Welcome to
ChrisWimmer.com
Wimmer Partners
with Nashville
Businesses for All American 400 Weekend
Wausau, WI October 26
th,
2009- Chris Wimmer and Wimmer Racing are pleased to announce a
partnership with State Water Heaters, the Nashville Ferguson
Enterprises branch, and Dickens Turf and Landscape supply for the
All-American 400 Weekend at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. Wimmer
will race in the 250-lap Championship Racing Association (CRA) race
Sunday afternoon. “The racetrack at the Fairgrounds is such a neat
track,” says Wimmer, “I was really hoping to be able to race, but
knew I’d need some sponsorship to do so. I can’t even express how
grateful I am to State, Ferguson, and Dickens for coming on board to
make it possible for me to race this weekend.”
State Water Heaters is a leading manufacturer of
commercial and residential water heaters. Based outside Nashville,
State is working with the Nashville Ferguson Enterprises store with
the sponsorship to help promote their commercial water heater
delivery program. The State/Ferguson commercial water heater
delivery program is a national program but the Nashville branch runs
one of the most successful programs in the country. The commercial
delivery program helps plumbers sell more State commercial water
heaters by taking most of the hard work out of the commercial water
heater installation. When using the program, plumbing contractors
simply need to drain and unpipe the old water heater and Ferguson
will deliver the new unit to the jobsite, lift it up any stairs or
onto a roof and set it in place. The Ferguson folks will then carry
away the old water heater and dispose of it. “We give the Ferguson
branch special equipment to lift and move commercial water heaters
and even climb stairs, really we just want to make things easier for
them so they can focus on their businesses,” says Dennis DeBlock,
State Water Heaters, national sales manager, “We’re excited that the
three of us, Ferguson, State, and Wimmer racing are coming together
to promote this national program that has such a heavy Nashville
presence.”
Dickens Turf and Landscape supply also comes on
board for the 250-lap race. ECHO outdoor power equipment is a huge
supporter of the ASA Midwest Tour, where Chris raced full time in
2009, and Dickens is an ECHO dealer in the Nashville area. With
three locations in the Nashville area, Dickens is available for ‘all
your turf, landscaping, and equipment needs’. “We are so excited to
be partnering with Wimmer Racing this weekend,” says Brian Dixon,
owner of Dickens Supply, “As an ECHO dealer we proudly support Chris
and the ASA Midwest Tour. We hope Nashville is a success for him and
look forward to his race Sunday in our area.”
With such great support in the Nashville area,
Wimmer hopes to repeat his success from last year. In 2008 he
finished 2
nd
in the 200-lapASA Southeast Tour
race at Fairgrounds Speedway. Leading with ten laps to go, the #52
Chevy had a motor problem, causing Wimmer to lose the lead, but he
held on for a runner-up finish.
“My car was really good there last year,” says
Wimmer, “I know that the CRA Series gets some really good drivers
and it will be tough to contend for the win again, but I really hope
we can get it done. It would be awesome to come home with a guitar.”
The All American weekend will be a three day event.
Wimmer practices Friday with more practice and qualifying Saturday.
The 250-lap feature will begin Sunday at 1p.m. You can purchase
tickets at the gate and for those of you not in the Nashville area,
log on to
www.speed51.com and follow
a link to listen live.
Wimmer Tallies Top-Five in Tour Finale
Finishes Third in ASAMT Points
Wausau, WI October 12, 2009 –
Chris Wimmer wrapped up his 2009 ASA
Midwest Tour with yet another top-five finish, this time at La
Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway. “I actually didn’t run very well at La
Crosse the last two years,” says Wimmer, “I really wanted to do
better this year and to finish in the top-five is awesome.”
Wimmer qualified 5
th
for the Octoberfest 100, and
with the invert, began the race from the 6th
position. Just over ten laps in
to the race Wimmer moved his #52 Chevy up in to the fifth spot and
held on to that position for much of the race. “I was able to catch
the top-four in front of me a few times,” says Wimmer, “ But my car
started to get a little tight and I wasn’t able to make a move.”
On the last lap of the 100-lap feature, a car in
front of him had problems, giving Wimmer a chance to go around and
pick up another spot. He crossed the finish line fourth. “My car was
pretty good for the race,” says Wimmer, “All the guys in front of me
like Steve Calrson, Steve Holzhausen, and Travis Sauter have so many
laps here I wasn’t sure if I’d have anything for them,” says Wimmer,
“They’re tough on this track and to come home with a 4
th
place finish is definitely
exciting.”
Wimmer ends the 2009 ASAMT season with four
top-three finishes, including a win at Iowa Speedway. “I don’t think
I had one podium finish, let alone a win, on the Tour last year,”
says Wimmer, “So, I’m pretty proud of that. Anytime you can run up
front and win or finish in the top three is pretty special and that
fact that I was able to do it four times means a lot.”
The #52 Chevy tallied a total of six top-five
finishes and eight top-tens on the Tour, combine his 2009 success,
and Wimmer finds himself third in ASAMT points. “I finished 4
th
in points last year,” says
Wimmer, “So to be able to move up is always a goal. I got wrecked on
the second lap of our first race and had a driveshaft problem at one
of the Wisconsin Dells races. You always think, where would I have
been without those things happening, but that’s racing. I thought I
ran well at almost every track we went to and that’s what means the
most to me, to know I’m improving and getting better.”
Wimmer’s 2009 season is not quite over yet though.
He plans to compete in a Championship Racing Association race in
Nashville at the end of October. Please check back at
www.chriswimmer.com for an announcement on those plans.
Wimmer Racing also begins its sponsorship search for
the 2010 season. If you are interested in any sponsorship and
marketing opportunities, please contact Jana Jurkvovich at
jjurkovich@gmail.com or (612) 819-4564.
Wimmer Nabs Runner-up Finish at Elko
Closes in on ASAMT Overall Point Lead
Wausau, WI, September 28
th,
2009 – Chris Wimmer brought
home a runner-up finish Satrday at Elko Speedway in Minnesota and
also moved in on the overall ASA Midwest Tour points championship.
Wimmer qualified 4
th
for the Race for the Gold 125
and Elko and followed that up with a third place finish in his fast
heat. “My car was pretty good all day,” said Wimmer, “I was really
hoping my time would stick for fast time, but to qualify in the
top-five is always good.”
With the invert,
Wimmer began the race for the Gold 125 from the seventh starting
position, but he wasted no time weaving his way towards the front.
After just 25 laps the #52 had moved up in to the third position.
“With the tire we run now it seems that everyone kind of evens out
over time,” said Wimmer, “The car was pretty good, so I knew I
needed to try and work my way to the front as early as possible.”
Wimmer then began to close in on the front two cars.
He was battling for the second spot with ASAMT points leader, Nathan
Haseleu, when Haseleu’s transmission failed, sending him in to the
outside wall. “He just made a little contact with me,” said Wimmer,
“I didn’t really know what happened. I knew there was another car
right behind him on the outside, I wasn’t sure if they made contact
or what. I just hate to see when something like that happens to
anyone, let alone the guy who’s leading the points.”
