The Scoop
PENN SAUTER – WIR TUNDRA OPENER ANOTHER STEP TOWARDS NASCAR
Posted on: Thursday May 14, 2026
16-year-old Penn Sauter will compete in the TUNDRA super late model series opener at Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna Sat. May 16. (Roy Ophime photo)
For Penn Sauter, this Saturday’s TUNDRA Series Spring Classic 75 at Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna is one more step to chasing his NASCAR dreams.
The 16-year-old DeForest, Wisconsin resident is a third-generation Sauter – a name that carries a ton of WIR history with it. Penn’s dad is former NASCAR truck champ Johnny Sauter. His grandfather is the late, great Jim Sauter, who not only won a ton of races and titles at WIR, but also was a perennial frontrunner in ARTGO and ASA competition who also battled in NASCAR’s Winston Cup ranks for several seasons.
Penn, who will be a high school junior next Fall, got his start racing bandoleros when he was just 11-years-old. Penn is also one of the finalists in the Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP), where he battles against four other young, short track drivers across the United States dubbed “KDDP Five Fabulous Underbirds” – a tip of the cap to Kulwicki, the Milwaukee native and NASCAR Winston Cup champion who passed away in April, 1993.
Penn has tagged along with his Dad’s racing endeavors when he was 10-years-old, and soaked up everything he could along the way.
Penn Sauter (Ultimate Lap Photo)
Penn has four nights of racing under his belt at the famed D-shaped, half-mile, paved oval. Sauter ran opening night in ’25 for the Fox River Racing Club’s “Thursday Night Thunder” program, the White race, the ASA Midwest Tour’s Dixieland race and one other weekly, Thursday night race. “It’s a really fun track that’s really diverse,” Penn explained.
“It’s both a motor track, but you’ve also got to handle well around there. WIR has really sweeping corners, and it’s got some character with the bumps. And every winter in Wisconsin, those bumps get worse. It’s a tough race track, and you’ve really got to save your tires. Conserving that right front is a big deal. I think WIR is the toughest paved track in Wisconsin to get around these days.”
The TUNDRA contest showcases a 75-lap super late model feature. “For me, it’s about continuing to build upon that notebook to get good notes from WIR for the next time we got there,” Penn said. “We hope to learn something good we can apply to the Dixieland race with the Midwest Tour later in August there.”
Sauter’s machine is a Fury chassis – the same car he competed with in 2025. “It just has a new front clip,” Penn said. “Dad (Johnny) will be my crew chief, and it’s always fun working with him. He’s already built up a decent notebook himself by racing at WIR over the years.”
Penn insists that his dad is the furthest from being any type of “helicopter parent” who’s pushing his son to race. “Racing for a living is something I decided I wanted to pursue maybe a couple of years ago when I was still racing a Pro late model,” the younger Sauter explained. “I’d love to make a career out of this someday. But these days, the business is a whole lot tougher than when my Dad and Grandpa raced in NASCAR. If we continue to put ourselves in position to win these races, it can only help.”
Penn Sauter has his eye on racing full-time in NASCAR down the road. (Ultimate Lap Photo)
Per NASCAR’s policies, a driver cannot compete in a truck series race on a track that’s bigger than a mile until that driver is over 18-years-old. “I’d like to be racing full time in that truck series by the time I’m maybe 19 or 20,” Penn explained. “I don’t want to rush myself. And, while some other parents may rush their kids chasing these dreams, my Dad has never rushed me with any of this. I think I’ve already matured from my Pro late model days. But I’ve still got a ways to go.”
Sauter’s 2026 marketing partners include TSport Super Trucks, Ford Racing, Oak Creek Automotive, NAPA of Cheyenne, Wyoming and Don’s Auto.
TUNDRA NOTEBOOK – A number of weekly, Fox River Racing Club (FRRC) super late model competitors are expected to compete in the TUNDRA series lid-lifter, including former track champions Andy Monday, Grant Griesbach and the return of Appleton’s Jeff Van Oudenhoven, who sat out the entire 2025 season recovering from ankle surgery. Former TUNDRA series champion Dalton Zehr will also be on hand Saturday, along with Freedom’s Cody Vander Loop and Appleton’s Jordan Thiel. The Super Late Model race pays $4,000-to-win.
The Alburetor 28 for Pro late models will pay a $1,000-to-win top prize, and is also expected to draw a number of the weekly, FRRC competitors. In addition, the Mid-American Stock Car Series, with deep roots at WIR, will host the Vercauteren Memorial race.
The pit gates open at 8 a.m. with practice beginning at 10:30 a.m. Qualifying begins at 1 p.m. with the first green flag flying at 2 p.m. For more information check out tundrasuperlates.com.