It’s time to go racing at Madison International Speedway as the season opener is this Sunday, May 1st with the Joe Shear Classic featuring the ARCA Midwest Tour. An impressive line-up of the finest Super Late Model drivers in the Midwest is ready to battle it out on Wisconsin’s Fastest Half-Mile in an event that honors one of the finest drivers in the history of short track racing, Joe Shear.
Shear won four track championships at Madison (1973, 1974, 1980, 1982) and took home 66 feature wins which is second on the all-time list at Madison.
This will be the eighth annual event with last year’s victory going to NASCAR Camping World Truck Series star Johnny Sauter. Past winners also include Nathan Haseleu (2009, 2014), Travis Sauter (2013), Andrew Morrissey (2012), Ross Kenseth (2011), and Steve Carlson (2010).
Joining the racing program on Sunday will be the Midwest Trucks and Mid American Stock Car Series. Practice begins at 11:30 with qualifying at 12:45 and racing at 2:00 PM. Following qualifying there will be an ARCA Midwest Tour Top 16 autograph session in the grandstand area.
Here’s a list of drivers as of April 25th.
Car # Name Hometown State
2 Dillon Kralovetz Bonduel WI
5 Casey Johnson Edgerton WI
5 Jeremy Miller Rockton IL
5 Johnny Sauter Necedah WI
5 Travis Sauter Prairie Du Sac WI
7 Paul Shafer, Jr Portage IN
9 Derek Kraus Stratford WI
11 Andy Jones Gurnee IL
12 Nick Murgic Rosemount MN
14 Austin Nason Roscoe IL
22 Nick Panitzke Lakeville MN
28 Jake Finney Sycamore IL
38 Jeff Holtz Franksville WI
39 Andrew Morrissey DeForest WI
42 Dennis Prunty Knowles WI
43 Matt Kocourek Franklin WI
52 Ricky Baker Plainfield IL
58 Cardell Potter Camp Douglas WI
75 Chris Weinkauf Merrill WI
76 Jason Weinkauf Merrill WI
77 Jonathan Eilen Hampton MN
78 Skylar Holzhausen Bangor WI
90 Duke Long West Bend WI
91 Ty Majeski Seymour WI
99 Tim Sauter Necedah WI
O4 Natalie Decker Eagle River WI
Racing schedule for Sunday:
Sunday May 1
9am Pit Gate Opens
11:30am Rotating Practice Begins
ARCA Midwest Tour until 11:55
Midwest Trucks until 12:05
ARCA Midwest Tour until 12:25
Mid-Am until 12:42
12:45pm Qualifying Begins
Midwest Trucks (groups of 5 for 3 laps)
Mid-Am Stock Cars (groups of 5 for 3 laps)
ARCA Midwest Tour (single car, 2 laps}
Top 16 Autograph Session in Grandstands
1:50pm Opening Ceremonies
1:57pm Invocation/National Anthem
2:00pm Racing Begins
Midwest Truck Heats 8 laps
ARCAMT Qualifiers 12 laps
ARCAMT Fast Odd/Even 8 laps
Mid-Am Stock Car Heats 8 laps
Midwest Truck Feature 30 laps
ARCAMT Last Chance 20 laps
Mid-Am Stock Car Feature 30 laps
ARCAMT Joe Shear Classic 100 lap
On Saturday there will be open practice for the three divisions competing from Noon – 4:00 PM with the pit gates opening at 10:00 AM.
Madison International Speedway is ten minutes south of Madison located two miles east of Oregon, Wisconsin, just south of Highway 138 on Sunrise Road.