By: Kevin Ramsell
BURLINGTON, WI (Friday, May 09, 2008) – Four rookies took on the challenge of Wisconsin’s Fastest Half-Mile oval this past Sunday with the running of the ECHO Chainsaw 100. It was an up and down day, but overall a great learning experience as the drivers continue towards the Lane Automotive ASAMT Rookie of the Year presented by Red Line Synthetic Oil and Hyperco.

Matt Kocourek finished 11th in the main event and was the highest finishing rookie. He received the ASAMT Touring Star Rookie Bonus of $325 for the event.

Kocourek had a rough start to the 100-lap feature event as he and Mark Eswein spun in turn two on lap 16. But, he was able to gather it up and just finish outside the top ten.

“I was fairly happy with our run at Madison.  That has really been a track I have struggled at in the past and an 11th place finish was pretty solid after getting spun early in the event,” Kocourek stated.  “The car was really good on the long run and I was a little too patient.”

Nick Murgic went from a high to a low in his Madison debut. The high came where he qualified 16th to be the last car to qualify into the main event on time. In the feature event, he would run into mechanical problems on lap 38 and finish 26th.

“Well it was nice to qualify in on time and I did pretty well in the odd/even race but I knew we were going to have to be a little better for the race,” Murgic stated. “We started out in the race pretty good and moved forward some spots until the tires built too much air pressure and I was just skipping over the bumps. Then about 30 laps in, the tranny broke and our night was done. It is a fun track to race at but we still have a lot to learn about it also.”

Joel Theisen struggled with his debut at Madison as he qualified 42nd and didn’t make the feature event.

“I had never been to Madison before and the first time I looked up over the hill at the track, I thought ‘Wow... this is going to be fun,’” Theisen said. “I struggled at the beginning of practice, but it just kept getting better as I got more comfortable with the track and how to get around. I could have used about 2-3 more practice sessions to get me and the car working well.”

Theisen also discussed a weakness that he is trying to improve on, “I have very limited time and experience qualifying, as Elko did not qualify on time... so this is my Achilles heel right now. I need to get comfortable going out on stickers and not over/under driving the car. I totally blew it on my qualifying laps and knew I was in for a struggle after that.” Theisen explained. “The good part of the trip was I learned a ton. There is no substitute for experience and seat time and I think I got a good dose of both. I cannot wait to race in Madison again and get much better results.”

Chris Skrede was the fourth rookie to compete at Madison, but his day ended early as it appeared he blew his motor in the first practice session.

The next stop for the ASA Kwik Trip Midwest Tour presented by ECHO Outdoor Power Equipment is on Saturday, May 17th at Jefferson Speedway, located just outside of Cambridge, WI.

“I’ve only seen the track one time at an open test last year when I stopped to watch.  I’m looking forward to it,” Kocourek stated about going to Jefferson.  “I think our cars are much better prepared this year than in the past and we should have a pretty good baseline to start from.  From what I hear it’s a fun place to run and tough to pass so it should be interesting.”

Murgic states that many have told him that Jefferson is similar to another track that he is very familiar with, “I can’t wait to go to Jefferson because I heard it's somewhat similar to Raceway Park (Shakopee, MN) which I raced at last year. Hopefully we can get the car working good there, not have any problems and have a good run.”

For Theisen, he feels that he is racing in the right series, “The level of competition and challenge is so addicting, and I look forward to being a part of this series for the long term. I have a ton to learn and I think the fastest way to becoming a better driver and overall competitor is to race with the best in the country in this ASA Midwest Tour.”
The ASAMT teams are now preparing their cars for the next event on Saturday, May 17th at Jefferson Speedway, located between Cambridge and Jefferson, WI on Hwy 18. Local division qualifying will begin at 4:00 pm with ASAMT ECHO “Blowing the Competition Away” Qualifying beginning at 5:00 pm. The popular ASAMT autograph session will take place at 5:45 pm with racing beginning at 6:30 pm.

For more information on Jefferson Speedway, please visit their website at www.jeffersonspeedway.com.

To learn more about the American Speed Association Kwik Trip Midwest Tour presented by ECHO Outdoor Power Equipment and the engine giveaway program, please contact the ASA Midwest Tour office by calling (262) 514-3880 or by e-mailing Tim Olson at tim@asamidwesttour.com or 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 all the racetracks and regional tours involved in the American Speed Association, visit www.asa-racing.com.