MIS E-News
Week of December 1, 2008
By John Wells

Here is the latest news from Madison International Speedway.

On behalf of all of us at MIS we would like to wish you and your family a happy holiday season. If you have news you would like us to pass along to our more than one thousand E-News recipients just let me know. Email me at mismedia2@yahoo.com or call 608.225.1913.

MIS Banquet

The MIS banquet returns to The Heights in Verona, Wisconsin, on Saturday, January 17th. It will be a special night as Nathan Haseleu, Bob Wilberg, Jay Kalbus, Chester Ace, and Max McNamara will receive their championship trophies. Point fund checks and other awards will also be presented including the Wayne?s Custom DIECAST Dash and Hard Charger winners.

Banquet forms will be sent out this week and a copy of the forms will be available on our website.


The 2009 Racing Season

Only five months stand between us and the opening of the racing season when the green flag flies on Sunday, May 3rd. Two practice sessions will precede the season opener on Saturday, April 25th and Saturday, May 2nd. The format for both practice sessions will be the same as in 2008.

The weekly racing program will begin on Friday, May 8th with Late Models, Area Sportsman, Hobby Stocks, Bandits, and Legends. These divisions will be racing the majority of the Friday nights during the 2009 season but fans can expect to see several super late model events in 2009 along with appearances from a variety of other divisions.

There will truly be something for everyone at MIS in 2009 including the third annual MIS Fall Classic.

It?s no secret that the Late Model division will be extremely competitive in 2009 with many of the talented field from 2008 returning to battle it out weekly. The Late Models will be racing nearly every Friday night this year.

Two drivers who had impressive seasons in 2008 have thrown their hats in the ring for the upcoming season. Kevin Knuese of Waukesha, Wisconsin, and Jason Hicks of Elkhorn, Wisconsin, are looking forward to the new season.

For Knuese, his sixth place finish in the points race came about very quietly. By racing hard and clean each week Knuese proved that conistency has its rewards. His best finishes came in his first and last race of the season when he finished in fourth place. A trip to victory lane is definitely in his future.

?We want to win the championship,? said Jason Hicks who will be back on Wisconsin?s Fastest Half-Mile in 2009. Hicks had a very solid season in 2008 and finished fifth in overall points. Eight top ten finishes paved the way for his fifth place finish.

After finishing sixth in the Super Late Model points race in 2008, Zack Riddle is more than ready to make the transition to the Late Models in 2009. Rumor has it that another well-known driver of a 93 car will also be competing for the track championship in 2009.

We will keep profiling other drivers and divisions in future E-News editions. I?d love to hear from you?mismedia2@yahoo.com.

2009 Rules

Rules for the 2009 season will be available at the banquet if not sooner according to Technical Director Dave Oswald. If you have any questions please contact him at 608-839-5507 days or evenings.

Speedway Education Series Enters Second Season

Last year over $200,000 in scholarships to Ohio Technical College in Cleveland, Ohio, including some worth $25,000, were awarded to high school students who were part of the Educational Series program. The good news is the program will be back in 2009.

We are looking for teams who would be interested in having a high school student be part of their pit crew. High school students who are drivers are also eligible for this program. Educational Series members must be registered prior to the season.

?This is such a great opportunity for the kids. We want the high school kids to get involved in racing and the fact that they can win scholarships as much as $25,000 to such a great school like Ohio Technical College makes it even better,? said MIS General Manager Dave Grueneberg.

?We need everyone to get the word out to their local high schools. Students who are in the Automotive Technology programs couldn?t ask for a better way to spend their Friday nights during the summer,? added Grueneberg.

According to Zack Riddle it?s a great experience for the students: ?It's one thing to watch a race from the stands, and another to actually work on a car. What a student deals with at the shop and track are NOTHING like what you see sitting in the stands. Some people don't realize what it takes to hit the track every week and put on the show for them.? Riddle?s teammate Mike Hanson of New Glarus was one of the $25,000 winners last year.

