SLINGER, Wis. – Ty Majeski put together a dominant performance to win the 41st Superseal Slinger Nationals presented by Miller Lite on Wednesday evening at Slinger Super Speedway.
Majeski led the final 146 laps of the race, including the 103-lap green flag run that made up the second half, to win the famed Slinger Nationals a second time (2018) on a muggy Wednesday night at Slinger Super Speedway.
His triumph during the Slinger Nationals looked similar to his win in 2018. In 2018, he led the final 131 laps.
“It means a lot,” Majeski said. “We want to win as many of these as we can.”
Casey Johnson, who won his first super late model feature at Slinger on June 14, finished second for his best finish at the Slinger Nationals.
“It stings a little bit,” Johnson said. “My car was great; in the long run we were really good. We bottomed-out a little bit on the restarts and just couldn’t fire.
“But all in all it was a great car. I wish we could’ve had one shot at the end. Hats off to (Majeski). They’re the best in the country.”
Luke Fenhaus, the youngest driver in the 28-car field at age 16, was third to follow up an eighth-place finish at the Slinger Nationals in 2019. Derek Kraus was fourth, and John DeAngelis rounded out the top five for his second straight top-five finish at the Slinger Nationals.
Majeski was mellow despite winning his second Slinger Nationals in dominating fashion. He said afterward that was mostly because of exhaustion.
Shortly after the start of the second half of the race, Majeski lost some of his power steering. He said he still had some as he didn’t have too many issues turning his car left. But if he had to counter steer, that’s when he had his hands full.
“I got really free into (turn) one a couple times,” Majeski said. “I couldn’t catch it quick enough so it was a lazy drift all the way through the corner. I thought I was done. I kept muscling it, trying to be incredibly smooth, try not to slip up a rear tire, try to keep those guys behind me. Thankfully it was enough.”
The halfway break was at lap 97 after a caution came on that lap. Typically the break is at lap 100. Every lap after the break was run without a caution.
So consider a weak power steering system, a more-than-usual 28-car feature field, and temperatures in the 90s when fans and drivers arrived at the track with little to no wind, the conditions were difficult. Majeski also said contact with a lapped car bent his front bumper, which hurt some of the aerodynamics on the car. He assured, despite leading 146 laps, his second Slinger Nationals victory was anything but easy.
“That was the toughest 100-lap run that I’ve ever had to do in any type of car on any type of track, that’s for sure,” Majeski said. “The heat on top of the circumstances, it was tough one. But it makes it worth it.”
Majeski is widely known in the short-track ranks, especially in Wisconsin, as the one who sets the bar. If you go to a Wisconsin short track and if Majeski is in the pit area, his No. 91 car is usually viewed as the one to beat. He’s backed that up with a highly successful short-track racing career.
Among his triumphs are the Icebreaker 100 at Dells Raceway Park in Wisconsin Dells (Wis.), the Joe Shear Classic, the Howie Lettow Classic and Oktoberfest. He’s also won on the national stage, winning the Rattler 250 in Alabama, as well as with the ARCA Menards Series, and he’s even won a sports car race, doing so in 2019 in the TA2 class of the Trans-Am Series at Road America.
In all, Majeski has 102 career feature victories.
Majeski loves racing and being at the race track, so he thought after winning all the races he’s won in Wisconsin, why not win them again.
“It’s kind of a dream come true,” Majeski said. “I never thought that it would turn to this when we first started this program. Man, I’m sure thankful for everyone that’s apart of it.”
He added it’s been a thrill to race and be successful at it for someone from a, “one stoplight town in Wisconsin.”
For winning, Majeski took home $10,000. In addition, lap money sponsorships totaled $12,500. By leading 146 laps, Majeski earned an estimated $9,000 in bonus money.
In his last three Slinger Nationals attempts, he finished first, second and first. That second-place came in 2019 where if it wasn’t for a nudge by Matt Kenseth in the last corner of the last lap, Majeski would have a three-peat.
That gives him more of a reason to keep coming back to the Slinger Nationals.
“Of course,” Majeski said. “What’s nice about this race is it’s a weekday race. No matter where my career goes or what series I’m racing, Tuesday should be open. I’d love to come back here.
“Not only is it one the premier super late model events in Wisconsin, but in the country. It’s our home state so we’re going to keep coming here as long as we have an opportunity to do so.”
Believe it or not, there is one more race still to win for Majeski.
“We want to go win the (Snowball) Derby,” he said. “That’s the last one on my list and it’s probably the toughest one out of all of them.”
In other action, Jacob Nottestad won the 40-lap limited late model feature. It was redemption for Nottestad as he lost the 2019 race in the last corner of the last lap, courtesy of a questionable nudge by eventual winner Tyler Schley.
The finish:
Ty Majeski, Casey Johnson, Luke Fenhaus, Derek Kraus, John DeAngelis, Dennis Prunty, Stephen Nasse, Johnny Sauter, Alex Prunty, Brad Mueller, Chris Blawat, Michael Bilderback, Corey Heim, Rob Braun, Ryan DeStefano, R.J. Braun, Rich Loch, Bubba Pollard, Sammy Smith, Austin Nason, Conrad Morgan, Carson Hocevar, Steve Apel, Rich Bickle, Dale Nottestad, Brad Keith, Steve Dorer, Ryan Farrell.