Speedway Champion Jacob Goede from Caver (MN).  He won the inaugural #Thunderstruck93 event in 2009, the same year he was the Midwest tour Rookie of the Year.  This year he dominated the MN Corn Growers Super Late Model racing at Elko Speedway with 10 wins and he set fast time in qualifying every race night the entire year.  Matt Goede also had a great year, finishing second in points behind his brother Jacob, scoring 3 feature wins.

Ty Majeski from Seymore (WI) is one of the most talked about young drivers in the nation.  He is the the defending ARCA Midwest tour Champion and he leads in points again heading into this race, last year he almost won #Thunderstruck93, he finished runner up to Fredrickson by only .326 seconds after a furious battle for the top spot.

Skyler Holzhausen from Bangor (WI) has won at Elko Speedway before, on July 9th 2011 he won a 250 lap Midwest tour race edging Chris Wimmer, he then went on to win the Midwest tour Rookie of the year.  He is currently second in ARCA Midwest tour points.

Andrew Morrissey from Deforest (WI) is entered in this event, he won the Midwest tour Championship in 2011 and he won #Thunderstruck93 in 2013.  He won the Chicagoland Showdown earlier this year.

Three time Slinger (WI) Super Late Model Champion Steve Apel from West Bend (WI) will also be racing at #Thunderstruck93, he is a Kulwicki Driver Development racer and the Red White and Blue series Champion at WIR.  This is his first trip to the Twin Cities to race.

Another hometown hero is former Elko Speedway Thunder Car champion Jonathan Eilen from Hampton (MN) he won the first ever Midwest tour race, it took place at Elko Speedway on April 28th 2007, over 50 cars tried to qualify for the event and Eilen was the unlikely winner.  He has been a regular on the tour ever since, even winning the Championship in 2012.

Nick Murgic from Rosemount (MN) won the biggest race of his career just last month, he took home a $10,000 check by winning the Dixieland 250 at WIR, unfortunately he lost brakes and nearly totaled his car after taking the checkered flag.  The 2008 Midwest tour Rookie of the year now has the car back in shape and looking to contend for the win, he finished third last year.

2013 TUNDRA Super Late Model Champion Nick Panitzke from Sauk Centre (MN) has rebounded from a health scare earlier this year, he scored a feature win at Elko Speedway on May 23rd. 

Natalie Decker from Eagle River (WI) is a member of the NASCAR Dive for Diversity program, she won a track championship in the Limited Late Model division at State Park Speedway in 2013, and she won a TUNDRA Super Late Model race at Golden Sands last year.

#Thunderstruck93 is very pleased to see that a couple veteran super stars are entered in this race including driver Jamie Iverson from Escanaba (MI) he is a many time track champion at Norway (MI) Speedway and has 4 career wins in Midwest tour competition. Also Tim Sauter from Necedah (WI) who is a member of Wisconsin Racing Royalty, he is the brother of Johnny, son of Jim and father to Travis Sauter.  He was the 1999 ASA National Champion and he made over 100 starts in what is now called the NASCAR Xfinity series.

Other drivers who have won at Elko Speedway this year that are entered into this race include:  Billy Mohn from Lakeville (MN), Nick Barstad from Prior Lake (MN) and  Paul Paine from Mound (MN).

A full list of entrys can be found at www.arcamidwesttour.com and you never know what other stars will show up on race day, the weather forcast is perfect!

#Thunderstruck93 will take at Elko Speedway on Saturday September 26th beginning with an on-track driver autograph session at 3pm.  Qualifying and heat races will begin at 4pm.  The ARCA Midwest tour 125 lap finale will take place after a full day of racing including a 68 lap BIG 8 late model feature, also Champions will be crowned in the Genz-Ryan Thunder Car and Pepsi Power Stock divisions, plus racing in the Great North Legends and Hornets as well.  The Pink Flamingo party will take place in Champions event center following the races, no camping is permitted.

#Thunderstruck93 presented by NAPA auto parts is a race day designed to benefit the fight agains A.L.S. better known as Lou Gehrig's disease, it is in memory of long time racer and Elko Speedway Hall of Fame member Dan Ryan who passed away in 2009.  Go to www.araceworthwinning.org

Elko Speedway is located 20 minutes South of the Twin Cities, just off of I-35 and County road 2.  For more information follow Elko Speedway on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, go to www.ElkoSpeedway.com or call (952) 461-7223.

Fredrickson wins Thunderstruck93

Dan Fredrickson from Lakeville (MN) was the class of the field on a stormy night in the ARCA Midwest tour Thunderstruck93 event presented by NAPA Auto Parts at Elko Speedway. 

The 6th annual Thunderstruck event is in memory of Elko Speedway Hall of Fame member Dan Ryan who died of ALS.  To Dan Fredrickson this race has special meaning "my buddy Dan died of Lou Gehrig's disease, its really a tough deal to experience and I think about him a lot," said Fredrickson who has now won 4 of the 6 Thunderstruck93 races and its trademark guitar trophy.

