The Scoop
JEFF VAN OUDENHOVEN – BACK IN THE SADDLE ON WIR’S THURSDAY NIGHTS IN ’26
Posted on: Thursday June 25, 2026
Jeff Van Oudenhoven poses next to his No. 45 Pathfinder chassis owned by Scott & Patty Vandenheuvel.
A “Thursday Night Thunder” staple has returned after taking off the entire 2025 campaign.
Appleton’s Jeff Van Oudenhoven, driving for Scott and Vandenheuvel, has returned to the super late model class at Wisconsin International Raceway after sitting out the entire ’25 campaign while dealing with recovery from some lingering injuries with his ankles.
Back in 2015, the 56-year-old Van Oudenhoven shattered one of his ankles when his throttle stuck, resulting in a violent crash into the turn four wall on the D-shaped, half-mile, paved oval. Last year he’s had a pair of ankle replacements. “One of my ankles I had injured many years ago when I was 18,” Van Oudenhoven explained. “I basically wound up having two ankle replacements. The first ankle replacement on my throttle foot had failed. So, it had to be redone.”
Van Oudenhoven attended just one event at WIR in ’25 – the “Red Race.” “I can tell you this – I’m a much better driver than I am a race fan,” Van Oudenhoven joked. “Fans saw me, and kept buying me beers. I wound up two-fisting them that night. After the Red Race, I made the conscious decision to just stay away from the track.”
“JVO” as he’s known at the race track took the time away from WIR to hang out at home more, and spend time with his girls. “I did play with the race cars somewhat when I felt up to it,” Van Oudenhoven pointed out. “I just made a choice to stay away from WIR after the Red Race.”
JVO’s season kicked off with the TUNDRA super late model series opener at WIR in May. “We weren’t all that good starting out in the TUNDRA race,” Van Oudenhoven said. “We still have a pair of Pathfinder cars at our disposal.”
Scott Vandenheuvel (left) poses with Jeff Van Oudenhoven.
Van Oudenhoven has enjoyed a great partnership (and friendship) in recent years with car owners Scott and Patty Vandenheuvel. “When I raced for Mike Butz years ago, Scott was a sponsor on that car,” Van Oudenhoven explained. “Joe Nechodom from Racetech asked me to drive Pat Williams’ race car around 2010ish. Scott wound up bringing two cases of beer to our race shop one night. And it didn’t take long, and Scott and Patty wound up being car owners. It’s worked out well for us. You can’t ask for better people to drive for. They are so laid back. Scott and Patty have always said ‘When I’m done, they will be done’ as car owners, too. We are all getting older. Time is creeping up on us.”
While JVO made a choice to stay away from WIR after the Red Race, it was the complete opposite for the Vandenheuvels. “We sat in the stands, watching the races every week,” Scott Vandenheuvel said. “We took the season off from racing and being in the pit area. It was kind of nice, actually.”
It’s no secret that the technology with today’s pavement super late models can change rapidly. “We are all learning again, as it was really about a year and a half since we’ve been away from this,” Van Oudenhoven said. “And it’s not just the shocks, either. The tires are new, and they take some getting used to. I’ve never run with this Hoosier ST 2 tire before. It’s a little different. They don’t wear out. It’s like you’ve got to run every lap like it’s a qualifying lap. I can roll with what it is.”
JVO
Vandenheuvel has said he’s built his last race car. So how long will this team keep on going? They’ve enjoyed a ton of success not only winning features and titles at WIR, but also they’ve had success and found victory lane at Madison International Speedway in Oregon as well as the long defunct MARS late model series. “We’re going to stick closer to home at WIR this year,” Van Oudenhoven explained. “It’s expensive to travel. And when you do travel, you’ve got to have enough crew help. And, all of our crew guys have full time jobs, including myself. So that makes it tough, too.”
When pressed about when he may hang up the helmet, Van Oudenhoven said this: “Nothing is for certain, but I’d say at least a year or two. I mean, Scott and Patty are retired now. They have a place in Florida, and they are trying to enjoy that, too. They have two grandkids. That’s exciting for them. That keeps them busy. Scott is 70, but we’re keeping him young. I honestly think sometimes he’s got more energy than some of the younger folks.”
The team of marketing partners for the 45 car include Van Den Heuvel Electric Inc., Bits & Pallets Depot, Creative Sign, Bay Area Granite & Marble, Pathfinder Chassis, Dick & Joan’s Supper Club, Hurckman Mechanical Industries, Bartelt Insulation, QCMF, Sidekicks Bar & Grill, Timekeeper Distillery, Wet Vodka Seltzer and FRS.