Mid-American Adds Date for Vercauteren Memorial at 141 Speedway |
|---|
|
Matt Panure
Mid American Stock Car Series
February 12, 2009
Fort Atkinson, WI (February 12, 2009) – For the second time in three seasons, 141 Speedway will play host to the Mid-American Stock Car Series’ Vercauteren Memorial. The event will take place on Saturday, June 27.
Two seasons ago Mid-American held the event at 141 after a rainout in the Blue Race at Wisconsin International Raceway. The venue was selected due to Mid-American founder Gary Vercauteren’s assistance in Matt Rowe’s reopening of 141 Speedway in 1998.
With a date at WIR in 2009 still up in the air due to the uncertainty surrounding the Red, White and Blue State Championships, Mid-American officials decided to set a date for the cornerstone event of each MASCS season.
“141 Speedway was an incredible host of the Vercauteren Memorial two seasons ago,” stated MASCS co-owner Doug Strasburg. “We are very grateful that we were able to secure a 2009 date with them and are able to bring the Vercauteren Memorial trophy along with us.”
Mike Panure, who will serve as race director for both 141 Speedway and Mid-American in 2009, was a long time friend of Vercauteren. He aided Vercauteren in the early days of Mid-American and was witness to his assistance in the reopening of 141.
Panure was quick to recognize 141 as a good choice to play host to the 2009 event.
“Gary was very passionate about local racing,” Panure stated. “It was no surprise that he was ready to get his hands dirty when Matt Rowe decided to reopen 141.”
“You could justify almost any track in Northeast Wisconsin as a great host for the race, but 141 has to be at the top of the list,” commented Panure.
The Vercauteren Memorial was first run in 1990 at the Calumet Country Raceway in Chilton, WI. The event was founded to honor Harold and Regina Vercauteren, the parents of Gary Vercauteren.
Vercauteren was the public relations director of the venue at the time.
Vercauteren presented a five-foot tall trophy to the winner of the event and named the trophy after his late parents. The trophy has since become a traveling trophy and is presented to the winner of each year’s Vercauteren Memorial.
In 1993, when Vercauteren founded Mid-American, he brought the trophy to the asphalt. The event has traditionally been run as one of the three legs of the Red, White and Blue State Championship at Wisconsin International Raceway.
After the passing of Vercauteren in 2005, the memorial race is now run to honor him as well as his parents. Gary’s wife Kay, sons Keith and John, brother Pete and sister Dianne have been presenters of the trophy since his passing.
Past Winners:
2008 – Jake Finney
2007 – Kevin Damrow (event was run at 141 Speedway)
2006 – James Swan
2005 – Brett Piontek
2004 – Bill Prietzel
2003 – Jeremy Spoonmore
2002 – Peter Hernandez
2001 – Peter Hernandez
2000 – Mark Pluer
1999 – Gregg Haese
1998 – Pat Kelly
1997 – Bill Prietzel
1996 – Pat Kelly
1995 – Eddie Hoffman
1994 – Brian Lambie
1993 – Eddie Hoffman
1992 – Jerry Wenzel
1991 – Larry Richards
1990 – Wayne Strand
The Mid-American Stock Car Series’ 17th season begins on Sunday, April 19 as part of the 32nd Annual Spring Classic at Rockford Speedway in Love’s Park, IL. Stay tuned to www.midamericanracing.com for more announcements and news regarding Mid-American’s 2009 season.