American Speed Association: Marshfield drivers welcome the challenge of the ASAMT

By: Kari Carlson

(Wednesday, August 18, 2010) As of Tuesday, approximately thirty of the Midwest’s best are entered for the American Speed Association® Kwik Trip Midwest Tour presented by ECHO Outdoor Power Equipment and grandstay.net “Marshfield 100” taking place this Saturday, August 21st at Marshfield Motor Speedway. Entries include the regular ASAMT drivers and Swiss Colony Touring Stars. However, that is not all. Local drivers like Jason and Chris Weinkauf, Jim Sauter Jr., Jay VanderGeest, Tim Sauter, Chad Selk, Mark Eswein, and Swiss Colony Touring Star, Mark Kraus, are all geared up to battle one another on the Marshfield drivers’ home turf.

Marshfield Motor Speedway opened in 1977 as a clay half-mile oval, which over the years has evolved to include additional seating and parking, a food service building and a sit down eating area for families. In the fall of 1995 the track was paved into wide sweeping, progressively-banked turns and ready for asphalt racing in 1996.

The late John McKarns was quoted as saying that Marshfield Speedway was a “diamond in the rough.” His ARTGO Challenge Series made the debut on the newly paved asphalt in 1996. The late, great Joe Shear was spun on lap 42 of 100 and came back through the field to win the event. There is one thing that has not changed in the last 14 years, and that is the great side-by-side racing that provides pure excitement from green to checkered.

In 2008, the last time the ASAMT had an event at the Central Wisconsin venue, the 2010 series’ most recent winner, Tim Schendel won taking the lead with 35 laps to go passing Nathan Haseleu on the inside for the position. Haseleu and Andrew Morrisey raced side-by-side, lap-after-lap until Haseleu finally secured the position before being passed by Schendel.

This is the type of racing that weekly spectators get to witness every Saturday night. This Saturday night will prove to be just as exciting, if not more. With the likes of Steve Carlson, Tim Schendel, Nathan Haseleu, Chris Wimmer, and recent Marshfield winner, Ross Kenseth, looking for victory against current Marshfield point leader, Jason Weinkauf, local hot-shoes, Jim Sauter Jr., and both ASAMT and Marshfield competitors Tim Sauter, Mark Eswein, Chad Selk, and Mark Kraus, fans will be in for the show of the year at Marshfield Motor Speedway.

This race will combine some of the greatest weekly drivers with the some of the greatest touring drivers in the country. Fans will be sold the entire seat, but chances are they will only need the edge. Can the Weinkaufs hold off the Sauters? Will Steve Carlson show the local boys that any turf is his home turf? Will Ross Kenseth be able to repeat his impressive debut two weeks ago? The only way to find out is to head to Marshfield Motor Speedway this Saturday for the “Marshfield 100.”

The ASA OREGON Midwest Truck Tour as well as the ASA Midwest Sportsman Tour will also be competing. Qualifying begins at 4:00PM, followed by an autograph session at 5:00PM and racing at 6:00PM. For more race day information, click on Schedule from the ASA Midwest Tour home page.

Before you head out to the track, be sure to check out the newly formatted ASA Midwest Tour broadcast of the August 3rd “Dixieland 150” from Wisconsin International Raceway on Fox Sports North and Fox Sports Wisconsin at 11:30 AM CDT. Check your local listings for channel line-up.

To learn more about the American Speed Association® Kwik Trip Midwest Tour presented by ECHO Outdoor Power Equipment and GrandStay Residential Suites Hotels and Crossings by GrandStay Inn & Suites, log on to http://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.

If you would like to learn more about the ASAMT series sponsors, please visit their websites: Kwik Trip, Inc. (http://www.kwiktrip.com), ECHO Outdoor Power Equipment (http://www.echo-usa.com), and GrandStay Residential Suites Hotels and Crossings by GrandStay Inn & Suites (http://www.grandstay.net).

To learn more about the Midwest Sportsman Tour log on to http://www.asamidwestsportsman.com.

To learn more about the ASA Midwest Truck Tour log on to http://www.asamidwesttrucks.com.

To learn more about 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 http://www.asaracing.com.

ASA®, ASA Racing®, and American Speed Association® are registered trademarks of Racing Speed Associates, LLC. ASA International, LLC or Racing Speed Associates, LLC are not related to or affiliated with the ASA Late Model Series.