Santa Fe Banquet 1969 (Illinois Vintage Racing Photo)by Stan Kalwasinski (Originally Posted on IllinoisVintageRacing.com)

The voice was distinctive, the delivery was unique and anyone who ever heard Jan Gabriel announce a race program at Santa Fe Speedway near Willow Springs will always remember the style and entertaining manner of the longtime Chicago area announcer. Gabriel, 69, passed away on January 10, 2010 suffering from polycystic kidney disease.

Art “Fireball” Fehrman of St. Charles, Ill. had known Gabriel since the late 1960’s when Fehrman was a rookie in the stock car action at Santa Fe and Gabriel was the new announcer at the “Track of Clay.” Fehrman was a front-running competitor in Santa Fe’s sportsman division before moving into the faster late model ranks in 1973. Fehrman drove his last late model race and won it in 1992 and came back to run a modified stocker for a bit in 2004 before calling it “quits.” More recently, Fehrman has been guiding his successful Illinois Vintage Racing stock car organization with his “back in the day” stock car tour visiting numerous race tracks in the Midwest.

With Gabriel’s passing, Fehrman reminisced about his friend.

“We became friends when I started racing at Santa Fe,” commented Fehrman about his 30-plus year friendship with Gabriel. “My dad (Art Sr.) use to have a racing party every year in the middle of January and Jan would always make it. He never let my dad down, driving through snow and ice storms just to get to my dad’s party. He’d fly in from California just to make it.

Great to see all of you who could make it out to last Saturday's meeting at Viking Lanes in Stoughton. I have posted the tire rules for 2010 below and I have made reference to a couple of changes in the ASA Educational Series program.

One notable change from 2010...if your division is running as a support division for a leased event such as the ASA Midwest Tour race on May 2nd or RK Promotions All Star Challenge on June 29th you will receive 30 points for running the event regardless of where you finish in the feature. This would apply to the Area Sportsman for the May 2nd event at this point.

General Manager Dave Grueneberg also discussed the 2010 schedule and his goals for the season. "We have made some schedule changes and are starting later this year. Traditionally the Friday nights in May have not been good weather-wise and we really have to watch our expenses. The racing business is battling many challenges and we are not immune to those at MIS. We are making some changes in how we do things and it's important that we all work together."

Dave Oswald, technical director, reviewed the rule revisions in the Late Models, Area Sportsman, Hobby Stocks, and Bandits. The Legends will follow their national series rules just as they have in the past.

Pete Raskovic also discussed some marketing tips for racing teams. "If you have kids on your team through ASA Educational Series get to your local media. They love stories about your efforts with the kids. This mentor relationship is so valuable for all involved."

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Travis Sauter and Team in Victory Lane at the 2009 Oktoberfest Race Weekend. (Credit: Doug Hornickel Photo fastlapphoto.com)By: Kari Shear-Carlson (ASAMT Media)
Photos By Doug Hornickel (fastlapphoto.com)

Travis Sauter finished in the top five three times in only four starts with the ASA Midwest Tour in 2009. One of those top five finishes was in victory lane where he captured the biggest victory of his career and first ASAMT win. Sauter claimed the victory in the 40th Annual Oktoberfest 100 at Lacrosse Fairgrounds Speedway after a hard-fought battle with 2010 ASAMT Champion, Steve Carlson. Not a bad way to end the season. In 2010 Sauter will have even more opportunities to make it to victory lane. Travis is set to run the full season with the American Speed Association® Kwik Trip Midwest Tour presented by ECHO Outdoor Power Equipment and Grandstay® Residential Suites Hotels.

Chances are if you are from the Midwest, you have heard of a Sauter. The family of racers hails from Necedah, WI and several have made the move to one or more of the NASCAR racing series. Travis is the son of Tim Sauter, 1999 ASA National Champion and a competitor in all three NASCAR series throughout his career. Travis has already proven that he has what it takes to follow in his grandfather, uncles’, and father’s footsteps.

The driver of the #5 Hamke chassis is looking forward to racing the full season in 2010. When asked what he was most looking forward to, Sauter’s matter-of-fact response was, “Just racing more in the top touring series in the country!” Travis would not be able to race the entire season without the support of his sponsors. Along with long-time sponsor Cranberry Creek Cranberries, Sauter is happy to announce that Habelman Bros. Company, the world's largest fresh cranberry grower and packer, has teamed up with Travis for 2010.

American Speed Association PR
DAYTONA BEACH, FL (Tuesday, March 9, 2010) - It was a re-building year in 2009 for Steve Sinclair as he took over the operations of Wilmot Raceway, an ASA Affiliated Track in Wilmot, WI. After a successful first year, he is ready to step it up for the 2010 season.

"We are definitely increasing the schedule, so there is a lot more race dates for everybody concerned," Sinclair said. "We have five base classes there with the winged 410 Sprint Cars, Modifieds, Street Stocks, 1200cc Mini Sprints, and Fearless 4's which is like a hornet class. Plus we have a bunch of specials, the ASA IRA Bumper-to-Bumper Outlaw Sprint Series is coming there five times, a UMP Summer Nationals Late Model date, the Badger Midgets twice, the Illini Midgets once, an AMA motorcycle race, so we have a pretty busy schedule."

This schedule will begin with a two day opening weekend on May 15-16 with an Open Wheel Extravaganza featuring 410 Sprints, Mini Sprints, Modifieds, Badger Midgets, Street Stock, and Fearless 4's.

Looking back at 2009, Sinclair was happy with how the season went. Part of that success was how he came up with the schedule, "On a limited schedule we had a great year. We are upping the dates but its not going to be an every Saturday night deal," Sinclair explained. "I am looking at what is around us and trying to schedule properly. It worked last year, in some cases where there is a big special on a Saturday we will run our guys on Friday, trying to take advantage of the fact that maybe we can draw some cars those tracks to come down by us and it has worked."

As the 2010 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series season approaches for the LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway competitors, track officials are also preparing for the new year.

As the season draws near, Speedway staff will hold the annual Driver Orientation Meeting, on Saturday March 27th. "Anyone interested in racing at the track this year, whether it be Late Models, Sportsmen, Thunderstox, Hornets, or even the new R.A.Y.S. division is encouraged to attend," commented General Manager Chuck Deery. "It is a great opportunity to take care of track and NASCAR memberships, pit parking locations, season pit passes, as well as media information. It is a very informative meeting on procedures during the race season, and new drivers especially are strongly encouraged to attend."

The meeting for all divisions will be held at 10:00 am, located at the Fox Hollow Golf Course Banquet Hall. The hall is located five miles south of the Speedway (take Cty Rd M) on Cty Rd O, in Barre Mills. Doors will open at 8:30 for those that want to handle registrations prior to the meeting.

The 2010 season is set to begin on Saturday April 17th with an open practice session, 11 a.m.- 2 p.m., and then a 200 lap 4-cylinder Enduro on the quarter-mile track at 4:00 p.m. Weekly racing begins the following week on Saturday April 24th, starting at 7:30, featuring the Kwik Trip NASCAR Late Models, North Country Contractors Sportsmen and United Auto Supply Thunderstox.