Kevin Cywinski preview

Cywinski Heading "Back Home Again in Wisconsin"
ASA National Championship Points Leader Ready For Milwaukee

LAKEVILLE, MN (August 24, 2004) -- It's not a short track. It's not a superspeedway. It's just the plain ole' Milwaukee Mile. But it isn't plain and old to most racers around the country. In fact, The Milwaukee Mile holds some of the steepest and richest history of any racetrack in the country, especially to Wisconsin natives, including current ASA National Championship points' leader Kevin Cywinski.

"Growing up in Wisconsin, it was a big track. It was our Indianapolis," said Cywinski, who holds a 58-point lead in the standings after nine of fourteen events in the ASA season. "I used to go watch some of the best racers around race there when I was a kid growing up. Guys like Bobby Allison, Clifford Allison, Davey Allison and Dick Trickle were some of the guys I can remember watching when the ASA cars would come to town and race at the fairgrounds.

"So for any Wisconsin driver, I think it is neat to be able to go back there and race. And I've been fortunate enough to have some success there and have even won there before. So I'm really looking forward to heading back that way."

That makes the Lester Buildings 200, the 33rd ASA race at the famed mile track, one of the most important to Cywinski on the entire schedule. It also will set the tone for the final stages of the season and the Wausau (WI)-native's run for his third ASA title.

"You can't compare (Milwaukee) to any of the racetracks that we go to on the schedule," added Cywinski. "You use a lot more brake because of how flat the track is. You have to get the car to turn through the center of the corner real well, which is another short track characteristic. It is definitely more like a short track than the speedways we'll see later this year where you will run wide open.

Although he can't remember the exact year, Cywinski first raced at "The Mile" back in the old days of ARTGO (which later became the current NASCAR Midwest Series).

"We used to do an Australian-style qualifying where there would be packs of like five or six cars out there qualifying all at the same time. It was fun back then."

Cywinski's greatest moment at Milwaukee came in 1996, though, when he dominated the ASA race at the track, winning from the pole over Tony Raines, Dave Sensiba, Mike Eddy, Bob Senneker and others.

"You always want to do well in front of your hometown fans. These hometown races carry a little added pressure, too, because you want to look good in front of people that you've known and grew up around all your life and the ones that supported you and have helped you get where you are at. We need to run good there for our own self-gratification."

The Lester Buildings 200 will take the green flag on Sunday, August 29th, at 3 p.m. (local).

Country Joe Racing, with Kevin Cywinski and rookie Joey Miller, is Minnesota's #1 professional racing organization.

-cjr-