MT: Series history at Madison

AMERICAN SPEED ASSOCIATION HISTORY AT MIS

Thursday, July 19, 2007 (Daytona Beach, FL) -- The name is familiar but the series title and the style of cars are different, but the history is long lasting and will continue to grow this Friday night at Madison International Speedway.

Fans in the Madison area are familiar with the American Speed Association, the famous National Tour that held nine previous events at Wisconsin's Fastest Half Mile Oval, but this Friday, they have an opportunity to see a new look with familiar looking stock cars.

In the past, the American Speed Association had its own unique looking stock car with fuel-injected, electronically controlled V8 engines. Today, the American Speed Association Midwest Tour resembles something more familiar to MIS fans, the old ARTGO Series, a regional touring series where the best Super Late Model drivers in the Midwest, came to challenge the weekly track stars.

Today's American Speed Association Midwest Tour uses the familiar 500+ horsepower; fully fabricated tubular frame specially engineered Super Late Models, the same kind of cars that fans used to see running on a weekly basis at MIS.

Even though MIS doesn't run Super Late Models on a weekly basis, the ASAMT rules are written to allow today's weekly MIS competitor to compete at this Friday's event. The same is said when it visits its other tracks on the tour.

Even though there are changes, the history of the American Speed Association at MIS is one that never can be overlooked.

Back then, the track was known as Capital Super Speedway and the first event under the American Speed Association banner was in 1984 when Jim Sauter, the patriarch of the famous racing family, won the first event. In 1985, Butch Miller added his name by becoming the second winner. A year later, a young driver from Batesville, AR named Mark Martin passed Dick Trickle with less then 10 laps to go, to win the 1986 event.

After a period of time when the track was turned from asphalt to dirt and then shut down, Wayne Erickson purchased and renamed the facility to Madison International Speedway.

In 1993, Erickson welcomed back the American Speed Association for a 200-lap event. Scott Hansen was the victor that day; while a young driver from Michigan named Johnny Benson Jr. went on to claim the championship.

After a seven year hiatus, new track owner Jerry Fillner brought back the American Speed Association along with its national television audience on August 19, 2000. Gary St. Amant victory that night catapulted him to his championship later that year.

On August 18, 2001, St. Amant was looking to make it two in a row as he tried to hold off Mike Eddy on the last lap. But, the two former champions made contact going down the backstretch and sending St. Amant into the turn three wall. Robbie Pyle would get past the two and record his first ever American Speed Association victory. Johnny Sauter, who finished fifth that night, went on to claim the championship.

It was a hot and muggy Sunday afternoon July 28, 2002. An all-star field was on hand for the 300-lap event. Some of the names included Kyle Busch, David Stremme, Todd Kluever, Joey Clanton, Dan Fredrickson, and Adam Andretti, the nephew of Mario Andretti. On that day, it was current ASAMT Touring Star, Steve Carlson taking the checkered flag. Busch would come home 9th and Fredrickson, another ASAMT Touring Star and the Series only two-time winner finished 22nd.

Butch Miller became the first and so far only American Speed Association two-time winner at MIS on July 18, 2003. This was the first American Speed Association event under the watchful eye of new MIS owner Terry Kunes.

It took 20 years before the Sauter name would enter the victory lane history books, but this time it was Tim Sauter who grabbed the checkered flag on Saturday, July 17, 2004. But the memorable event from that night was the battle for second between Kevin Cywinski, Brett Sontag and Rich Bickle Jr. As the three came off the final turn, they bounced into each other allowing Cywinski to go from fourth to a second place finish. Bickle would finish third and Sontag in fourth.

This year's event hopes to be the start of something for the future. Race fans around the Madison area are always eager to see another Super Late Model race at the famous half-mile facility. But who will add their name to the record books? It will be determined this Friday night.

Advance tickets are on sale now at the Series official website at www.asamidwesttour.com by selecting the "Click N Print" logo. Fans will save money by purchasing tickets in advance. "Click N Print" will also pick five (5) random fans and a guest who have purchased advanced tickets and will automatically upgrade them to the Briggs and Stratton VIP area on race day.

Practice will begin at 1:00 p.m. on Friday with qualifying scheduled for 4:00 p.m. An on-track autograph session will begin at 5:45 p.m. featuring music from "Primitive Culture." The racing action will begin at 7:00 p.m. The INEX Legends and the MIS Limited Late Model division will also be racing on Friday night.

Madison International Speedway is located about 15 miles south of Madison off of Hwy. 138 on Sunrise Road between Oregon and Stoughton. The track's website is www.madisoninternationalspeedway.com.

-credit: www.asamidwesttour.com.