Some within the Midwestern short track scene are calling the 16th Joe Shear Classic at Madison International Speedway their own Snowball Derby and it’s certainly an entry list that reflects it.
You have all the ‘Stars and Cars’ of the Midwest Tour but with this counting towards ASA STARS points, the race has also invited national contenders Bubba Pollard, Stephen Nasse and points leader Casey Roderick.
Jacob Gomes has swept all three SRL Southwest Tour races to start this season and he is here too.
Big Dan Frederickson, the inaugural winner of the Joe Shear Classic back in 2008 and a two-time Midwest Tour regional champion, says there is no reason for Wisconsin short track fans to not show up and show out for this one.
“It’s a very good field,” Frederickson. “Put it this way. If you’re a Wisconsin race fan and you’re not busy this Sunday, you better come out. It will be about the best field you could ever ask for throughout the whole country.
“It’s missing Preston Peltier because he didn’t get his engine back in time, was going to be here, Craig, those guys too. These are top guys in the country.”
Nasse, who at this stage of his career, doesn’t frequently travel out of his comfort zone came to Madison because it was a national championship race but also because this caliber of competition is what he thrives on.
“We’re calling the Midwest Tour guys ‘locals’ but I should know better than saying like that because we’ve raced them at the Derby or New Smyrna, and they’re really good teams, but local because they do a lot of racing up here when they’re able to and know these tracks really well,” Nasse said.
It’s kind of the chief appeal of the ASA STARS national championship, the 10 races comprised of events throughout the Upper Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and Deep South.
Nasse and his southern peers had an advantage in Pensacola for the Sunshine State 200 and now the Midwestern guys get to defend their home turf.
“A real good race team should be able to overcome that,” Nasse said. “Hopefully we can prove ourselves.”
Derek Kraus, who finished on podium in the most recent Shear Classic, is one of those good local teams that Nasse and the like will have to contend with. Kraus has thousands of laps in Oregon, Wisconsin and a Pro Truck win there as well.
“This place is going to be packed tomorrow,” Kraus said. “Racing is a really big deal in Wisconsin and this race is a big deal for us. I would say about, what, 70 percent of the field are the Tour regulars but the guys who traveled up for this are all the big ones and that’s really exciting and I hope it’s a good show for the fans.”
Midwest Tour and ARCA East regular Luke Fenhaus says this is one of the big ones, for sure.
“There are 40 something cars,” Fenhaus said. “It’s definitely a mini Snowball. The best of the best guys, the best in the Midwest and the South. Having those guys coming up here makes us better. It’s definitely cool to see what short track racing is becoming and it’s cool to help it grow.”
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