MID-AMERICAN DRIVERS PREPARE TO GET DIRTY

Matt Panure
Mid American Stock Car Series
June 27, 2010

FORT ATKINSON, Wis. (June 27, 2010) – Last weekend Travis Rodewald was twisting and turning through the four-mile course at Road America to the second fastest lap of qualifying. By mid-week he was slinging his racer sideways and kicking up the dust at 141 Speedway.

Rodewald joined the grand national class Wednesday at the third-mile dirt oval in preparation for the Mid-American Stock Car Series’ Big Clay Clash for Cash slated for Friday, July 2 at Dodge County Fairgrounds in Beaver Dam, Wis. The event pays $1,500 to win and $200 to start – a step up from the normal MASCS payoff.

Three days hardly seems enough to change a car from a road course setup to a dirt third-mile setup. Luckily for Rodewald, no switch was needed. “We’re fortunate to have two cars,” said Rodewald, who had his back up racer ready for the dirt. “All together we had to put the screen in the car, move the lead around, change tires, shocks, springs and sway bar. It’s quite a changeover.”

Although he had hoped to be competitive, Rodewald logged some important laps at the tail of the field. He said he remained in the back of his heat race to try to adapt his asphalt car to the clay surface. “I just thought I’d come out here and get some practice laps before the big weekend on July 2nd. We’re hoping to do well there.”

After his heat race, Rodewald was able to reflect on a new experience. He broke a spindle after hitting an implement tire that separates the infield from the racing surface. “It’s a little rougher than I’m used to, but it’s fun pitching it sideways in the corner,” said Rodewald. “It’s a little more relaxed because you don’t have to worry about being so perfect.”

Rodewald was not the only potential Dodge County entrant in the field. Mid-American sent an invitation to grand national drivers from the area earlier this week, and Gregg Haese said he hopes to be one of the takers.

The two-time Vercauteren Memorial winner and 1998 MASCS rookie of the year has an unusual racer to enter at Dodge County – a racer that will catch the eyes of fans and other competitors, alike.

“We built (the car) from scratch from a ’53 Studebaker we bought down south, and we thought we would make something a little different,” Haese said.

Haese’s career has spanned the dirt and the asphalt from grand nationals, to Mid-American cars all the way to super late models on the tar. With a dirt-ready racer that is compliant to MASCS rules, Haese looks forward to returning to action with the versatile traveling series.

“I think everyone should try dirt,” Haese said. “You run sideways and it’s a really fun time as long as people don’t start smashing and crashing.”

If things go well at Dodge County, Mid-American may see Gregg Haese and his Studebaker once or twice more in 2010 on the asphalt.

“The plan was dirt, but that’s not going so well.” Haese remarked. “We’ll probably change it over to be a Mid-Am car and run a couple specials and have an old-school car out there with all the new style bodies.”

Haese, Rodewald and the drivers of the Mid-American Stock Car Series will visit the half-mile clay oval of Dodge County Fairgrounds Speedway in Beaver Dam, Wis., on Friday, July 2. The Big Clay Clash for Cash is the first MASCS appearance on dirt since the series’ predecessor, the Midwest Grand National Series, ran a schedule of dirt and asphalt races in 1992.

Dirt grand nationals are welcomed to join the Mid-American cars under the following guidelines

Mid-American will join the IRA Sprint Cars and an open division of midget cars for the Sue Thiel Memorial.

Dodge County Fairgrounds Speedway is located on High Point Road, just south of highway 33 in Beaver Dam, Wis. For more information visit www.dodgecountyfairgrounds.com/SpeedwayHome.htm .

For more information about the Mid-American Stock Car Series, including the full 2010 schedule, results, standings and driver information visit www.midamericanracing.com.