With Haseleu out, Wimmer moved up in the second
position and began to challenge Dan Fredrickson for the lead. Just
before the break at lap 75, Wimmer was able to get inside
Fredrickson’s #36, but wasn’t able to make the pass. “I was getting
a little tight before the break so I tried to loosen it up a little
bit,” said Wimmer, “I also made a few minor shock adjustments.”
The battle between Wimmer and Fredrickson continued
after the break and for the final 50 laps. Wimmer’s #52 was able to
get inside of Fredrickson many times, but, as before, was never able
to complete the pass. Fredrickson held on for the checkered flag and
Wimmer took second. “Dan’s raced here so many times so I knew it
would be really tough to get by him,” said Wimmer, “He gave me room
to the inside, but I was never able to get the momentum out of the
corners to pass him. In order to do that I would have had to make
some contact and I didn’t want to do that or wreck anybody. I would
have loved to have won, but second is pretty darn good, and it’s
definitely the best run I’ve had here, so that’s exciting.”
Due to Haseleu’s blown motor, Wimmer’s second place
finish kept him 3rd
in the ASAMT points, but moved him
within 52 points of the ASAMT overall championships. With just one
race left, it all comes down to Octoberfest and three drivers.
Haseleu, Wimmer, and Steve Carlson, currently second in ASAMT
points, are the only driver’s with a chance to win the point title.
“That definitely makes it exciting for me and the fans,” said Wimmer,
“I know Carlson is always very good at La Crosse, so he’ll be tough,
and I know I’d need a little luck to make up that many points, but
just to go there and have a chance at the overall title is pretty
cool.”
Octoberfest takes place at La Crosse Speedway
October 8-11. The ASAMT Championship and final race will be held
Sunday afternoon.
Wimmer Racing is looking for sponsorship for the
race in La Crosse, if you have any interest, please contact Jana
Jurkovich at jjurkovich@gmail.com or (612) 819-4564
Wimmer Earns Another Top Ten
Prepares for return to Elko
Wausau, WI September 24
th,
2009- Fresh off a
top-ten finish at Norway Speedway Chris Wimmer looks to keep his
successful season going. “It’s been a really good year so far,” says
Wimmer, who has six top-fives and eight top-tens so far in 2009, “I
hope we can finish the season strong and maybe even bring home
another win.”
Wimmer, who qualified 2
nd
in Norway, MI, began the race
from the tenth position and worked his way up to 7th
by the time the 100 laps were
completed. “Norway is a tough track to pass at,” says Wimmer, “I got
a little tight during the race, but I thought I had a pretty good
car. You get in line with guys running nose to tail and it’s hard to
make a move. The outside line really doesn’t go and it was tough to
get under guys coming out of the corner.”
Now Wimmer is all set for a return trip to Elko
Speedway in Minnesota. Wimmer took home a 9
th
place finish at Elko when the
ASA Midwest Tour races there back in May, this weekend, he looks for
more. “I’ve had some decent runs at Elko over the past two years,”
says Wimmer, “But I’d really like to break in to the top-five,
that’s something I haven’t been able to do there. You have so many
guy on the Tour that raced at Elko on a weekly basis and their local
guys are so good it’s tough to get towards the front, but maybe this
will be the week.”
A good run at Elko would also help Wimmer hold
steady in the top-three in ASAMT points. He’s currently third in
Tour points, 137 back from the leader, but 57 points in front of
fourth place. “It would be nice to widen that gap a little, says
Wimmer, “I think Steve Carlson, in second, is the only guy with a
shot to catch the leader, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to catch
Steve, but I’m gonna try. Either way to finish in the top-three in
points in this series would be a big accomplishment.”
Qualifying for the Race for the Gold125 at Elko
starts at 4 p.m. with racing set to start at 6 p.m. Tickets can be
purchased at the gate.
Wimmer Grabs
Two More Top-Three finishes
Gets Set for Labor Day 100
Wausau, WI –
Chris Wimmer picked up a pair of top
three finishes in the last week. He drove his #52 Chevy to a third
place finish at Raceway Park in Shakopee, MN and then hopped back
behind the wheel of Brandon Selle’s second car and finished 2nd
at State Park Speedway. “To
keep getting these top-three finishes is really exciting,” says
Wimmer, “Whether in my car or another car it’s always fun to run up
front and it feels good to have the success I’ve been having.”
Wimmer, who qualified 4
th
in Shakopee, quickly worked his
way up from his 8th
starting position. He took the #52
Chevy to the outside groove and claimed the third spot less than 15
laps in to the race. “At the beginning of the race it seemed like
you could go to the outside,” said Wimmer, “Towards the end of the
race everyone really just seemed to even out so I tried to pass on
the outside and pass early to get some track position.”
Like Wimmer said, most of the cars seemed to even
out towards the end of the race. He races nose to tail with second
place, Steve Carlson, for the final 50 laps, but was never able to
make the pass to get by. “It’s my second straight third place finish
in the ASAMT,” said Wimmer, “And it’s exciting. Anytime you can
finish in the top-five you’ve had a good day, especially at a short
track like Shakopee, so to come home with two straight top-three’s
is awesome.”
Wimmer followed-up his third place finish at Raceway
Park with a runner-up finish in the 1
st
Annual Lodi Memorial at State
Park Speedway. “It was nice to get back to State Park,” says Wimmer,
“I don’t race there very often and I actually don’t know how much
longer it will be around, so it was nice to race there again and do
well.”
Driving a Selle Racing car, Wimmer, qualified 4
th
for the Lodi 66 and grabbed the
lead in the 66 lap feature less than ten laps in. He held the lead
through a number of re-starts, but with seven laps to go State Park
Speedway regular Mark Makesy finished working his way through the
field and made the pass on Wimmer for the win. “You always want to
win, but if I wasn’t going to, I’m glad it was Mark,” says Wimmer,
“He’s one of the few guys who races here every week and I’m happy
for him. I’ll definitely take a second, especially in a car that’s
not mine, I’m very happy with the outcome.” I want to thank Tom Loos
Photography, Mark Heinrich Landscaping and Philly's Sub's and Gyro's
all of Wausau, who came onboard with sponsorship for this race.
This weekend Wimmer heads to Norway Speedway in
Norway, MI for the Labor Day 100. Last year Wimmer was the fast
qualifier at this event and earned a 4
th
place finish. “It’s a track
that’s definitely tough to pass on,” says Wimmer, “I had a good car
there last year, so hopefully we can get the car good again this
year and run up front.”
Qualifying begins at 4pm on Sunday in Norway with racing set to
starts at 6pm
Wimmer Earns Another Top-Three
Finish
By: Kevin Ramsell
SHAKOPEE, MN (Sunday, August 16, 2009) - Its a tight
quarter-mile oval where the inside line is the preferred
groove, but tonight Donny Reuvers used his home track
advantage to go from sixth to the lead in the first eight laps
to win the Shakopee 100 at Raceway Park. Reuvers used the
outside line to make his burst to the front.
