FORT ATKINSON, Wis. (November 19, 2009) – This week the Mid-American Stock Car Series presents moments seven through five of the top ten sub-plots of 2009.

FORT ATKINSON, Wis. (November 12, 2009) – During the 2009 Mid-American Stock Car Series season several storylines emerged, but were lost along the way. Each week, three sub-plots that affected the ’09 campaign will be revealed with the biggest sub-plot to be revealed as the fourth and final edition.

FORT ATKINSON, Wis. (October 30, 2009) – Although there will be no stock cars cruising around the historical four-mile venue this fall, the Mid-American Stock Car Series will still be present in the annual American Cancer Society Run/Walk at Road America. MASCS co-owner Julie Strasburg and several other Mid-American members plan to participate in the event this Saturday, October 31 beginning at noon.

WEST SALEM, Wis. (October 11, 2009) – What a difference one week can make. Last Sunday afternoon, a dejected Paul Neisius and his team towed their badly damaged car from Rockford Speedway home to Hastings, Minn., with a 21-point margin in series standings. This week, they are Mid-American Stock Car Series champions.

Neisius methodically worked his way through the field, charged past Bobby Gutknecht on lap 28 and secured his first ever MASCS championship by winning the Oktoberfest 40 at La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway. Bill Prietzel finished 13th, falling short of a fourth title by 20 markers.

“I would rather win the race than win the championship, truthfully. Tonight it’s both,” Neisius said while accepting the final accolades of the 17th MASCS season.

Love’s Park, Ill. (October 4, 2009) – It’s safe to say Jeremy Spoonmore has been enjoying his 2009 Mid-American Stock Car Series campaign. The Somonauk, Ill. veteran won his second consecutive National Short Track Championships feature event at Rockford Speedway Sunday afternoon by capturing the MTN Dew 75. Spoonmore has yet to finish outside of the top five and has notched two wins in a handful of appearances this season.

“I would have never guessed. After the first one, I thought that would be great. But this one was even better,” Spoonmore said.

In the 2008 event, Spoonmore swiped the lead in the 75-lap feature by utilizing the inside lane on lap nine. One year later, the lead belonged to Spoonmore by lap ten after three laps of side-by-side action with pole-sitter Mike Beyer.

Lyle Nowak moved from his 19th starting spot to finish second, Bill Prietzel finished third, Mark Pluer was fourth and Justin Neisius rounded out the top five.

“The car stuck on the bottom and it just got better and better,” Spoonmore said. “I knew I was going to have to go [there] quick like last year.”

FORT ATKINSON, Wis. (October 1, 2009) – The stakes couldn’t be higher with only two races remaining in the Mid-American Stock Car Series’ 17th season. Heading into this Sunday’s running of the National Short Track Championships 75-lap feature event at Rockford Speedway only 30 points separate first-place Paul Neisius from second-place Bill Prietzel.

The degree of separation concerning experience at Rockford Speedway, however, is much greater. Prietzel has turned many laps at the historic venue while Paul Neisius has extremely limited experience.

Neisius’ first experience of Rockford came in April when he and his cousin Justin practiced for the Spring Opener, which was rained out the following day, and again a week later. Prietzel has attended the venue at least once in each of the past 15 years and has set fast time several times in the past four seasons. He also has a win in a modified at Rockford in 2009.

FORT ATKINSON, Wis. (September 22, 2009) – In 2009, the Mid-American Stock Car Series’ only four-time champion decided to spread his wings and fly into action with the Big 8 Late Models. This Saturday, September 26 at Madison International Speedway, James Swan will return to nest behind the wheel of an MASCS racer.

Swan will be driving the number 8 Ford Taurus which is owned and normally driven by Muskego, Wis. driver Brian Holtz. In one guest driving appearance two weeks ago at the Slinger Speedway, Swan was victorious.

The victory was not Swan’s first encounter with that particular Mid-American car, however. When Swan returned to MASCS action in 2006, he was chased on the way to his second championship by that machine, which at the time was driven by George Schultz.

After the victory, the two former rivals were given a chance to reconnect. “I had to call George right away and let him know that I won in another one of his cars,” Swan said. The car Swan drove to championships in 2006 through 2008, owned by Adam Berge, was also previously owned by Schultz.

Cousins Finish One-Two at DRP, Paul Wins Second of ‘09

WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. (September 12, 2009) – There is a myth that the outside line at Dells Raceway Park is non-existent. Just call the Neisius cousins a pair of “mythbusters.”

Paul Neisius stepped out of line, swung to the outside and cruised past three cars in two laps, while towing his cousin Paul to second, en route to his second Mid-American Stock Car Series feature win of the 2009 season in Saturday’s running of the September Showdown.

The 40-lap feature event got off to a rocky start with three cautions in the first six trips around “Wisconsin’s Showcase Short Track.”

While a single-file train tailed pole-sitter Scott Null, Paul Neisius took his leap of faith to the high groove and blasted into the lead on lap 15. “I told my crew, if we’re going to win this points battle we have to go to the outside,” said the Hastings, Minn., veteran in reference to his ongoing battle with Bill Prietzel. “We worked on it all day and it really ran on the outside.”

FORT ATKINSON, Wis. (September 8, 2009) – The Mid-American Stock Car Series roars into Dells Raceway Park for the third and final time this Saturday, September 12 bursting at the seams with storylines. After the “Split 50” at Madison International Speedway two weeks ago, the point battle has tightened, the leading rookie is hoping to get back on track, and an overall winner of the “Dells Duels” must be crowned.

Although his season had gone stunningly well heading into Madison, even Bill Prietzel was not immune to a relatively high attrition rate at “Wisconsin’s Fastest Half-mile.” Prietzel seized control of the first session of the “Split 50” and seemingly was on cruise control after pulling away on two early restarts. While sprinting away from the field, a cloud of smoke poured from Prietzel’s car indicating that his chances at his second consecutive win were through.

According to Prietzel’s web site, he and his wife Jan brought their engine to the builders to be repaired the following day.

Dopug Hornickel Photo - fastlapphoto.netOREGON, Wis. (August 30, 2009) – History repeats itself. Example: Jeremy Spoonmore’s Sunday afternoon conquest of the “Split 50” at Madison International Speedway. In 2007 Mid-American Stock Car Series action, Spoonmore finished second to Bill Prietzel on the half-mile of Wisconsin International Raceway, only to follow that with a win in the next event at MIS. After finishing second to Prietzel three weeks ago on the half-mile at Hawkeye Downs Speedway, Spoonmore again reigned supreme at “Wisconsin’s fastest half-mile.”

Spoonmore held off a hard-charging MASCS debutant, Adam Degenhardt, to collect the win in the first 25-lap segment. In the second segment, Spoonmore, who started tenth after an inversion of the finishing order from the first 25, made a late move vaulting into second place behind Kyle Shear to secure the overall win. The win was Spoonmore’s first of the season and his third top-five in three starts.