MID-AM CHAMIONS, VETERANS AND ROOKIES FACE OFF

Matt Panure
Mid American Stock Car Series
April 9, 2013

Spring means Rockford Speedway and the Spring Classic. Mid-American teams from Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota and Michigan's U.P. will face off Sunday to open the 21st Mid-American Stock Car Series season.

Early entries include past MASCS champions Mark Pluer of Brookfield, WI, Lyle Nowak of Wausau, WI and 2012 champ, Jeremy Spoonmore of Somonauk, IL. Pluer's Championship came in 1996 during Mid-Am founder, Gary Vercauteren's era. Mark has rubbed fenders with some of Mid-Am's best including other past MASCS champs Eddie Hoffman, Jeff Storm, Bill Prietzel, Rick Corso and James Swan.

In more recent times veteran and 2010 champ, Nowak most likely brings more career championships to the plate from various venues than all the other Spring Classic early entries combined. Bringing his passion of the sport, experience and love of Rockford Speedway, he is expected to be a top contender Sunday.

This brings us to the newest MASCS champion. Spoonmore logged his first point championship last season after an action packed seesaw battle with Nowak. With a slim point lead over Nowak going into last year's Rockford NSTC with only one race remaining, Spoonmore's engine expired on the back shoot resulting in a dramatic fiery crash, destroying his car severely dampening his hopes of a first championship. In true Mid-American form, car owners Randy and Claire Aubert, the crew and Spoonmore borrowed a car and took advantage of Nowak's Oktoberfest "if anything could go wrong, it did" day to pull off the championship. The tenacious Spoonmore anxiously awaits his chance to defend his title this Sunday.

Other early entry veterans, Minnesota driver Adam Bendzick and Wisconsin drivers Jack Stern, Brad Keith, Chris Storey and Rick Tackman, will roll out their machines to see if the long winter's work will bring forth fruit of their labors.

Newcomers challenging the veterans are Michigan driver David Slack, Indiana driver Tim Fulford and Wisconsin drivers Dan Gilster and Dustin Krebs. Gilster and Slack will compete for the prestigious MASCS Rookie of the Year crown. Slack will likely be able to claim most miles driven to attend 2013 Mid-Am events, logging 21/2 plus hours of windshield time before even leaving Michigan's beautiful Upper Peninsula.

Many other Mid-American entries are expected to roll in for Sunday's 2013 season opener. Don't miss the action at Rockford's 36th annual Spring Classic.