It was the first win of the season for the veteran driver and
owner of Raceway Park, who has been on hiatus from ASAMT
competition this season as he held off a tough challenge from
Steve Carlson for the win. “This is awesome!” Reuvers
exclaimed in victory lane. “Our car was really good tonight
and it worked real well on the outside.”
Prior to the start of the race, safety officials had to put
oil dry down on the track after the Figure 8 feature event as
oil was left in the groove. “I think it was actually better in
the second groove than in the first groove,” Reuvers said
after the race as he showed how well the outside groove was by
bolting to the lead on lap 8. “It was great to be back out
here racing a 100-lap race again rather than the 30 or 40-lap
races that we have been doing recently.”
The final 92-laps were stressful for Reuvers as he had the
hottest driver in the American Speed Association Kwik Trip
Midwest Tour presented by ECHO Outdoor Power Equipment right
behind him, “I’m like...oh no. There is nobody else you least
want to have in your mirror besides Steve because he is so
good especially around tight little quarter-mile tracks like
this,” Reuvers said as he waited to see if Carlson use his
bumper to get by him. “I figured he would but I just kept
putting front brake into it to make sure it wouldn’t get loose
getting in, try to avoid much of that even if he did bump me a
little bit. Fortunately it worked out.”
Carlson was pleased with his second place finish, “This is a
very tough track,” Carlson commented after the race. “I had a
good car, early in the race I took too long to get by Brian
Roach and Donny did it quick and got to the lead. He’s a champ
here man, how in the heck do you get by Donny Reuvers at
Shakopee. Overall its not a bad night.”
Bryan Roach grabbed the lead at the start of the 100-lap
feature event as he and Tim Schendel led the field to the
green flag. The first caution flew on lap seven when ECHO
Chainsaw/Oregon Cutting Systems fast qualifier Ryan Johnson
came to a stop on the frontstretch. On the re-start, Reuvers
jumped to the outside of Carlson to take over the second spot.
He continued his momentum on the outside line as he drove past
Roach to take the lead.
Carlson would get by Roach on the outside to take over the
second spot. From there, Carlson stayed glued to Reuvers
bumper just waiting for the multiple-time track champion to
make a mistake.
Carlson’s best shot came with 32-laps to go when he was
working to put Mark Kraus a lap down when the two made contact
going down the backstretch. Carlson would go to the inside of
Reuvers, but with Kraus being on the inside, Reuvers was able
to get by Kraus causing Carlson to fall back in behind Reuvers.
“I can’t believe he did it on purpose, maybe he didn’t hear
spotter or something,” Reuvers said. “Mark is a great guy and
I am sure it was just a mistake on his part. But I was pretty
frustrated in the car at the time.”
In the final ten laps, Reuvers would get to about a car-length
lead over Carlson and cruise to his second straight ASAMT win
at Raceway Park with Carlson in second.
Chris Wimmer started eighth and used the outside line to work
his way up to a third place finish. “It was a lot of fun. Its
neat to see Donny win at his own track, I wish we could have
beat him, but if anybody can win, I am glad he did,” Wimmer
said after the race. He was also surprised how well the
outside groove was, “Yeah, it looks like they put oil dry down
or something before our race and I think that helped us on the
outside because it looked like the bottom was a little
slippery. Some of us were able to run on the outside. I was
trying to follow Donny through, he started ahead of me, and he
was rolling on the outside.”
Jeff Storm started where he finished with a fourth place
finish with Jamie Farrell coming home fifth. Nick Neville was
sixth with current ASAMT Point Leader Nathan Haseleu in
seventh. Jamie Iverson was eighth with Blake Brown finishing
ninth. Andrew Morrissey rounded out the top-ten.
Reuver’s win tonight was his fourth in ASAMT competition in 30
starts.
The ASAMT will head to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on
Sunday, September 6th for the Labor Day 100 at Norway Speedway
in Norway, MI
Wimmer
Eyes Another Top-Five at Shakopee
Wausau, WI August 15, 2009 –
With a weekend off from the ASA Midwest Tour, Chris Wimmer
hopped in the Selle Racing #93 Chevy Friday night at Golden
Sands Speedway. Wimmer set fast time in qualifying, but started
the 40 lap feature from the 15th position. In those 40 laps he
worked his way in to the top-ten and earned a sixth place
finish. “Forty laps isn’t a lot of time to work your way through
the field,” says Wimmer, “The car was pretty good and I had a
lot of fun. It was nice of the Selle family to let me drive
their car. Brandon Selle finished right in front of me, so it
was a good night for their team all around.”
Now it’s back to the ASAMT circuit for Wimmer as he gets set to
take his #52 Chevy to Raceway Park in Shakopee, MN this Sunday.
“It’s definitely a quick turnaround,” says Wimmer, “But it’s not
so bad because I drove Selle’s car Friday so I could get my car
all set during the week. I like to race, so two races in three
days is fun for me.”
Wimmer grabbed a fifth place finish at Raceway Park a year ago
and eyes another top-five finish. “I’d really like to have a
good run there,” says Wimmer, “There are a lot of guys in the
series that have a lot of laps at Shakopee and I know they have
some local drivers coming out, so it can be a difficult place to
have a good run. I had a pretty good car there last year, so
we’ll see what we can do this year.”
After a third place run at Kaukauna a week and a half ago,
Wimmer currently sits 3rd in ASAMT points. He holds an 18 point
lead over 4th place and trails the leader by 154 points.
Wimmer Racing continues to seek primary sponsorship for the rest
of the season. We have sponsorship opportunities for the final
three ASAMT races and also a CRA race in Nashville the first
weekend on November. If you have any interest or would like to
inquire about other media opportunities, please contact Jana
Jurkovich at (612) 819-4564 or jjurkovich@gmail.com
Wimmer Earns Another Top-Three
Finish
Second
Straight Podium Finish for Wimmer
Wausau, WI
August 6th,
2009 –
For the second
straight race Chris Wimmer brings home a third place finish, this
time in the Dixieland150 at Wisconsin International Raceway Tuesday
night. “Of course you want to win races,” says Wimmer, “But to come
home with back to back top-three finishes is exciting. Kaukauna is a
hard racetrack to figure out and with the competition in the ASA
Midwest Tour, I’m definitely happy with a third.”
NASCAR Sprint
Cup driver Kevin Harvick and his Camping World Truck Series driver
Ron Hornaday were among some of the favorites at Kaukauna Tuesday
evening. However Hornaday had a problem just four laps in to the
race. He hit the inside wall hard and was unable to continue.
Meanwhile Harvick, who had to start at the end of the field after
failing to qualify on time, got his car figured out in the final 75
laps to grab an 8th place finish. “It’s always fun when guys like
that come and race with you,” says Wimmer, “They race in the highest
series so to have them in Kaukauna with us was neat.”
