Doug Hornickel Photo | fastlapphoto.comby Kari Shear-Carlson
Austin “The Ace” Luedtke won the first feature event of his career in none other than the ASA Midwest SCAG Truck Tour at Madison International Speedway on July 2nd. The win catapulted Luedtke to the top of the point standings where he continues to maintain a 22 point lead over last year’s champion, Jerry Wood.

Austin knew what he wanted to do the first time he set foot through the gates of Slinger Super Speedway. As he sat in the stands, through his seven-year-old eyes, he watched as the Slinger Bees raced on the high-banked quarter-mile. He kept telling himself, ‘I want to do that someday...I will do that someday!”

If you tell yourself something often enough, chances are it will come true. That is exactly what happened to Austin. When he turned 14, the legal age to drive in the Slinger Bee class, Austin jumped behind the wheel. Because he has a summer birthday he was only able to run a half season his first year and followed it up the next year with a full season.

The following year, Luedtke moved up to the Midwest Sportsman division at Slinger and then moved up to running Super Late Models at Slinger. This year, Austin is the current point leader in the ASA Midwest SCAG Truck Tour and racing Super Late Models at Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna, WI.

“I have to thank my parents for always believing in me and allowing me to follow my dream. They back me up 110% and I could not have made it this far without them. And non of this would be possible without God as my co-pilot,” said Luedtke humbly.

ENNIS, Texas – Every time Tony Schumacher enters the gates of the famed Texas Motorplex a bit of a nostalgic feeling must sweep over his body.
All of the great drivers vividly remember their first time.

For Schumacher, his first career NHRA victory came at the sport’s first super track, during a wild and wacky 1999 season. After four runner-up finishes in ’99, and four straight runner-up finishes spread out over the three previous seasons, Schumacher must’ve been wondering if he was ever going to break through and finally get the job done.

But that lone victory in ’99, a gritty win over two-time Top Fuel world champ Scott Kalitta, provided all the momentum that the second-generation racer needed to go on and close the doors on his first series championship crown.

He had one race victory and one world championship trophy. Life was good.

At the time, he probably didn’t realize that his ’99 season was actually the launching pad for what has turned out to be a very special drag racing career. Since then, his trophy collection has grown. A lot.