American Speed Association: 2010 rookie class shines in competitive season

KENSETH, MCGRATH, BILDERBACK, ANDERSON, LAMONTE

September 28, 2010 – The drivers in the American Speed Association® Kwik Trip Midwest Tour presented by ECHO Outdoor Power Equipment and grandstay.net are some of the most talented drivers in the country. This talent is not limited to the veterans in the series. Five of those drivers are 2010 ASAMT Rookie of the Year contenders.

This year’s Rookie of the Year will add his name to an impressive list of past ASAMT Rookie of the Year winners. Jonathan Eilen laid claim to the title in 2007, followed by Nick Murgic in 2008, and Jacob Goede in 2009. All three of these drivers have not only continued their careers with with the ASAMT, but have become top contenders at each and every event.

Seventeen year old, Ross Kenseth is currently third in the overall point standings and leads the rookie point standings heading into the final event of the season. Kenseth has started all ten events so far this season, with four top-fives and six top-tens. He was the fast qualifier at Illiana Motor Speedway and won at Elko Speedway early in the season. Ross was born in 1993, the son of NASCAR Sprint Cup and Daytona 500 Champion, Matt Kenseth. In 2008, at fifteen years old, Ross picked up his first ever late model feature win at Dells Raceway Park and has never looked back.

At 22 years young, Griffin McGrath is currently seventh in the overall point standings and second in rookie points after ten events. McGrath has started all ten events so far this season and has wrapped up one top-five and three top-tens. Earlier this year, McGrath picked up a non-ASAMT victory at the famed, historic Milwaukee Mile in West Allis, WI, joining a long list of historic winners.

Third in rookie point standings and 12th in the overall point standings, 18 year old, Michael Bilderback has made a statement in the ASAMT during the 2010 season as well. Bilderback has also started all ten events, picking up his first fast qualifier award at Raceway Park, and has three top-tens so far this season. One of Bilderback’s biggest victories of his young career came in 2008 when he won the Rockford Speedway Spring Classic in the Big 8 Series, an event that any driver would be proud to claim.

Born in 1992, Bondurant, Iowa’s, Thor Anderson finds himself fourth in the rookie standings and 14th in the overall ASAMT point standings. He has attended all ten events, starting in seven of them. He has two top-fives, and four top-tens so far this season. Anderson’s first super late model career victory came in 2007 at the high-banked I-70 Speedway in Odessa, MO.

Gary LaMonte remains in the top twenty in ASAMT overall point standings holding solid in 19th position. LaMonte has attended all ten events, starting in five of those events. Even though LaMonte has only made five of the ten events, his dedication to the ASAMT and his racing career is evident at each and every race. LaMonte is nothing far from talented. In 2004, he won countless races, two track championships and set fast time an unheard of 13 times in a row.

While the Rookie of the Year battle is not as close as it has been in previous years, the rookie line-up in 2010 was stout. With all five drivers in the top twenty in points, from Kenseth to LaMonte, the amount of talent between the five drivers is uncompromising and will create an even stronger field 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.