Jeff Blaser PhotoBy: Kevin Ramsell
He is following his parents footsteps, yes both of his parents who have both raced themselves in past. Now, 15-year-old Davey Pennel will be closely watched by his parents, Dean and Sonya, as he makes the move from SuperCups to a Limited Late Model stock car this season at Dells Raceway Park.

Last year, Pennel finished sixth in the adult division of the Central States Region Supercups, a car that is about half the size as what he will be competing in this season. He and his family aren’t going at it alone as they are getting help from 2006 NASCAR Elite Division Midwest Series Champion Tim Schendel, a fellow Sparta, WI resident.

Kevin Ramsell Photo“Years ago when my dad (Ron Schendel) owned La Crosse late models, Davey’s dad Dean drove for him for two years. And previous to that his brother Dennis drove for my dad as well,” Schendel recently stated. He lives in my hometown, so its been a relationship that has been around for a while.”

By: Kevin Ramsell
Tim Schendel felt there was one thing missing in his career with racing. Last season he found that and on top of that he finished third in points in his first full season with the American Speed Association Midwest Tour presented by ECHO Outdoor Power Equipment.

“I had a lot of fun,” the veteran driver from Sparta, WI recently stated. “Some of the other stuff I was getting into, the fun factor wasn’t as much. It wasn’t about racing and its all about racing here. It’s all about on track performance and all of the other things are set aside. Everyone you race with here is a tough competitor and everyone thrives to be the best. Every week, you get ten cars running up front and it’s very seldom that someone runs away with a race.”

Schendel finished third in the 2008 point standings behind his good friend Dan Fredrickson. He had two wins, one ECHO fast time award, four top-five’s and seven top-ten finishes. He also earned a “Touring Star” honor for the upcoming season.

1995 ASA Champ will run for the ASAMT Championship

By Kevin Ramsell
BURLINGTON, WI (Monday, March 9, 2009) - American Speed Association Kwik Trip Midwest Tour presented by ECHO Outdoor Power Equipment officials have announced that the 1995 American Speed Association Champion and 1996 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year is returning to the Midwest to compete this season. Bryan Reffner can’t wait to get back on the Midwest tracks behind the wheel of a Super Late Model.

Listen to the RacingOnline.com Interview with Bryan Reffner

Reffner has been busy putting together his Hamke Chassis Ford Fusion for the season opener on April 25 at Dells Raceway Park, “Its definitely my own team and we are going to be sponsored by raceteamgear.com and The Swiss Colony, our two major sponsors,” Reffner recently stated. “We are working on some associates. We have a limited schedule and we are trying to improve on that. We are going to run a Ford engine 9:1 and a Hamke chassis we got through Steve Strasburg’s Race Car Help.”

Kevin Ramsell talks with Matt Kenseth at the 2008 All-Star Race at Madison International Speedway (Scott Lofquist Photo)By: Kevin Ramsell
I will be the first to admit, when NASCAR announced that the 2009 Daytona 500 was declared to be over and Matt Kenseth was the winner, I had tears in my eyes just like Matt and many others did as well. For many Wisconsin race fans, Kenseth winning the Daytona 500 has a more personal meaning than any other “Great American Race.”

I called Roy Kenseth to congratulate him and he said they were going to the Sports Page Bar in Cambridge to celebrate and I hopped in my car to join them. How often will anyone get the chance to celebrate it with the father and sister of the Daytona 500 champion?

On my way down, I got a call from Jim Tretow, Public Relations Director of the Milwaukee Mile and also the Public Address Announcer for Daytona International Speedway. Tretow, who also has been following Kenseth since the days he ran his late model around the Midwest tracks, had the honor of interviewing the new champion in victory lane.