Wimmer was third
in the final practice session at WIR and qualified 5th
for the
race. With the invert he began the race from the 6th
starting
position and quickly moved up in to 4th
by lap
four. That’s where Wimmer stayed until the ten minute break at lap
75, which gave drivers a chance to work on their cars. “Not a lot of
guys were making any moves in those first 75 laps,” says Wimmer, “It
was a long race and good to hold on to some track position at the
break. The car felt pretty good in the first half and we just made
some minor adjustments.”
It didn’t take
Wimmer long after the break to move up in to the third spot and as
he closed in on the second place Dan Fredrickson, the engine of the
#36 had problems and forced Fredrickson off the track, handing the
second spot to Wimmer. Then the #52 set his sights on leader Kris
Kelly. With 38 laps to go, Wimmer went to the inside of Kelly and
completed the pass for the lead. “He got a way a little bit while I
was trying to work my way through the field,” says Wimmer, “I wish I
would have been able to chase him down a little quicker, but anytime
you lead a race it’s fun.”
But behind
Wimmer Steve Carlson, a six time winner of the Dixieland150 was
working his way through the field as well. The two drove nose to
tail for more than 15 laps with Carlson taking the lead with just
ten laps to go. “Steve is a great driver anywhere and especially at
WIR,” says Wimmer, “I saw him coming and wasn’t sure if I’d be able
to hold on or not. I’m not sure anybody can get around that track
like he can.”
A debris caution
with 7 laps to go bunched the field back together and on the
re-start Nathan Haseleu was able to get past Wimmer to take second
while Wimmer held on to third. “I really burned my stuff up racing
with Steve for so long,” says Wimmer, “But like I said before a
third place here at Kaukauna is nothing to be disappointed about.”
While the ASAMT takes a break this weekend Wimmer jumps behind the
wheel of another car. Friday night he will drive the #98 Brandon
Selle machine at Golden sands Speedway in Plover. “One of Brandon’s
sponsors, Global Fab is bringing a bunch of people out to the
track,” says Wimmer, “He’s going to drive the car he usually takes
there and I’m going to drive his other one. I’m really looking
forward to it.”
Wimmer Racing
continues to seek primary sponsorship for the rest of the season. If
you have any interest or would like to inquire about other media
opportunities, please contact Jana Jurkovich at (612) 819-4564 or
jjurkovich@gm
Wimmer Takes Third in Detjens Race
Next up Dixieland150 Tuesday in Kaukauna
August 1
st
2009, Wausau, WI –
Friday night Chris Wimmer drove his #52 Chevy to a
third place finish in what may have been the final Detjens Memorial Race. The
race, in honor of Wimmer’s late Uncle Larry Detjens, was a 100 lap feature at
Golden Sands Speedway. “I’ve heard it may be the last Detjens race,” says Wimmer,
“So to have a good run meant a lot.”
Wimmer qualified 6th
and began the feature from the outside of
the second row. Less than ten laps in to the race, he moved up in to the second
starting position and began to challenge for the lead. Unable to get past leader
Andrew Morrisey, Steve Holzhausen got back around Wimmer to re-take the second
spot and put Wimmer third. Says Wimmer, “Steve is such a good driver I kind of
thought if he got by me he might take the lead and I’d be able to follow him up
to the front.”
With 100 laps of caution free racing, it didn’t leave a lot of
time to try and close the gap on the leader again. Though a few drivers seemed
to close the gap on Wimmer and almost challenge for his third position, the
Wimmer Racing Chevy was strong all night and held on for a third place finish.
“I’ll definitely take a top-three finish,” says Wimmer, “It was hard to believe
that the entire race went caution free. I’m not sure if a caution would have
helped me or not, but it would have been nice to close the gap towards the end
and see if I had anything for the leader. It was a fun race though and to go
home with a third place finish is awesome.”
Wimmer’s turnaround to his next race is a quick one. Monday he
heads to Wisconsin International Raceway for a day of practice before racing in
the Dixieland150 Tuesday. “Anytime you have a turnaround like this it’s tough,”
says Wimmer, “The best thing was that I kept my car clean Friday night and out
of trouble. Now there’s just some maintence to do before heading to Kaukauna
Monday morning.”
The Dixieland150 is a highly anticipated race each year and
Tuesday the line-up will be littered with big names. NASCAR Sprint Cup Driver
Kevin Harvick comes to Wisconsin to race for the first time ever and NASCAR
Camping World Truck Series Drivers Ron Hornaday and Johnny Sauter also add their
name to the list. “It’s always exciting when guys like that come to our races,”
says Wimmer, “There’s such good competition as it is and then you throw in those
guys and it always make for a great show.”
Wimmer will practice from 3-7 Monday in Kaukauna. Gates open
Tuesday at 3:30pm Tuesday with qualifying at 4:30pm and racing set to start at
7pm. You can purchase tickets in advance or at the track on Tuesday.
Wimmer Prepares for Special Race
Detjens Memorial Race Friday Night at Golden Sands Speedway
Wausau, WI July 30
th,
2009- Each year there’s one race Chris
Wimmer circles on his calendar. Not because of when it is or where it is, but
because of who it’s for. In honor of his late uncle, Larry Detjens, this year’s
Detjens Memorial Race takes to the track at Golden Sands Speedway Friday, July
31st.
“It’s definitely a race I look forward to every year,” says Wimmer, “There were
a few years in there when I was living down South when I couldn’t make it home,
but I always try to make it. It’s a race that is very special to me and my
family and I always enjoying racing in it.”
Detjens was killed in 1981 at
Wisconsin International Raceway and though Wimmer was very young when his Unlce
died, it’s easy to see the effect he has on his life. “He’s a huge reason why me
and my brother, Scott, race,” says Wimmer, “Scott got to know him a little more,
but I grew up hearing stories about him and his racing and it continues to
inspire me. To be the kind of racer he was is something I strive to do.”
Last year the Wisconsin Challenge Series joined forces with
Golden Sands Speedway and the Detjens family to make it a bigger show. Like in
2008, this year the Memorial Race will once again be a 100 lap feature. “I think
it’s neat they did that,” says Wimmer, “To combine with the WCS brings a few
more cars and makes it a cool show for the fans.”
Wimmer took home a 7th
place finish in the Detjens Memorial a year
ago, but he’s no stranger to taking the checkered flag either. “I’ve won the
Detjens race one time,” says Wimmer, “But it’s been awhile. To win this race
again is a goal of mine each time I race it. Like I said, this race means a lot
to me and my family and to be able to win Friday night would be awesome.”
