The ASA Midwest Tour has not visited Iowa Speedway in Newton, IA since 2009. The series raced at the 7/8’s mile in both 2008 and 2009 and had two different winners.
Tim Schendel took home top honors in 2008 in front of a crowd of 14,888. Schendel was fastest in practice the entire day and followed it up with fast time, so he was the likely candidate to win the event. Schendel took the lead on lap 81 and went on to take the checkered flag. Jonathan Eilen finished second followed by Matt Kenseth.
In 2009, Chris Wimmer went from third place to the lead with only three laps to go as Tim Schendel, Jonathan Eilen and Wimmer all battled for the win in front of over 20,000 fans. Eilen and Schendel were putting on a great side-by-side battle for the lead as Wimmer quietly snuck up and passed Eilen on the inside for the lead. Schendel finished second followed by Eilen. The Pride of Iowa 100 was Wimmer’s first victory in the ASA Midwest Tour.
Many drivers such as Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch, and Landon Cassill all raced with the ASA Midwest Tour at Iowa Speedway. This year, several regulars will be hitting the track for the first time with the ASAMT. Steve Carlson, Ross Kenseth and $10,000 winner and Rookie point leader, Skylar Holzhausen, will all be racing at the track for the first time in ASA Midwest Tour competition.
Another driver that will be making his first trip to Iowa Speedway and first ever race with the ASA Midwest Tour is West Palm Beach, Florida’s, Jeff Choquette. Choquette won four out of five Late Model events that he raced in last year including venues such as the Milwaukee Mile, Nashville Super Speedway and North Wilkesboro.
No matter where they are located or how many races they have already won this year, teams put in a lot of hours to prepare for races at venues such as Iowa Speedway. The 7/8’s mile is a totally different type of track and requires a different racing style than ASA Midwest Tour drivers are used to.
Midwest short track racing is not always known for its high speeds, but rather door to door, bumper-to-bumper racing. Iowa Speedway has and will combine high speeds and great high-speed battles; just like the one for the win in 2009. Drivers and teams have two more weeks to prepare for Iowa Speedway and chances are many late nights have been had and will continue to be had up until the moment they hit the road to Newton, IA for the “Iowa 150.”
The American Speed Association® Kwik Trip Midwest Tour presented by ECHO Outdoor Power Equipment and GrandStay Hospitality will be racing on Friday, August 5th, the same weekend as the NASCAR Nationwide Series.
More event details will be available at asamidwesttour.com
Become a Fan of the ASA Midwest Tour at http://www.facebook.com/asamidwesttour.
To learn more about the American Speed Association® Kwik Trip Midwest Tour presented by ECHO Outdoor Power Equipment and GrandStay Hospitality, log on to asamidwesttour.com . For questions call the ASA Midwest Tour office at (630) 212-6022 or Tim Olson at (612) 327-5831 or e-mail Tim Olson at tim@asamidwesttour.comor Steve Einhaus at steve@asamidwesttour.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.
