Gordy Gundaker Promoting BIG MONEY Summer Cup Classic on May 31-June 1 at Tri-City

Gordy Gundaker promoting BIG MONEY Summer Cup Classic for Super Late Models on May 31-June 1, 2024, at family's Tri-City Speedway

Two-day show featuring $20,000-to-win finale, over $200,000 in purses set to run during St. Louis's NASCAR Cup Series weekend

GRANITE CITY, Ill. (Nov. 22) — Dirt Late Model racer Gordy Gundaker will shift his attention to event promotion for the first time in 2024 with his creation of the Summer Cup Classic, a Big-Money, two-day Super Late Model show set for May 31-June 1 at his family's Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, Ill.

The DIRTcar-sanctioned special — run in conjunction with the NASCAR Cup Series Enjoy Illinois 300 presented by TicketSmarter at nearby World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill. — will be headlined by a 50-lap, $20,000-to-win feature on Sat., June 1. Friday's preliminary program will include twin 25-lap semifeatures paying $5,000-to-win each and a complete show of UMP modifieds offering a $2,000 first-place prize.

Gundaker said he will post over $200,000 in purses for the blockbuster weekend — including $133,150 in Saturday's A-main alone — as he seeks to build a lucrative Super Late Model event in the St. Louis area while taking advantage of attention focused on the NASCAR weekend just 10 minutes away from the 3/8-mile Tri-City oval. The richest event in the track's history will also be broadcast live on FloRacing.

"Promoting a race is something I've kicked around doing for two or three years now," said Gundaker, a 31-year-old from St. Charles, Mo., who spent the past two seasons as a regular on the World of Outlaws Case Late Model Series. "After being on the road and seeing a lot of things and talking to a lot of people, I thought, 'Hell, I'm gonna take a stab at it.'

"I've had a lot of really good conversations about racing. Obviously money is the topic of discussion right now, and really, I want to show that when running these kinds of races it's possible for a promoter to make money, it's possible for the racers to make money, and it's possible for the streaming (company) to make money — as long as you put in the leg work."

Gundaker's Summer Cup Classic purse boasts an attractive payback for the 50-lap finale, including $12,000 for second place, $9,000 for third, $8,000 for fourth, $7,500 for fifth, $5,000 for 10th and $2,500 to take the green flag. Friday's semifeatures offer $500 to start.

The weekend format will see the field split into A and B groups for Friday's qualifying, heat races and 25-lap semifeatures. Points earned during Friday's action will be used to align the heat races for Saturday's program, which will have only Super Late Models on the schedule.

Gundaker, whose parents, Kevin and Tammy, have owned Tri-City for 19 years, will not compete in the Summer Cup Classic action so he can concentrate on his first stab at event promotion. He will be busy throughout the weekend as he plans to oversee a variety of fan-focused activities, including a Thursday kickoff party at World Wide Technology Speedway featuring appearances by Super Late Model drivers and their cars as well as food, drinks and prizes to publicize the race to the NASCAR crowd.

"We're working closely with the management at World Wide Technology Speedway to cross-promote our events," said Gundaker, who is considering a shuttle service to bring fans from WWTS's camping areas to Tri-City.

General admission and pit pass prices and pre-sale ticket information will be announced in the near future. More information on the Summer Cup Classic will also be available by visiting the Tri-City Speedway website at www.tricityspeedway.net.

Summer Cup Classic A-Main purse ($133,150 total): 1. $20,000; 2. $12,000; 3. $9,000; 4. $8,000; 5. $7,500; 6. $7,000; 7. $6,000; 8. $5,500; 9. $5,250; 10. $5,000; 11. $4,500; 12. $4,000; 13. $3,500; 14. $3,000; 15. $2,900; 16. $2,800; 17. $2,700; 18. $2,600; 19. $2,550; 20.-26. $2,500.

Friday 25-lap semifeature purses ($21,775 total each race): 1. $5,000; 2. $2,500; 3. $1,500; 4. $1,200; 5. $1,000; 6. $900; 7. $800; 8. $700; 9. $600; 10. $550; 11. $525; 12.-24. $500.

Saturday's B-main non-transfers: 4. $1,000; 5. $800; 6. $600; 7. $500; 8. $400; 9. $300; 10. $250; 11. $225; 12.-24. $200.