Wimmer welcomes two new sponsors for this Friday’s race. First
the Dixie Land 150 with Kevin Harvick. Wimmer hopes to help promote a highly
anticipated ASA Midwest Tour race Tuesday, August 4th
in Kaukauna, WI in which NASCAR drivers
Kevin Harvick and Ron Hornaday will both participate. General Beer also comes on
board as a sponsors for the 2009 season. We’d also like to thank Philly’s Subs
and Gyro’s, FlipSide Graphics, Wiley-X Sunglasses, Swift Spring, R2C Performance
Products, 51sports, AutoMeter, OPTIMA Battery, Vanderkoy Bro’s Drywall, Joe
Kleiber Construction, Pergolski Elecrtic, and Wimmer Suspension. Wimmer Racing
continues to seek primary sponsorship for the rest of the season. If you have
any interest or would like to inquire about other media opportunities, please
contact Jana Jurkovich at (612) 819-4564 or jjurkovich@gmail.com
Qualifying is set for 6:30pm Friday night with racing beginning
at 7:45pm. Tickets can be purchased at the gates at Golden Sands Speedway
Questionable Call Robs Wimmer of Podium Finish
Wausau, WI July 21
st,
2009 – Chris Wimmer all but had a
top-three finish at Dells Raceway Park wrapped up Saturday evening, but as
Wimmer looked to make the pass of Steve Carlson after a re-start with four laps
to go, contact was made that sent Calrson spinning. Carlson pulled off the track
with a right front flat and they were both sent to the back of the field. “It
seemed to me that Carlson slid up the track coming out of turn two,” says Wimmer,
“When a guy makes a mistake you need to take advantage. I went inside of him and
thought I was almost up to his door, then the next thing I know he’s spinning
and I’m going to the back. The way it seemed to me, he came down. It’s just
really disappointing, I had an awesome car and was going to have a great finish
and I didn’t really think I should be sent to the back, but that’s the call that
was made.”
Wimmer had a good car all day in Wisconsin Dells. He qualified
the #52 third and wasted little time working his way through the field in the
125 lap feature. After starting 11
th
with the invert, he moved up to fifth by the break
at lap 75. “My car started out really good,” says Wimmer, “Then in those last
about ten laps from the break I started getting a little loose. We made a few
minor adjustments to correct that.”
In the final 50 laps Wimmer’s car really seemed to come to life.
With under ten laps to go he used the outside lane to get ahead of Steve
Holzhausen and take over the third spot. That looked to set up a great finish
between leader Frank Kreyer, veteran Steve Carlson and Wimmer, but the incident
with four to go sent the #52 and #66 to the back and gave the Wimmer Racing team
a 16
th
place finish. “Like I said before it’s just so
frustrating,” says Wimmer, “My car was so good. I’m not sure if I would have had
anything for the leader, but I felt I drove a clean race. I know the series
video guy got it on tape, so I guess I’ll be able to take another look, but it’s
not going to change anything.”
The damage to Wimmer’s car during the contact was pretty
extensive and caused him to withdraw from Slinger Nationals on Tuesday. “A lot
of the damage was cosmetic,” says Wimmer, “But it’s just too much to fix and
turn around in a day. That’s also extremely disappointing to me. I was really
looking forward to racing at Slinger.”
Next up for Wimmer will be the Detjens Memorial Race Friday,
July 31
st
at Golden Sands Speedway in Plover. “That’s a race
I’d really like to do well in,” says Wimmer, “It’s my Uncle’s memorial race and
I haven’t won it in awhile. I’m going to concentrate on that race and bringing
home a good finish.”
Wimmer would like to give a special thanks to Tim Feidler for
his help at the Dells. The Wimmer Racing Teamstill seeks primary sponsorship for
the Detjens Race and the rest of the year. If you have any sponsorship interest
or any media inquiries please contact Jana Jurkovich at (612) 819-4564 or
jjurkovich@ gmail.com
Wimmer Gets Set for Busy Week at the Track
Dells
Raceway Park and Slinger Nationals Coming Up
Wausau, WI, July 16th, 2009 – Chris Wimmer has a busy week of
racing ahead of him. First he heads to Dells Raceway Park
Saturday, July 18th for the Silver 125, then turns his #52 Chevy
around on Sunday for a day of practice at Slinger Speedway
Monday for the Miller Lite Slinger Nationals on Tuesday. “It’s
definitely a crazy week,” says Wimmer, “But it’ll be a lot of
fun, especially if everything goes well. It’s always hard when
you only have a day or so between races, but I have good guys
helping me out and we’ll be ready for practice at Slinger
Monday.”
The Silver 125 in Wisconsin Dells is the second of three Wimmer
has as part of the ASA Midwest Tour “Race or the Gold.” The
driver who has the highest point total after the three races
receives a $4,000 block of gold. “I think it’s a neat thing they
are doing,” says Wimmer, “Last year we never visited the same
track more than once. They’ve changed that up this year and I
think it’s a great idea. I used to race at Dells a lot and
always enjoy going back.”
Wimmer qualified 16th for the Bronze 125 back in May and worked
his way up in to the top-ten before suffering a mechanical
failure and being forced to pull off the track. “I thought my
car was actually pretty good that last time,” says Wimmer, “I
didn’t qualify too well, but my car seemed to race ok, but then
we broke a driveshaft which was a big disappointment.”
Just two days after the Silver 125 Wimmer heads to Slinger
Speedway for a day of practice before competing in the Miller
Lite Slinger Nationals on Tuesday, July 21st. “Slinger is always
one of my favorite races of the year,” says Wimmer, “It’s also
on of the biggest in this area, so I’m really looking forward to
it. Hopefully we can get through Saturday at Dells ok and not
have too much to do to turn the car around on Sunday.”
Last year Wimmer qualified 4th for the Slinger Nationals and
drove his #52 Chevy to an 8th place finish. “My car was pretty
good there last year,” says Wimmer, “It gives me something to
build off of for this year.”
NASCAR Sprint Cup starts Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch will
highlight the field at Slinger, but the last time Kenseth and
Wimmer were on the same track, it was the #52 who made a late
pass of the #17 to take the checkered flag. “Matt always runs
really good at Slinger,” says Wimmer, “And Kyle seems to run
good everywhere. There’s going to be a lot of good drivers and
you need to have a good car just to make the race.”
A win at Slinger Nationals is something Wimmer has always hoped
for. Not just because it’s one of the biggest races in the
Midwest, but the trophy is named after his late Uncle, Larry
Detjens, who won the first ever Slinger Nationals. “Larry is a
big reason why my brother Scott and I are so in to racing, “
says Wimmer, “I’ve won the Larry Detjens Memorial Race, but have
never been able to win the Nationals. To bring home the
trophy with his name on it would be awesome.”
Qualifying gets underway at 4:30pm Saturday with racing starting
at 6:30 pm. Tuesday at Slinger qualifying begins at 3pm and the
200 lap feature is set to start at 7pm. Tickets for both races
can be bought before hand or at the gate.
Wimmer still seeks primary sponsorship for this weekend and the
rest of the year. If you have any sponsorship interest or any
media inquiries please contact Jana Jurkovich at (612) 819-4564
or jjurkovich@gmail.com
Wimmer Grabs Top-Five at Hawkeye Downs Speedway
July 3
rd,
2009 Wausau, WI – Fresh off
a win last Tuesday night at Madison International Speedway Chris
Wimmer returned to the ASA Midwest Tour and brought home a top-five
finish at Hawkeye Downs. “That’s definitely a good week,” says
Wimmer, “Anytime you can pick up a win and a topfive in the same
week, especially with this competition is awesome and I’m very
excited.”
