MID-AMERICAN DROPS THE CURTAIN ON 2009

Matt Panure
Mid American Stock Car Series
January 17, 2010

WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. (January 17, 2010) – The Mid-American Stock Car Series put the finishing touches on its 17th season Saturday at the Wintergreen Resort and Conference Center.

The evening began prior to the awards ceremony and dinner with a speech from Motorsports Hall of Famer Mel Kenyon. Kenyon spoke of his career in motorsports and his crash at Langhorne (Penn.) in 1965. He explained his recovery process and the role his faith played in bouncing back from his injuries.

During the banquet ceremony, attendees were entertained by the stories of Fr. Dale Grubba. Grubba related the stories of his history in racing to the present state of the sport. He urged drivers to continue to be heroes in the sport and to continue to carry on the great tradition of short track racing in Wisconsin.

The first award of the evening was a surprise to series co-owner Doug Strasburg. He was presented a plaque by his wife and MASCS co-owner Julie Strasburg. The plaque commemorated Doug Strasburg’s 40th year of involvement in racing.

Mid-American champion Paul Neisius waited patiently at the head table as he watched other drivers give their acceptance speeches, including his cousin Justin, who was also named MASCS Rookie of the Year and received a new radio set from Race-Comm. When he took to the podium, Paul Neisius thanked his crew, series officials and fellow drivers for what he said was an enjoyable season.

Before Neisius took to the podium a plethora of giveaways were dispersed to the 20 drivers on hand. The first prize was won by Kyle Shear as his name was drawn by Bruce Mueller for a brand new B&B Race Engine. Brian Back won a complete “Package A” body from AR Bodies and Mike Beyer won a $900 certificate from Five Star Stock Car Bodies. Courtesy of Boring Bob’s Tours, Mark Pluer will be taking a trip to Bristol in March.

Among the other driver prize donors were: Quartermaster, Hoosier Racing Tire, Gandrud Chevrolet, Best Western Motel in Eagle River (Decker Motorsports), Coleman Racing Products, RanderCar Racing, Stock Car Stats Pro, Clossey Racing, Miracle Video Jake, Schaeffer’s Oil, Hankscraft Inc., Fan’s Arena, and Diamond Racing Wheels.

There were door prizes for all in attendance thanks to many great sponsors and two MASCS-supporting tracks, Dells Raceway Park and Rockford Speedway.

The final award of the evening was the MASCS Sportsmanship Award. Lyle Nowak received the award for the second season in a row and for the third time in four seasons. Nowak accepted the award and humbly thanked all his fellow drivers.

The Mid-American Stock Car Series’ 18th season begins on Sunday, April 18 as part of the 33rd Annual Spring Classic at Rockford Speedway in Love’s Park, Ill. Stay tuned to www.midamericanracing.com for more announcements and news regarding Mid-American’s 2010 season.