Haseleu prepares to return and defend his 2007 win
By: Kevin Ramsell
BURLINGTON, WI (Monday, May 12, 2008) – Jefferson Speedway, well known as Wisconsin’s Action Track, will host the third event of the 2008 season for the ASA Kwik Trip Midwest Tour presented by ECHO Outdoor Power Equipment. The Kwik Trip Stores 100 will highlight the evening’s race activities.
Last year, Nathan Haseleu, the defending ASAMT champion, picked up his only win so far in the series 13 events. Haseleu, who started his racing career at Jefferson, is looking forward to returning and defending his win. “I always enjoyed racing there; it’s a small track for super late models to race on,” Haseleu stated. “It’s a little bullring and I think it was repaved a few years ago, so it has good traction. I love going there, it brings back a lot of memories and I look forward to it.”
For Haseleu, winning the ASAMT event at Jefferson was special, “Yeah it was, a bunch of guys crashed out and stuff, so you never know how it would turn out,” Haseleu recalled. “But, saying that, our car was really good in practice and we didn’t qualify the best but it was a really good race car as the race went on. So I look forward to going back.”
One of the unique characteristics of Jefferson Speedway is the progressively banked corners. The inside lane is the preferred groove in turns one and two where turns three and four favor the outside groove.
“It’s definitely a challenge, you got to run the top and the bottom,” Haseleu explained. “Three and four, you got to run on the top and one and two you are sort of in the bottom and it’s real tight to where it almost feels like you are coming to a stop. It’s always been that way since I’ve raced there. Sometimes you have to compromise one corner for the other, and it’s not the easiest place to pass.”
While the track itself has a unique characteristic, the facility itself is unique and very fan friendly, “You get your local people and they draw from Fort Atkinson, Jefferson, Cambridge and other surrounding areas and they always get a lot of fans there,” Haseleu recalled. “They have always had a good fan base ever since I have gone there and they like racing. It’s always a fun atmosphere, and I am sure that place will be packed and there will be a lot of good race cars and drivers, and the fans will see a great show.”
Last year, Haseleu held off Whitewater (WI) native Russ Blakeley for the win with Dan Lensing setting a fast qualifying time of 13.815 seconds.
Along with the ASAMT, the Jefferson Speedway Hobby Stocks and Bandit divisions will also be competing on Saturday night.
ASAMT practice will begin at 1:00 pm on Saturday with local qualifying starting at 4:00 pm. ASAMT ECHO “Blows the Competition Away” Qualifying will start at 5:00 pm.
The fan favorite autograph session will begin at 5:45 pm with racing action getting underway at 6:30 pm.
Jefferson Speedway is located on Hwy 18 between Cambridge and Jefferson, WI. The facility offers grandstand seating along the front stretch and on their famous hill in turns one and two. For more information, please visit their website at www.jeffersonspeedway.com.
To learn more about the American Speed Association Kwik Trip Midwest Tour presented by ECHO Outdoor Power Equipment and the engine giveaway program, please contact the ASA Midwest Tour office by calling (262) 514-3880 or by e-mailing Tim Olson at tim@asamidwesttour.com or Steve Einhaus at steve@asamidwesttour.com.
To learn more about the Daytona Beach, Florida-based Racing Speed Associates or the American Speed Association Racing Member Track program, call (386) 258-2221 or send an e-mail to info@asa-racing.com. For news and information from all the racetracks and regional tours involved in the American Speed Association, visit www.asa-racing.com.