Wimmer, who had mechanical problems during last
year’s ASAMT visit to Cedar Rapids, qualified 3
rd
for the Keith Fleck Miller 100
and wasted no time working his way through the field. From his 9th
starting position, due to the
invert, Wimmer maneuvered his way in to the top-five by the halfway
point. “My car seemed pretty good at the beginning of the race,”
says Wimmer, “I was able to pass some cars and get towards the
front.”
But then during a long green flag run, the #52
dropped back to seventh. A handful of cautions in the closing laps
though played in to the hands of Wimmer. On the shorter runs he was
able to gain back the spots he lost and bring home a fifth place
finish. “My car was really good the first few laps after a
re-start,” says Wimmer, “Then it seemed to get a little loose. Those
cautions at the end definitely helped me out. I’ve been struggling a
little bit on the flatter tracks this year, so to leave Hawkeye
Downs with a top-five is something I feel really good about.”
Wimmer now enjoys a weekend off before heading to
Dells Raceway Park Saturday, July 18
th
for the second of three ASAMT
races in Wisconsin Dells.
Thanks to the sponsors
who’ve supporter Chris Wimmer all season. They include: FlipSide
Graphics, Swift Spring, R2C Performance Products, 51sports,
AutoMeter, OPTIMA Battery, Vanderkoy Bro’s Drywall, Joe Kleiber
Construction, Pergolski Elecrtic, and Wimmer Suspension.
Wimmer Racing
continues to seek primary sponsorship for the rest of the season. If
you have any interest or would like to inquire about other media
opportunities, please contact Jana Jurkovich at (612) 819-4564 or
jjurkovich@gmail.com
Wimmer Nabs Second Win of 2009 Season
Another Late Race Pass Gives Him the Checkered Flag
Wausau, WI, July 1
st
2009 -
With Sprint Cup drivers like Matt
Kenseth and Tony Stewart highlighting theline-up at the Swiss Colony
All-Star race at Madison International Speedway, it was Chris Wimmer
who stole the show, passing Kenseth late in the race to pick up his
second win of the 2009 season. “This is a big one,” says Wimmer, “To
race with guys like Matt and Tony is always exciting and when you
win it’s definitely exciting. There were a lot of tough drivers in
this race and to come out on top is an amazing feeling.”
Wimmer’s car was pretty good all day. He practiced
in the top-ten and qualified 11
th.
With the invert, he began the race from the second row and moved in
to second spot within the first ten laps. Kenseth grabbed the lead
early and Wimmer moved up in to the second spot and that’s how they
stayed until the break at lap 50. “I just made a few changes at the
break,” says Wimmer, “I needed to get a little more grip and get
through the corner a little better, so I just made a minor shock
changed and pulled a few spring rubbers.”
The changes seemed to make Wimmer’s car even better.
Still chasing down the #17 of Kenseth, Wimmer was able to close the
gap. After a re-start with 15 to go, he got underneath Kenseth and
made the pass for the lead with just 11 laps left on the board. The
#52 held on for those final laps to take the checkered flag and earn
another huge win. “To race all day with Matt was definitely cool,”
says Wimmer, “And then to pass him to win is even better. I knew I
had the better car, I just wanted to make sure I raced him clean. I
did that and it’s all just really exciting.”
Wimmer’s other win this season came back in May at
Iowa Speedway when he made another late race pass to take the lead.
“I don’t try to make things to dramatic,” says Wimmer, “I’d rather
lead the whole thing. It makes it a good show for the fans though
and I’m just so thrilled. Wins are definitely hard to come by and
I’ve been fortunate enough to get two already this season, it just
makes you want more.”
Wimmer would like to thank his sponsors who helped
make this possible. They include: FlipSide Graphics, Wiley-X
Sunglasses, Molecule, Hallman-Lindsay, Swift Spring, R2C Performance
Products, 51sports, AutoMeter, OPTIMA Battery, Vanderkoy Bro’s
Drywall, Joe Kleiber Construction, Pergolski Elecrtic, and Wimmer
Suspension. Wimmer Racing continues to seek primary sponsorship for
the rest of the season. If you have any interest or would like to
inquire about other media opportunities, please contact Jana
Jurkovich at (612) 819-4564 or
jjurkovich@gmail.com
Wimmer Returns to MIS for the The Swiss Colony All-Star Challenge
June 29th, 2009 Wausau, WI: Chris
Wimmer and his Wimmer Racing # 52 Chevrolet return to Madison
International Speedway on Tuesday June 30th for The Swiss Colony
Annual All-Star Challenge. The 100 lap race will feature NASCAR
Stars Matt Kenseth & Tony Stewart.
Chris finished 7th last year in the
All-Star Challenge after having contact with Tony Stewart with 20
laps to go and having to restart at the back of the field. “I’m
really looking forward to racing again at MIS. It is a fun track to
race at and there are 2 racing grooves. It’s fun to race against
the NASCAR Stars There is always a stellar field here at Madison and
the racing is really competitive.”
Chris comes off a race last weekend at
Illiana Speedway, The 8th Annual Elmer Musgrave, where
the crew struggled with the car for the right setup. After
practicing all day in the top 10 and qualifying 7th Chris
started the race in the 7th starting position. After
about 20 laps the handling went away on the car and Chris struggled
with a loose/loose race car until the end of the race. He finished
in a disappointing 17th place.
Qualifying for the Swiss Colony All-Star
Challenge Series begins at 4pm and racing action gets under way at
7pm.
Chris’s next ASA Midwest Tour race is
Friday, July 3 at Hawkeye Downs Speedway in Cedar Rapids, IA. The
“37th Annual Keith Fleck Miller100”.
Wimmer and ASAMT Return to Track
Series First Trip to Illiana Motor Speedway
Wausau, WI June 16
th,
2009 – After three weeks
off, Chris Wimmer and the ASA Midwest Tour get set to return to the
track. For the first time in Series’ history, the ASAMT heads to
Illiana Motor Speedway and this marks Wimmer’s first trip in over
eight years. “I raced there a long time ago, I think in 2000,” says
Wimmer, “I honestly don’t remember it much. From what I’ve heard
it’s a pretty flat track and some people have compared it to
Marshfield.”
After a mechanical problem at Wisconsin Dells in the
last ASAMT race, Wimmer hopes to get back on track this weekend and
bring home his 3
rd
top-ten finish of the season. “Dells
was definitely disappointing,” says Wimmer, “But as they say, that’s
racing. It was nice to have a little extra time to get everything
fixed, but I’m excited for Illiana this weekend and to get back to
racing.”
With four ASA Midwest Tour events in the books,
Wimmer currently sits in a three way tie for third place in the
overall point standings and just 67 points out of the lead. “The
point standings are so close,” says Wimmer, “And they were last year
too. You really need to make sure you’re on your game in this
series, but it also speaks volumes of the talent on the Tour this
year.”
