HAESE HAS A CLEAR OUTLOOK ON ASAMT ROOKIE CAMPAIGN

Burlington, WI (March 19, 2009) - American Speed Association Kwik Trip Midwest Tour Presented by ECHO Outdoor Power Equipment rookie Gregg Haese is not at all equivocal when it comes to his goals for his first campaign with the Midwest's premier super late model touring series.  The Two Rivers, WI native expects to be a feature car, and a contender, at each and every event in 2009.
 
Haese got his first taste of ASA Midwest action in the Labor Day 100 at Norway Speedway.  After a win in Norway Speedway's headlining event, the Driveline 100, earlier in 2008, Haese qualified 14th for the Labor Day 100, won a fast qualifier heat, and finished a respectable 8th in front of a grandstand packed full of fans.
 
The experience left a good impression on Haese.  "That was a very well run show.  That is how we decided to run ASA Midwest this year," he commented.  "It's so organized and everyone knows what is going on.  It's nice to go to a racetrack and know what's going on at all times."
 
And Haese left a good impression of his own.  "I met Greg for the first time at our Norway Speedway event,"  stated ASA Midwest Tour Vice President Steve Einhaus.  "While I had heard his name numerous times, I had no idea how talented he was until I saw him race first hand. He's a very genuine person, soft spoken and seems to keep to himself. That approach I believe will be explosive while competing on the tour," Einhaus added.
 
Although the Driveline 100 brings out some more top competitors from the area, to Haese, the competition brought by ASA Midwest raised the bar even higher.  "There were probably more quality cars in the ASA race.  The ASA guys are much more knowledgeable about set ups and car geometry which made the field a lot closer."
 
Haese realizes there will be more than just competition to overcome in 2009.  "There is going to be some steep competition and a big learning curve because I've only raced at Kaukauna (Wisconsin International Raceway), La Crosse (Fairgrounds Speedway) and Norway.  Everything else is going to be brand new to me," he explained.
 
While ASAMT fans may be somewhat in the dark, the name Haese is certainly recognizable by fans from Northeast Wisconsin's Lakeshore region.  Gregg's father, Butch, was a well-known driver in his time, tearing up the short tracks of the area.  And it was Gregg's turn to do the same when he turned 16.
 
Haese built his first car as a shop project in high school.  If the Haese's success was to be translated into a grade, there would not be enough pluses to put behind the 'A' that he would have received.  After two incredible campaigns at the Calumet County Raceway in Chilton, WI, he went on to snare three Mid-American championships at 141 Speedway.  He was also named the 1998 Mid-American Stock Car Series rookie of the year.
 
After several years of being a top Mid-American driver, Haese finally got the call he had been awaiting as he was given the opportunity to run a late model for US Cellular/Go Wireless at Wisconsin International Raceway in 2002.  The team certainly made a great decision to put Haese behind the wheel as he easily captured Rookie of the Year honors in that season.
 
Unfortunately, the team lost funding the following season and Haese found himself funding his own team.  However, even that lack of finances could not keep Haese from victory lane.  In two full seasons, he picked up multiple wins at WIR and at the Slinger Super Speedway.
 
Just as his late model career seemed to be taking off, Haese suffered a setback.  "It got so expensive.  With all of the money coming out of my own pocket I had to sell the car in the offseason of 2005," Haese recalled.
 
With his late model career on hold, Haese went back to his roots and built a new dirt Grand National.  After one season he was approached by Mark Patton, an experience car owner at WIR, and Tom Hockers, an experienced driver at WIR, who had joined forces the previous offseason to field a team in 2007.
 
The move to secure Haese as a driver paid off with six feature wins and a win in the three-race Red, White and Blue State Championship Series at WIR.  The Red, White and Blue Championship may be Haese's biggest accomplishment in racing to date, as it places him in the same company as Mark Martin, Dick Trickle and Joe Shear.
 
"It's a very big accomplishment and a very satisfying one, knowing that I'm on the list with those drivers who understood how to build and maintain their own equipment.  That is the same ordeal that I have, building everything in house," said Haese.
 
When the 2008 race season ended, ownership of Haese's team changed hands. Hockers and Patton sold half of their operation to David Musial of Diamond MotorSports.
 
Musial and Haese decided to put their standing among American Speed Association drivers to the test by heading to Nashville in November. "That was a very neat experience," said Haese, who finished 15th in the ultra-competitive field.  "It was something we wanted to do just to try and see where we would stand for the next year."
 
"They impressed me down at Nashville for their first time on the track," said Einhaus. "It's just a sneak peek at what I believe will be one of the strongest competitors in our ROY program. It's going to be a very competitive year and I am pretty sure of myself that he will be a force to be reckoned with," he concluded.
 
Never one to rest on his laurels, Haese and his Diamond MotorSports associates have been frantically preparing for the 2009 ASAMT campaign.  They have spent all winter rebuilding, refreshing and upgrading their equipment to focus solely on running the full ASA Midwest Tour schedule.
 
"We hope we can make every show through qualifying and be a top ten or twelve car every week.  Hopefully we can get some top fives or maybe a win along the way," said Haese of his expectations.
 
Certainly the talent and an impressive résumé are present for Haese and Diamond Motorsports.  If the past is any indication, success will be awaiting them at Dells Raceway Park where the ASA Midwest Tour season begins its season with the "Bronze Race" on Saturday, April 29.
 
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.
 
ASA™, ASA Racing™ and American Speed Association® are trademarks of Racing Speed Associates, LLC.  Racing Speed Associates, LLC is not related to or affiliated with ASA Late Model Series, LLC.