If you know of a high school student who is interested or would like a student working with your team please email me at mismedia2@yahoo.com.

Rookie Reflections from the 2008 Season

Recently I asked several of our rookie drivers to summarize their experiences from this past season. Over the next couple of months I will be featuring their reflections on their first season in their respective divisions.

Vern Fagerberg Jr. Looks Back at 2008

Vern Fagerberg Jr. made one of the longest trips to race at MIS each week coming from Bloomingdale, Illinois. After racing Bandoleros and Legends, the fifteen year old made the big move to the Limited Late Models.

Here?s a summary of Vern?s season in his own words:

My goal for the 2008 race season was to learn what I can do and learn from my fellow drivers. I have made many freinds who are now like a family to me. I have met my goal in that I have kept my car in good shape and not made people dislike me, but I have made friends

I have had to learn to accept the challenges this season has brought me and I have learned that if you race for not only a career but for your enjoyment no matter what happens you will have a good time.

The highlight of my race season happened in the last few weeks of the year. All season we were qualifying with 19.8+ as our time, but in one lap I gained 4 tenths of a second making my fastest qualifying time of the season at 19.4 The most frustrating part of my season was having the many technical issues that we had. But as a team we have come back every race weekend and tried our hardest to be competitive and have a good time.

Without my father (Vern), Bobby Lapier, and Aunt Linda this season would not have been possible. Through the good and the bad they were by my side to help me and support my racing and my dream to become who I am and who I would like to be in the future. They got me my start and they will always be welcomed by my side as the people that have made this year, and my whole career possible.

The man that is now one of my heroes and like family to me is Cliff Rucks. All season he has helped me and encouraged me so that I can do my best and that I am doing better than alot of people thought I would do. I am very excited to have him as a fellow driver and a good friend; I am proud to be able to race against him.

Another great help to us this year was Mark Miller and his crew members. They were there for me and always helping us out.


I would like to say a special thanks to the staff members and everyone involved at Madison International Speedway, If it wasn?t for you guys we would not have the great facility and good times that we have at Madison. Without our wonderful and dedicated fans none of what we as racers do would be at all possible. So thank you to the staff, and the great fans for your help and support in our rookie
season.

Tyler Kelley Adjusts to Life in the Limited Late Models

Past Bandit track champion Tyler Kelley made a big jump in 2008 by racing in the Limited Late Model division.

?Our goal was to get seat time in a late model and hopefully have a top ten finish. I actually had two top ten finishes and got lots of seat time,? said Kelley who finished the season in thirteenth place in the points race. Kelley also finished with no DNF?s?a great accomplishment for any driver.

As the season progressed Kelley learned more about the adjustments that needed to be made to his car. ? I had to work on relaying what I was feeling with the handling of the car to the crew. The better I got at that, the faster we got.?

Kelley?s crew also learned quickly. ?I need to thank Todd Skolaski for helping with car setup before and during the season. I could not have done it without him. Other than Todd, my entire team was made up of rookies, all from Oregon, and under the age of 21. All in all, a pretty good year.?


Kelley is quick to recognize those who helped him out on race nights. ?Many Super Late and LLM drivers offered advice and encouragement. I hate to name some, because I would not want to leave anyone out. I guess I would thank Zack Riddle and his dad for all of their support. I could also go to Andrew and Charlie Morrissey for advice. I should also thank Jeff Watters, a past LLM track champion. Many years ago, when I first started coming to MIS with my Dad and dreamed of someday racing there, Jeff took the time to talk to me after the races, invited me to his shop to help, and let me help in the pits when I turned 14. I now know how stressful it can be during a race night, and still he always took the time to talk to me. I try to remember that when little kids come up to me after a race. Thanks Jeff!?

His goal for 2009 is to win a feature and finish in the top five in points.

Tyler?s story is so much like the stories of all of our drivers. It started by coming to the race and with a dream. He is one of the fortunate ones who has a chance to live his dream.