ASA Midwest Tour Elko 125 By The Numbers
ELKO, MN (April 29, 2007) – Jonathan Eilen won the inaugural event Elko 125 for the American Speed Association Kwik Trip Midwest Tour presented by Echo Outdoor Power Equipment on the high banks of Minnesota’s Elko Speedway Saturday. The event was a record breaker in many ways and phenomenal in all ways.
Fifty-one of the Nation’s top Super Late Model racers brought their best equipment to try to make it into one of the twenty-eight starting spots in what became a historical event. Fifty-one cars beat the 23-year-standing Late Model record count of 48 cars in an ARTGO event at the Minnesota Fairgrounds. “This event has made history in many ways and it is a great step forward to re-secure short track racing in the Minnesota area. I was speechless and excited at the same time when I saw how many people were here to see this historic event,” exclaimed series President Tim Olson.
In addition to the $2,700 posted awards for winning the Elko 125, Eilen was also the top-finishing Rookie of the Year contender, worth an extra $400 in cash as part of the Touring Stars Travel Incentive Program. He will be promoted with the 12 Touring Stars for the next event scheduled for Wisconsin’s Jefferson Speedway May 19 along with Molly Rhoads who won a draw for the fourteenth Star.
Many eager race fans witnessed the Elko 125 firsthand. The stands held a crowd of 3,400 and the pit marshal was forced to close pit sign-in when over 800 crewmembers entered the gate by 4 PM. “We had to close the pit gate window because they had never experienced that many people in the pits before. The pedestrian traffic was very heavy and the Elko staff felt it could cause a hazard so it was probably a good move on their part,” stated series VP Steve Einhaus.
Many other fans monitored the event online. “The site quadrupled its daily unique visitors to 1,200 and reached its most hits ever for one day at 75,000 Saturday,” reported Scott Lofquist from Advantage Motorsports Marketing, Inc.
To learn more about the American Speed Association Midwest Tour please contact the ASA Midwest Tour office by calling 608-884-0388 or by e-mailing Tim Olson at tim@asamidwesttour.com or Steve Einhaus at steve@asamidwesttour.com. Information is also available online at www.asamidwesttour.com.
To learn more of the Daytona Beach, Florida-based Racing Speed Associates or the ASA Racing Member Track program, call (386) 258-2221 or send an e-mail to info@asa-racing.com. For news and information from all the racetracks and regional tours involved in the ASA, visit www.asa-racing.com