MAREK CROWNED CHAMPION, KANE WINS FEATURE EVENT
October 3, 2010 – Eighteen Sportsman drivers were on hand for the “Thunder Car Nationals” Championship event for the ASA Midwest Sportsman Tour on Saturday night at Elko Speedway. Local driver, Brent Kane took his first ever ASAMST victory, while Chris Marek was crowned the first ever ASA Midwest Sportsman Tour Champion.
The #28 of Mike Holmen and the #32 of Jeremy Wolff led the 18 car field to the green. As Holmen and Wolff battled it out side-by-side, the remainder of the field patiently waited, putting on a great two-wide display. Brent Kane tried to find an opening to make his move from the fifth position, but was denied and settled back in line.
Ten laps in to the 40 lap event, the top ten were still racing side-by-side. With two competitive grooves of racing at Elko Speedway, the field remained tight as the competition continued to heat up. A few laps later, Holmen got loose and made contact with the #29 of Scott King, but both were able to hold on and avoid spinning.
Kane took advantage of the contact, went to the high groove and launched himself into the lead on lap 15. He stretched out his lead almost immediately to over seven car lengths. Meanwhile, the #32 of Wolff and #29 of King battled side-by-side for second and third respectively.
Chris Marek was stuck in the seventh spot with no where to go on the inside, but patiently waited to make his move. The driver of the #3 locked up the 2010 ASA Midwest Sportsman Tour Championship when second place points competitor, Jay Kalbus, did not show for the event. With only 26 points between the two, the battle for the championship could have been one for the record books.
Marek dropped back on the inside, then took advantage of the high groove, charging all the way up to fifth, and started reigning in on the lead pack of cars. Kane continued to lead the field by almost five car lengths as fast qualifier, Ted Reuvers, followed by Scott King, Steve Anderson, and now Chris Marek were battling for the top five spots.
With only five laps to go, the #15 of Anderson shot to the high side of Reuvers and took over the second spot as Marek followed suit. But in the end it was Brent Kane who crossed the finish line first, followed by Steve Anderson and Chris Marek.
The American Speed Association® Kwik Trip Midwest Tour presented by ECHO Outdoor Power Equipment and grandstay.net not only recognizes the local competitors for their overwhelming support of the ASA Midwest Sportsman Tour, but also commends regular competitor Scott Null for his dedication to the series and the sport of auto racing. Null raced at Rockford Speedway and then drove all the way to Elko Speedway to race in memory of the late Dan Ryan for the Thunder Car Nationals event. His commitment and support for the Tour is unprecedented.
Congratulations to Chris Marek on his 2010 ASA Midwest Sportsman Tour Championship. A big thank you to all of the drivers, teams, sponsors, fans and all of those who helped make this first ASA Midwest Sportsman Tour season a success. We look forward to seeing you all in 2011.
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.
