The Jamestown Stock Car Stampede is within two weeks and things are heating up as the purse was released and Stampede Shake Down saw the remaining three openings filled. The first three drivers were Dan Dowling, Derek Vesel, and Virgil Randall which is a great mix of drivers from across the Midwest! Since then it was a slow pickings to find drivers to partake, but since this past week the wheels have been turning and turning quickly. We had a few really good conversations with drivers that we believed would be the final participants but then out of nowhere we got some exciting entrants that came out of nowhere!
First, there was Shawn Pudwill of Piedmont South Dakota. What is interesting about Shawn is that he has never raced a late model before! I myself was shocked to see this but am totally excited to see what Shawn can do at this highly coveted race. This however doesn’t mean that Shawn hasn’t had any racing experience before. Shawn has raced multiple times at the Southwest Speedway in Dickinson this year. What also makes this entrant extremely interesting is that he is legitimately racing out of his trailer! His entire racing setup is with him in the trailer and he does all of his work on the car out of the trailer! We look forward to seeing what Shawn can do as he takes to the track for the first time in a Wissota late model!
Second, we were contacted by Cole Schill this past week. Now I know what you’re thinking, “Hasn’t Cole ran the Stampede the past couple years?” Why yes he has. However, he wasn’t reaching out for himself but rather for a familiar name from the past... his father Howie! Howie hasn’t raced the Stampede since 2012 and will be hopping back into the saddle to compete in this year’s Stampede. Howie will be in Cole’s back up car this year and we look forward to seeing this familiar face hit the high banks again!
Last but not least is Trent Grager of Carrington, North Dakota. Trent got the final spot of the
program for this year and is no stranger to the high banks of the Jamestown Speedway. This is Trent’s first year in a Wissota Late Model and he has been successful this year in it as well! While he was out at the East-West Clash at Gillette Wyoming he took home a third place finish on the second night and a second place on the final night! Trent also found success at the Seitz Memorial this past weekend as he qualified to race in the big feature Saturday night. We look forward to seeing Trent return to the Stampede but this time in his late model!
With these final participants the Stampede Shake Down is now full and we look forward to seeing what all of the drivers can do! This year looks to be an incredible field of drivers and we hope our drivers have a very successful Stampede!