Wimmer Racing continues to search for primary
sponsorship for this year, but would like to thank our associate
sponsors. FlipSide Graphics returns to the #52 car this year as an
associate sponsor. They have always supported the Wimmer Racing
program and it is greatly appreciate. Hallman-Lindsay, Swift Spring,
R2C Performance Products, 51sports, AutoMeter, OPTIMA Battery,
Vanderkoy Bro’s Drywall, Joe Kleiber Construction, Pergolski
Elecrtic , and Wimmer Suspension have also all jumped on board to
help in a sponsorship role. Without their support it would be
difficult to make it to the track every weekend.
Practice for the Elmer Musgrave 100 begins Saturday
at 1:45pm and qualifying set to begin at 5pm. For more information
on Chris Wimmer of Wimmer Racing or to get involved in sponsorship,
please contact Jana Jurkovich at (612) 819-4564.
Another Tough Day for Wimmer
But a Shift in the Overall Point Standings
June 2
nd
2009, Wausau, WI –
Chris Wimmer has had better day at
Dells Raceway Park, but despite his 20th
overall finish Saturday he
moves up in to a tie for 3rd
place in the ASA Midwest Tour
points. “To me it’s kind of crazy,” says Wimmer, “I know a bunch of
other guys has bad days too, but to move up a place in points when
you have a bad day is not something that usually happens. That’s how
close there points are though.”
Wimmer qualified 16
th
for the ASAMT Race for the
Bronze 125 and began the race from that starting spot. By lap 70
he’d worked his way up inside the top ten. But on lap 73 Wimmer’s
#52 made contact with the #40 of Jeremy Lepak, bringing out a
caution and sending both cars to the back of the field. “He was on
the outside and I thought kind of chopped me off to try and get down
to the bottom,” says Wimmer, “I checked up but couldn’t stop my
momentum enough and got in to the back of him. I’m not sure I
deserved to be sent to the back, but that’s how ASA has the rules.”
Instead of taking the ten minute break at lap 75,
they went ahead and took is on lap 73 when the caution came out.
Wimmer made a few adjustments to the car and tried to work his way
back through the field. The #52 was making progress and eyed the top
ten when a caution came out with 20 laps to go. At this time, Wimmer
pulled off the track with a mechanical problem and finished the race
in the 20
th
position. “We broke a drive shaft,”
says Wimmer, “It’s disappointing because I know I was working my way
back up thought the field. I would never have had enough to catch
those top guys, but I think I could have finished with a top-ten.”
Despite a rough day on the track Wimmer moved up one
place and in to a tie for third in the overall ASAMT point
standings. “A lot of guys right in front and behind me also had a
tough day at Dells,” says Wimmer, “I was lucky enough to qualify in
and run well in the heat races that I got some points there. But
that’s what it’s all about, taking points when you can get them,
because you never know what’s gonna happen.”
The ASAMT now takes a few weeks off and will not
race again until June 20
th
at Illiana Speedway. For
sponsorship inquiries with Wimmer Racing or media opportunities,
please contact Jana Jurkovich at (612) 819-4564 or jjurkovich@gmaill.com
Wimmer Grabs a Top-Ten Finish at Elko Speedway
Prepares for First of Three Races at the Dells
May 26
th2009,
Wausau, WI – A week after
taking the checkered flag at Iowa Speedway for his first ASA Midwest
Tour win, Chris Wimmer drove his #52 Chevy to a top-ten finish at
Elko. “Anytime you can get a good finish in this series, it’s
awesome,” says Wimmer, “There are always so many good cars. Of
course, I would like to have finished higher, but I’ll definitely
take a top ten.”
After practicing well all day, Wimmer qualified 4
th
for the Elko 125 and began the
race from the 8th
position. It didn’t take Wimmer long
to begin to work his way to the front and by lap 23 he found himself
in second, chasing down the leader. “My car seemed pretty good right
off the bat,” says Wimmer, “I knew there were a lot of strong guys
behind me though, so it would be tough to hang in that spot.”
About ten laps later, Donny Reuvers passed Wimmer to
take over that second position and at the break at lap 75, Wimmer
slid to the 7
th
position. “My car just got really,
really loose,” says Wimmer, “It took off right away, but then I had
trouble hanging on.”
The Wimmer Racing crew made some adjustment during
the ten minute break and Wimmer held strong in the top-ten to finish
the Elko 125 in ninth position. “I think I over adjusted a little at
the break,” says Wimmer, “My car got too tight during those last 50
laps, but like I said before, I’ll definitely take a top-ten when I
can get it.”
With two strong races in a row, Wimmer moves to 4
th
in the overall ASA Midwest Tour
point standings, and finds himself just 24 points back from the
leader. “The point standings are so close,” says Wimmer, “It’s
important to try to keep stringing together good finishes to stay in
the game and that’s what we’re trying to do.”
Next up for Wimmer and the ASAMT is the Race for the
Bronze 125 at Dells Raceway Park. This race was originally scheduled
to be the series’ opener but was postponed due to rain. “I got to
test at Dells for a day and we got in a full day of practice,” says
Wimmer, “So I’m looking forward to actually getting to race there. I
grew up racing at the Dells, so it’s always exciting when I get to
go back.”
The Race for the Bronze is the first of three ASAMT
races scheduled for Dells this season. “I think it’s neat that
they’re having us race a few of the track more than once,” says
Wimmer, “I know there’s a little bonus for whoever has the best
average finish for the three Dells races, so that adds a little more
excitement.”
Qualifying begins Saturday at 4pm at Dells Raceway
Park with racing set to start at 6:30pm. If you would like any
information on sponsorship opportunities or have any other requests,
please contact Jana Jurkovich at (612) 819-4564 or jjurkovich@gmail.com
Wimmer Heads Back to Short Tracks After Win
May 22, 2009, Wausau, WI –
Fresh off his first ever ASA Midwest
Tour win last weekend at the 7/8 mile track in Iowa, Chris Wimmer
prepares to head back to the short tracks. Wimmer and the rest of
the ASAMT race at the 3/8 mile oval in Elko, MN Saturday. “It’s
always a change when you go from the shorter tracks to a bigger
track like Iowa,” says Wimmer, “But I’m looking forward to Elko.
It’s a really nice track and I know they get a good mix of tour guys
and local guys, so it should be a good show.”
Wimmer, who once set a track record at Elko Speedway
in the old ASA Series, finished 12
th
there in the ASAMT opener last
season. “Last year Elko was our first race of the season,” says
Wimmer, “It was actually my first time on the track in my car after
making a bunch of changes in the offseason, so I’m excited to see
what we can do this year.”
After last weekend’s big win at Iowa Speedway,
there’s no doubt there’s been a little more buzz around the shop
this week and the Wimmer Racing team is excited to get back to the
track. “Winning a big race definitely helps give you and your team a
boost,” says Wimmer, “I know we’re all excited to get back out there
and see what we can do this weekend. To win one race on this tour is
a hard thing to do and it’s exciting to think we’re trying for
number two.”
