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1st Annual Jack Links Open Wheel Nationals Highlight SCVR Season
St. Croix Valley Raceway
St. Croix Falls, WI
By: Greg Parent (4-29-12)

The 1st Annual Open Wheel Nationals presented by Jack Links is taking shape at the newly improved St. Croix Valley Raceway near St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin. The exciting program of open wheel modifieds and sprint cars is scheduled for Friday night June 29 at the 1/4 mile western Wisconsin dirt oval. Area race fans have already been talking about this event which features the popular modified division racing for $1,500 to win, the weekly WISSOTA Midwest Modified class gunning for $750 to win, the UMSS winged 360 sprint cars racing in the prestigious 20th Annual Kouba Memorial for a minimum of $1,000 to win, and the UMSS Traditional Sprint Car Series nonwinged sprints at their weekly track for $500 to win. It's an all open wheel racing program with a strong purse designed to provide a great evening of entertainment for race fans. This unique race night will feature two modified and two sprint car divisions racing on the same program for the first time ever at the track.

Under new ownership in 2011 headed by Rick Mastell and Ron Bernhagen, the track was able to run an abbreviated but successful season. The work on upgrading and improving the facility started last fall and has continued at a brisk pace this spring. Fans and drivers alike will notice a lot of improvements, as the new owners work through the first of several phases to bring the track to the forefront of the local area racing scene. The 1st Annual Jack Links Open Wheel Nationals along with the 20th Annual Kouba Memorial will highlight what should prove to be an outstanding 2012 racing season for the St. Croix Valley Raceway. Stated track owner Rick Mastell, "I have already received verbal commitments from more than 30 local area modified racing teams to compete in our 1st Annual Jack Links Open Wheel Nationals, and this event certainly has the potential to draw the largest and most competitive modified field in track history. Previous track champions and top drivers from the area have expressed an interest in running at this event. The weekly WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds should also draw a strong field of cars for their portion of the Open Wheel Nationals. This night could shatter all previous track attendance records and become a popular annual tradition at what is fast-becoming a track where racers and fans will look forward to many entertaining and fast-paced racing programs," concluded Mastell.

Weekly race promoter and part-owner of the track Ron Bernhagen, who also heads up the Upper Midwest Sprintcar Series (UMSS), commented about the sprint car portion of the 1st Annual Jack Links Open Wheel Nationals. "For the fourth year in a row, the UMSS will proudly sanction the prestigious 20th Annual Earl & Ethel Kouba Memorial race as part of an already stellar evening of racing action at the St. Croix Valley Raceway. The honor and tradition surrounding this event makes this a very special night for sprint car drivers and fans. The UMSS is proud to be associated with the Kouba family and their memorial race. St. Croix Valley Raceway is pleased to be able to host this event for the first time at our track. We look forward to a fantastic evening of open wheel racing action. The Kouba family works hard to garner sponsorship for their race, and the purse usually ends up being one of the strongest in local area sprint car racing, " continued Bernhagen.

Racers and fans will certainly want to make plans to attend the 1st Annual Open Wheel Nationals presented by Jack Links on Friday June 29 at the St. Croix Valley Raceway. Weekly racing action is slated to get underway at the new and improved facility on Friday night May 11 with the UMSS winged sprints on the program in addition to the weekly racing divisions. For more information about the St. Croix Valley Raceway, please visit our website at www.scvraceway.com or like us on Facebook. Additional race information is available by contacting Ron Bernhagen at 612-363-5302.

Edited Photo Courtesy of Vince Peterson at Track Rat Photos.

A pair of #63 cars with some history at the track, Rick Kobs and Jerry Richert, Jr.

The UMSS 360 Winged Sprint Car Purse will be determined by the amount of contributions the Kouba family is able to obtain for the 20th Annual Kouba Memorial that night. The race will pay at least $1,000 to win. Last year the Kouba Memorial paid $2,000 to win and $1,200 for second. The Kouba family always does an outstanding job in obtaining sponsorship money for this event with several long-time contributors stepping forward each season to help support one of the premier sprint car events here in our area. As we get closer to the race, the Kouba family will provide us with the final purse details and an additional press release will focus on the 20th Annual Kouba Memorial portion of the show.

The UMSS Traditional Sprint Car Series was originally slated to race for $350 to win, but GRP Motorsports has already bumped that up to $500 to win their feature at the 1st Annual Open Wheel Nationals presented by Jack Links. This night should prove to be one of those must-see shows for open wheel race fans, as two divisions of modifieds and two divisions of sprint cars will race on the same program for the first time ever in track history. Quality fields of cars are expected in all four divisions!