ASAMT HAS A STRONG SHOWING IN THE SPEED 51 AWARDS
By: Kevin Ramsell

BURLINGTON, WI (Wednesday, March 19, 2008) – The ASA Kwik Trip Midwest Tour presented by ECHO Outdoor Power Equipment first season’s success was recently shown with multiple top-five placements in the recent Speed 51 Awards courtesy of speed51.com. Fans were asked to vote in 36 different short track racing categories. The ASAMT staff, drivers, owners, and series itself was nominated in 12 of the 36 categories.

2007 ASAMT Champion Nathan Haseleu had a great showing. He was the top vote getter in the “Driver Who Deserves a Shot in the Big Leagues Now” category. Haseleu beat out other short track hot shoes Bobby Santos III, Clay Rogers, Sean Caisse and Donny Lia.

Speed 51 commended Haseleu for returning to the Midwest and collecting checkered flags after a brief stint in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series where he collected four top-tens in 12 starts, and comparing him to Rusty Wallace and Mark Martin about how their careers could compare to Haseleu’s future.

Haseleu also finished second to Joey Logano for “Short Track Racer of the Year.” While his car owner, Gary and Jo Schultz, finished fifth in “Car Owner of the Year” voting.

The ASAMT itself came up 15 votes short of being named “Best Short Track Series.” In fact it finished third behind the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, who finished nine votes ahead of PASS Super Late Model Series. The ASAMT was only six votes behind PASS.

ASAMT Promoters Tim Olson and Steve Einhaus came up nine votes short of being named “Best Promoter.” That honor went to Tim Bryant of Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, FL, home of the “Snowball Derby.”

“Steve and I are just two members of a great team working for the ASAMT,” Tim Olson, ASAMT President stated. “We are very flattered to have been nominated and humbled to finish where we did in the voting. But, this says a lot about the ASA Midwest Tour as a whole.”

The Oktoberfest Race Weekend at La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway in West Salem, WI was third in voting for the “Best Annual Short Track Event.” The event that is promoted by ASAMT Advisor, John McKarns, has become one of the best traditional racing events in the Midwest. The Snowball Derby received the most votes while the North/South Shootout Modified event at Concord Raceway Park only finished two votes ahead of Oktoberfest.

ASAMT Rookie of the Year, Jonathan Eilen, finished third in the balloting for “Short Track Rookie of the Year.” Joey Logano was the top vote getter while PASS’s Trevor Sanborn was second.

Josh Vadnais was seventh in the “Best Personality” category while I-94 winner Jacob Goede finished fourth in the “Most Promising Over the age of 21” category.

ASAMT Track Photographer, Doug Hornickel’s photo of Steve Rubeck savoring his Spring Classic victory at Rockford Speedway was fourth in the “51 Photo of the Year” category.

And finally, Brandon Hill’s surprising win at Madison International Speedway in front of his fellow Five Star Race Car Bodies employees, was fifth in the “Best Story” category.

“We would like to thank Speed 51 for having these awards along with a special thanks to all of the fans who voted,” Steve Einhaus, ASAMT VP stated. “This is a great recognition program for all short track series and we are grateful to have been considered in 12 of the 36 categories and on top of it, finish in the top-five in 11 of them.”

To review the entire list of results, please visit www.speed51.com.

The entry forms for the 2008 season opening event at Elko Speedway in Elko, MN is now available to download at www.asamidwesttour.com. The first event, Kwik Trip 125 will take place on Saturday, April 19th with a 7:00 p.m. start time.

To learn more about the American Speed Association Kwik Trip Midwest Tour presented by Echo Outdoor Power Equipment log on to www.asamidwesttour.com or call the ASA Midwest Tour office at (262) 514-3880 or e-mail Tim Olson at tim@asamidwesttour.com or Steve Einhaus at steve@asamidwesttour.com.

To learn more of the Daytona Beach, Florida-based Racing Speed Associates or the American Speed Association Racing Member Track program, call (386) 258-2221 or send an e-mail to info@asa-racing.com. For news and information from racetracks and regional tours involved in the American Speed Association, visit www.asaracing.com.