Three race series to feature $4,000 in pure gold and $1,000 last chance bonus as overall prizes.

By: Kevin Ramsell
BURLINGTON, WI (Wednesday, March 25, 2009) - The third season of the American Speed Association Kwik Trip Midwest Tour presented by ECHO Outdoor Power Equipment will kick off on Saturday, April 25 at Dells Raceway Park in Wisconsin Dells, WI. The season opening event will kick off a new three race series called “Race For The Gold” in which the overall champion will earn a bonus of $4,000 in pure gold.

Bronze 125 Entry Form • Bronze 125 Poster - (JPG) (PDF)

It will be a classic short track battle of the ASAMT Touring Stars including 2008 ASAMT Champion Dan Fredrickson, Donnie Reuvers, Tim Schendel, Chris Wimmer, Jamie Iverson, Andrew Morrissey, Travis Sauter, Nathan Haseleu, Jonathan Eilen, Blake Horstman, Nick Murgic, Jeff Storm, Kyle Calmes and Steve Carlson taking on DRP stars that include 2008 track Champion Jeff Kendall, Steve Holzhausen, Dan Lensing, Don “Thunder” Turner, and Kenny Reiser. In addition, the return of Bryan Reffner who returns to DRP after a long hiatus to compete in the 125-lap feature event.

Dells Raceway Park, an ASA Member Track, will host this unique three race event throughout the 2009 season. The first will be the Bronze Race on Saturday, April 25. The Silver Race will take place on Saturday, July 18 and the Gold Race will occur on Saturday, September 12.

Contributed by the Mid-American Racing Series
Four years after they wed in 1990, Doug and Julie Strasburg embarked on what has become another long term relationship by joining the Mid-American Stock Car Series. From 1994 to 1998 Doug served in many different areas from competition director, to tech director, to starter with Julie right by his side.

The Strasburgs felt a bond with the competitors associated with Mid-American and considered them part of their extended family. However, an opportunity to expand their horizons in racing led the Strasburgs south in 1999. Doug and Julie accepted the dual track manager position at I-44 Speedway in Lebanon, MO and Speedway USA in Bolivar, MO, for the 1999 season. Then in 2000, Doug served as Technical Director for the American Speed Association.

After those experiences, Mid-American was waiting with open arms for the Strasburgs. They joined up with series founder and owner Gary Vercauteren in 2001 but took a leave after that season, citing a difference in philosophy.

For the 54th consecutive time, a sellout crowd of 160,000 packed Bristol Motor Speedway to watch NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing. (Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images)Kyle Busch celebrates winning the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. The win was Busch's 14th in his career and second at Bristol. (Photo credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR)
By Reid Spencer, Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

BRISTOL, Tenn. (March 22, 2009) — You couldn't blame Kyle Busch for believing Bristol Motor Speedway owed him a win in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series.

After all, the driver of the No. 18 Toyota led 415 of 500 laps last August, only to finish second.

Kyle Busch does a burnout on the frontstretch of Bristol Motor Speedway to celebrate his Food City 500 victory. (Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images)Busch didn't wait for the .533-mile short track to take its time paying him back. Instead, he seized control of Sunday's Food City 500, leading 378 laps en route to his second victory of the season.

by Fr. Dale Grubba – March 23, 2009
The summer of 2008 was a tough one for Johnny Sauter, one he would prefer to forget. He started out the year thinking he had a full time ride only to lose it a couple of races into the season. Once the season has started it is very difficult to find another ride. There is an ever increasingly small amount of teams looking for drivers, and many expect the driver to bring financial help or a sponsor.

“Last year was a learning year,” says Sauter. “Every year I learn something. You say to yourself that next year can’t be as bad as the year before. Turns out it can be. Take your lumps and move on.”

When Dick Trickle didn’t have a ride he felt it was always important to be walking around in the pits. “Out of sight, out of mind,” Trickle would say as he searched for a ride. Sauter agrees. He bought a Nationwide car to start and park out of his garage at home just to be able to be at the track. The Haas team called him back to drive the #70 car in some races.

By: Kevin Ramsell
TWIN LAKES, WI (Friday, March 20, 2009) – Over 70 promoters and tech officials got together at Five Star Race Car Bodies in Twin Lakes, WI on Saturday, March 14th for the 2009 Midwest Tech Seminar and Promoter’s Roundtable. At the end of the day, the theme of working together and sharing ideas was heard from all in attendance.

