State’s big-money races pay off for everybody
Winner earning $15,555 at Jim Sauter Classic
WISCONSIN DELLS – Saturday was another example of how the business of short track racing is like the sport itself. It’s one big circle.
Teams were racing for $15,555 to win the Jim Sauter Classic at Dells Raceway Park. That brought out more competition, such as past Slinger Speedway champions Dennis Prunty and Alex Prunty and Wisconsin International Raceway champion Andy Monday.
More competition increased the interest of fans – some undoubtedly followers of drivers who regularly race elsewhere – so more of them came out than would on a lot of gray afternoons and cool evenings.
And the anticipation of more fans convinced a couple of sponsors to pitch in some extra money … which allowed the ARCA Midwest Tour to offer a purse with the largest first-place prize for a super late model race in the state this year … which brought out more competition.
“Racing is a pretty expensive hobby,” said Brad Mannstedt, who fields the team for which Ty Majeski drives.
“If it can pay for itself and sustain itself, you’re a winner. It would be nice to see that. My concern is the tracks and promoters, keeping them alive, putting more people on the hill, getting more interest. And if that’s what it takes to get bigger names to come in to promote the sport, it would help us out, not just the drivers but the sport in general.”
Mannstedt’s La Crosse-based team has been a consistent winner with Majeski in the big-money shows within the state.
Luke Fenhaus, who won the Slinger Nationals this year and is racing for the Slinger and Midwest Tour titles, is working with an even smaller operation put together by his father, Al. Fenhaus would have been here regardless of whether the race paid $3,000 or $10,000 or $15,000-plus. And he was trying not to think too much about the money, but race cars don’t run without it.
“It’s really important to us,” said Fenhaus, who just started his senior year at Wausau East High School. “For a lowbudget team … I think it’s super important to everyone but our team for sure, we try to run on such a low budget with shocks, with tires, with going to the races, with everything combined it’s hard to work around.”
The expectation Saturday for both Majeski’s team and Fenhaus’ was that if they were to cash in, that would help extend their fall/winter schedule.
With the addition of the Jim Sauter
Classic this season, Wisconsin is up to four races offering a five-figure winner’s share, the others being the Joe Shear Classic at Madison International Speedway and Gandrud Auto 250 at WIR, both Midwest Tour events, and the Slinger Nationals.
The money can be a little tricky to figure.
Saturday’s race also offered a $5,000 bonus if the driver who was fastest in time trials opted to start in the back of the field and went on to win. The Slinger Nationals offers bonus cash put up by fans for the drivers who lead each lap.
“As long the fans continue to support it, we’ll continue to do it,” McKarns said. “It’s easy to say, oh, you should pay this and you should do this, but when the money is not there it makes it really tough to do it. But with the fan support we’ve had at these shows we can continue to do this.”