MID AMERICAN STOCK CAR SERIES HUSTLES TO THE HAWKEYE STATE

Eric Huenefeld
Mid American Stock Car Series
May 14, 2014

The drivers of the Mid-American Stock Car Series (MASCS) return to action this Friday night May 16, for the second time in six days. This time, the 22-year-old series heads to Eastern Iowa, returning to Hawkeye Downs in Cedar Rapids.

Last year, the sportsman elite of MASCS made their first appearance at the half-mile since 2009. In that 45 lap event, West Bend Wisconsin’s Brad Keith pocketed the win, his first in Mid-American Stock Car Series competition. The win was the beginning of Keith’s strong summer of 2013, which propelled him to the Mid-American Stock Car Series championship.

This season has not been as kind to Keith. At April’s Spring Classic at Rockford (IL) Speedway, Keith finished the abbreviated feature in eighth place. Then last Saturday, during the Vercauteren Memorial at Wisconsin International Raceway (WIR) in Kaukauna Wisconsin, Keith lost an engine, sidelining his Mid-American operation temporarily and keeping him from defending his 2013 victory at Hawkeye Downs.

Keith’s absence this weekend opens the door for Jeremy Spoonmore, the 2012 Mid-American Stock Car Series Champion, who has seen his share of success at Hawkeye Downs. Spoonmore has been consistent in his past trips to Iowa, finishing second in 2009 and fourth in last year’s race. The Somonauk Illinois native has started this season strong, finishing second at Rockford (IL) Speedway’s Spring Classic in April and coming home fifth in last weekend’s Vercauteren Memorial at WIR. Those solid runs have Spoonmore third in current Mid-American Stock Car Series point standings, just 20 points out of the lead.

The hometown crowd will also have a vested interest in this weekend’s MASCS event at Hawkeye Downs, with a couple of native Iowans entering Friday night’s event. Leading the charge is Dave McCalla, a five-time Sportsman champion at Hawkeye Downs. McCalla picked up nine feature wins last season on his way to a second straight Sportsman championship at the track. Despite his weekly successes last season, McCalla was unable to participate in the MASCS race last May at Hawkeye Downs, thanks to mechanical problems that hampered his vehicle early in the evening.

Another Iowa racer ready to make a statement is Ben Glasscock. The Indianola native finished runner up to McCalla last year at Hawkeye Downs in the Sportsman point battle, notching three feature wins. This season, Glasscock plans on running the full Mid-American Stock Car Series schedule. After a slow start to his first full Mid-American season, will Glasscock break through at his home track?

Other entrants for Friday night’s activities include current Mid-American Stock Car Series point leader and Spring Classic winner Jeff Holtz, veterans Mark ‘Plugger’ Pluer and Lyle Nowak, 2013 Mid-American Stock Car Series Rookie of the Year Danny Gilster and first year Sportsman racer Scott Dunning, who is coming off his first Mid-American Series top five finish last weekend at Kaukauna.

Friday night’s program at Hawkeye Downs will be part of a full night of racing at the eastern Iowa speed plant, featuring Late Models, Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, Hornets and Legends. Racing begins at 7:30 PM.

For more information on Hawkeye Downs, please visit www.hawkeyedownsspeedway.com. For more information on the Mid-American Stock Car Series, please visit www.midamericanracing.com.

MID-AMERICAN STOCK CAR SERIES
‘FIRST LADY 46’
ENTRY LIST (as of 5/14/14)

3 Dave McCalla - Cedar Rapids, IA
; 8 Erik Pierce - Crystal Lake, IL; 
21 Adam Bendzick - Elko, MN
; 23 Dan Gilster - West Salem, WI
; 30 David Slack - Engadine, MI®
; 32 Lyle Nowak - Wausau, WI*; 
38 Jeff Holtz - Franksville, WI; 
38 Brian Holtz - Muskego, WI; 
47 Kenny Joosten - Wonder Lake, IL; 
54 Mark Pluer – Brookfield, WI*
; 62 Scott Null - Lake Mills, WI
; 74 Rick Tackman, Jr. - Waukesha, WI; 
83 Ben Glascock - Indianola, IA
; 95 Jeremy Spoonmore - Somonauk, IL*
; 98 Greg Beebe - Waukesha, WI
; 132 Scott Dunning - Bolingbrook, IL

®-denotes “Rookie of the Year” contender
*-denotes former Mid-American Stock Car Series Champion

Friday night’s Mid-American Stock Car Series event at Hawkeye Downs presented by…
THOMPSON TRUCK and TRAILER, INC.
http://www.thompsontruck.com/cedar-rapids/