Here is an emotional interview with Dean Reller and Danny right after the race 

Fredrickson is both a former Elko Speedway track Champion in 2003 and two time ARCA Midwest tour champion in 2008 and 2013.  Dan took most of this year off from racing but came back to racing at Elko Speedway a few weeks ago to get his car ready for Thunderstruck93.  "It payed off," said Fredrickson "the car was pretty good, much better than last year."

Fredrickson was fastest of the 32 cars in Time Trials with a time of 13.700 but the 12 car inversion for the 125 lap feature after a short rain delay put him back in the 6th row to begin the race.  Brad Keith from West Bend (WI) lead the race early but fell back after Hampton (MN) driver Jonathan Eilen shot to the lead on lap 6.  Fredrickson passed Eilen on lap 24 and never gave up the lead even though he got loads of pressure late in the race from Ty Majeski from Seymore (WI).  "We thought it might rain, so I worked my tires a bit too hard early in the race" said Fredrickson.  Majeski who was 2nd in ARCA Midwest tour points moved to second on the track by lap 100 and raced side by side with Fredrickson for the lead the rest of the race "I gave him the bottom a couple times, I was nervous that I might miss a corner here or there, but it was a really good race," said Fredrickson.

19 year old Majeski (photo above) finished second by only .326 seconds and moved into the Midwest tour point lead.  Here is an interview with Dean Reller and Ty after the race

Rosemount (MN) driver Nick Murgic (above) finished 3rd.  Here is Dean Reller an interview with Nick immediately after the race



ARCA Midwest tour point leader Nathan Haseleu from Marshall (WI) finished 4th and Elko Speedway MN Corn Growers Super Late Model Champion Jacob Goede from Carver (MN) rounded out the top 5.  Veteran racer Tim Sauter 6th, TUNDRA Champion Nick Panitzke 7th, Jason Weinkauf 8th, Chris Weinkauf 9th and MN Driver Joel Theisen got his first ever Midwest Tour Top 10 finish.

The Big 8 Late Model series appeared in Minnesota for only the second time ever at Thunderstruck93 and it was 18 year old Austin Nason from Roscoe (IL) who won.  Nason started the 58 lap race 10th but worked his was to the lead by lap 18, he passed Joe Neisius from Rosemount (MN) on the high side for the top spot.  Nason then had to hold off Elko Speedway Big 8 Champion Chris Marek and then Big 8 point leader Casey Johnson from Edgerton (WI) for the win.  Nason won by only .203 seconds at the finish line with Johnson 2nd, Marek 3rd another Minnesota driver Jon Lemke in fourth and Neisus dropped to 5th in the 24 car field.

The 11th annual Genz-Ryan Thunder Car Nationals race also took place at Elko Speedway during Thunderstruck93.  It was Dillion Sellner from Farmington (MN) leading the 25 car field the entire 50 lap race.  Sellner was challenged numerous times during the race by Ted Reuvers from Dundas (MN) and then it was Tina Davis from Rosemount (MN) putting on the pressure late, Sellner won by .240 seconds.  Scott King finished 13th, he and his bride Tracy (Photo below) were married at the track just before opening ceremonies.

The Mid American Stock car series raced a 50 lap feature at Thunderstruck93.  Lyle Nowak from Wausau (WI) started on the front row, took the lead and then fought back a hard charging Scott Dunning from Bolingbrook (IL) for the win.  Dunning started fourth row outside, made some bold moves diving down low early in the race and ran his way up to second place by the half-way mark, he closed the gap but could get no closer, he finished second by .267 seconds behind Nowak.  Jeremy Spoonmore finished third and picked up a few points on Championship leader Jeff Holtz who finished 5th.

Tim Brockhouse from Prior Lake (MN) won the 20 lap Great North Legends main event, he had a furious battle with Dirk Henry from Sauk Centre (MN) as the two went side by side for much of the race, swapping the top spot.  "It was really cool, Dirk and I must have rubbed 7 or 8 times, he raced me clean though and we didn't crash and he was the first one to shake my hand in victory lane," said Brockhouse.  Point leader Derek Lemke from Shakopee (MN) broke a gear mid-race and finished 15th in the 19 car field, Brady Fox-Rhode finished 8th and closed the gap in the point standings.  Lemke has only an 8 point lead over Fox-Rhode going into the final race night.

Ridge Oien from Bloomington (MN) won the 20 lap Mini Stock race, Oien lead the entire way for his first win of the year.  Brandon Olson who won last week finished second, Ashley Bell third and point leader Brian Adams coming in 4th.  Adams increased his point lead over Michael Wachs Jr to 57 points going into the final race night at Elko Speedway.


Listen for full coverage of the Thunderstruck93 event on Speed Talk on 1360 radio Saturday morning 10-11am on www.krwc1360.com