“I just think its fabulous, when you get this many promoters and tech people together to share their ideas and talk about the plus’s and minus’s going on in this business, I think its just great for the short track industry. And truthfully, wish there was more like this going around the country because I think it improve the whole industry and we would get to where we want to get a whole lot quicker,” Tom Curley, ACT Tour Promoter and co-owner of Thunder Road Speed Bowl in Barre, VT stated. “I’m glad I came out because I am taking back more than I shared. I got a lot of good stuff out of it myself.”

by Fr. Dale Grubba - March 16, 2009
During the off season Wisconsin’s Paul Menard made the switch from DEI to Robert Yates Racing. It is a big switch personally and professionally. He left a lot of friends at DEI and now is in the process of making new friends. His first introduction to the Roush Fenway and Robert Yates teams was at a test in Rockingham.

“It is amazing how all the teams work together so well,” Menard says. “When I look over the fence at the Roush Fenway guys they are all sharing information.”

The switch to the COT has been a relatively easy one for Menard. “I’ve always enjoyed it,” states Menard. “The car doesn’t stick as good. In a straight line you seem to go faster. In the corners you have to slow down more. It’s just a different animal. It’s fun to drive because it doesn’t stick as well. You’re fighting it pretty much every lap. The biggest struggle is trying to figure out how the front geometry works. Getting the suspension tuned properly. Feeding back information to the crew that permits them to do that is the hardest part of it. Just driving the car is fun.”

by Fr. Dale Grubba for RacingOnline – March 13, 2009
“We’re back in business,” Team owner Roger Penske proclaimed after Kurt Busch dominated the race at Atlanta. It was a race in which he led more laps in one afternoon than he did all last season, 234 of 330. Compared to last season this one has been turning up roses for the Penske organization.

Last year there were no Dodges in the Chase, and at the start of this season the question was whether or not Dodge had a chance to break into those ranks. Addressing the issue Kurt Busch said there are some tracks that have been a plus. It is a matter of limiting the tracks that the team has struggled at whether it be Chase only tracks like Kansas and Homestead or those that the team runs at throughout the season like Pocono or Dover. It is a matter of turning the bad days of 15th to 25th into better days. Busch feels that that is done with pit strategy and a team effort.

By: Jordan Kuehne
LOVES PARK, IL (Tuesday, March 10, 2009) – A near capacity contingent of competitors, crews and officials were on hand Friday night March 6 at Forest Hills Lodge for the annual Rockford Speedway Orientation Meeting. Speedway owner Jody Deery was the first to offer a warm welcome at both the Rookie and General meetings, stating that she was looking forward to a “great 2009 season.”

The biggest change that will be seen on-track in 2009 is the return of the “cone” on restarts in the Late Model, Sportsman, and RoadRunner divisions. The “cone”, back after a one-year hiatus, will once again be utilized, allowing drivers to choose which lane they will battle from at the drop of the green flag, while providing the fans with even more door-to-door action.

(From the ARTGO 1983 Yearbook-Special thanks to John McKarns for permission to reprint excerpts)

Making an amazing comeback in the final four specials of the 1982 season, Jim Sauter of Necedah, WI, charged to his second straight ARTGO Racing late model stock car series season championship.

With close title races the rule nationwide this year, ARTGO was no exception with the championship being decided in the 24th and final feature of the weather-plagued season. If NASCAR had a ‘Darrell and Bobby’ season, then ARTGO enjoyed a ‘Jim and Joe’ year.

By: Kevin Ramsell
Tim Schendel felt there was one thing missing in his career with racing. Last season he found that and on top of that he finished third in points in his first full season with the American Speed Association Midwest Tour presented by ECHO Outdoor Power Equipment.

“I had a lot of fun,” the veteran driver from Sparta, WI recently stated. “Some of the other stuff I was getting into, the fun factor wasn’t as much. It wasn’t about racing and its all about racing here. It’s all about on track performance and all of the other things are set aside. Everyone you race with here is a tough competitor and everyone thrives to be the best. Every week, you get ten cars running up front and it’s very seldom that someone runs away with a race.”

Schendel finished third in the 2008 point standings behind his good friend Dan Fredrickson. He had two wins, one ECHO fast time award, four top-five’s and seven top-ten finishes. He also earned a “Touring Star” honor for the upcoming season.