Qualifying gets underway at 4pm Saturday with an
autograph session at 5:30pm and racing set to start at 7pm. For fans
that can’t make the trip to Minnesota, you can listen live to the
event on the internet. Simply go to www.asamidwesttour.com/node/915
and you will see the link.
For information on sponsorship or any media requests
for Chris Wimmer, please contact Jana Jurkovich at (612) 819-4564 or
jjurkovich@gmail.com
Wimmer Wins at World’s Fastest Short Track

May 18
th
2009, Wausau, WI –
Saturday night Chris Wimmer got to
do something he had yet to do in the ASA Midwest Tour, pull his #52
Chevy in to victory lane. With over 22,000 people in the stands at
Iowa Speedway, Wimmer made a late charge to take the checkered flag
in the Pride of Iowa 100. “It was just so exciting,” says Wimmer, “I
had a pretty good season last year but never got that win, it just
feels so good to win one, especially at Iowa, it’s one of the
biggest races we have, so to win it is amazing.”
Wimmer had a good car all day, he practiced in the
top ten and qualified 11
th.
That’s where the #52 Chevy began the Pride of Iowa 100, but quickly
Wimmer worked his way towards the front. By the break at lap 60
Wimmer had moved his way up in to the fifth position. “The car was
pretty good at that point,” says Wimmer, “We made a few minor
adjustments at the break. I wasn’t sure if I would have anything for
the leaders, but I was going to try.”
Less than five laps after the restart Wimmer worked
his way in to the third position and set his sights on the leaders.
With less than 20 laps to go Tim Schendel and Jonathan Eilen began
to race side by side for the lead. Though Wimmer was almost a
straightaway behind them at that point, their hard racing allowed
him to close the gap. “I saw how hard they were racing each other,”
says Wimmer, “I thought maybe they would wear their stuff out and
before I knew it I was closing in on them.”
With three laps to go Wimmer closed the gap entirely
and made his move. Coming out of turn four he dove between both
Schendel and Eilen, making it three wide, and passing them both for
the lead. “I got a really good run off the corner,” says Wimmer, “I
knew I just had to go for it, so I made a move down low and was able
to clear them both.”
From there Wimmer held on for the final laps to take
the checkered flag and capture his first ever ASA Midwest Tour win.
As he climbed out of the car in victory lane Wimmer was doused in
champaign and did the “hat dance”. “I’ve been waiting for this one
for awhile,” says Wimmer, “The guys I have helping me are awesome. I
think everyone was a little dejected after Madison, when we got
wrecked on the second lap. We all worked so hard getting this car
back together and to come here and win, at one of the biggest and
fastest tracks we race on, is awesome.”
Wimmer would like to thank his sponsors who helped
make this possible. They include: FlipSide Graphics,
Hallman-Lindsay, Swift Spring, R2C Performance Products, 51sports,
AutoMeter, OPTIMA Battery, Vanderkoy Bro’s Drywall, Joe Kleiber
Construction, Pergolski Elecrtic, Philly's Subs and Gyros and Wimmer
Suspension.
Wimmer Racing continues to seek primary sponsorship
for the rest of the season. If you have any interest or would like
to inquire about other media opportunities, please contact Jana
Jurkovich at (612) 819-4564 or jjurkovich@gmail.com
Next up for Wimmer will be the ASAMT race Saturday, May 23
rd
at Elko Speedway in Elko, MN
Wimmer Aims for Another Top‐Five at Iowa Speedway
Wausau, WI, May 14
th
2009 –
After a weekend off, Chris Wimmer and
the ASA Midwest Tour head to Iowa Speedway for the Pride of Iowa 100
this weekend. The 7/8 mile track is the biggest and fastest these
drivers will race on all year. “It’s a really neat track,” says
Wimmer, “You average almost 130 mph there; it’s really fast, but a
lot of fun.”
Wimmer, who’s raced on bigger tracks consistently
throughout his career, drove his #52 Chevy to a 5
th
place finish at Iowa Speedway
last season. “My car was pretty good there last year,” says Wimmer,
“We had a little bit of a motor problem, so I’m excited to see if it
can be better this year.”
Besides Iowa Speedway boasting one of the best
facilities for the ASAMT, it also provides some of the best fans.
Last year over 14,000 people enjoyed some great racing and already
over 18,000 people have pre‐purchased tickets for this Saturday’s
100 lap race. “That’s just so cool,” says Wimmer, “I remember last
year looking up and there were so many people in the stands. It’s
always awesome when you get to race in front of a crowd like that.”
Practice gets underway Saturday at 9:30am with
practice at 2:30pm, driver autograph session at 3:15pm, and racing
at 7:50pm. Tickets can be purchased at the gate.
Wimmer still seeks primary sponsorship for this
weekend and the rest of the year. If you have any sponsorship
interest or any media inquiries please contact Jana Jurkovich at
(612) 819‐4564 or jjurkovich@ gmail.com
Hard Luck for Wimmer at Madison
International Speedway
Wausau, WI, May 3rd 2009 ‐
The ASA Midwest Tour season didn’t
begin quite the way Chris Wimmer hoped. After practicing well all day and a 4th
fastest qualifying lap, Wimmer
was caught up in a wreck just two laps in to the Joe Shear Classic
136. “It’s just really disappointing,” says Wimmer, “The car had
been good all day and I was really looking forward to racing. It’s
just a really bad deal when something like that happens so early in
the race.”
With the invert, Wimmer began the race from the 7
th
starting position. On lap two,
a few cars ahead of him got together, stacking up Wimmer’s #52 and
three other quality cars. “I didn’t see the whole thing,” says
Wimmer, “But I think some guys in front were just pushing the
envelope a little too much too early in the race. I thought we would
have had a good car during the race, now we’ll just fix it up and
get ready for the next one.”
That next race for Wimmer and the ASAMT comes May 16
th
at Iowa Speedway, where the #52
picked up a top‐five finish last year. “Iowa is a really neat track,
says Wimmer, “I had a pretty good car last year and I’m excited to
g0 back.”
Wimmer Racing continues to search for primary
sponsorship for this year, but would like to thank our associate
sponsors. FlipSide Graphics returns to the #52 car this year as an
associate sponsor. They have always supported the Wimmer Racing
program and it is greatly appreciate. Hallman‐Lindsay, Swift Spring,
R2C Performance Products, 51sports, AutoMeter, OPTIMA Battery,
Vanderkoy Bro’s Drywall, Joe Kleiber Construction, Pergolski
Elecrtic , and Wimmer Suspension have also all jumped on board to
help in a sponsorship role. Without their support it would be
difficult to make it to the track every weekend.
For more information on Chris Wimmer of Wimmer
Racing or to get involved in sponsorship, please contact Jana
Jurkovich at (612) 819‐4564
Wimmer Prepares for ASA Midwest Tour Opener
Wausau, WI, April 30
th
2009 –
With last weekend’s ASA Midwest Tour
opener rained out at Wisconsin Dells, Chris Wimmer and the rest of
the drivers prepare to hit the track for the first time together
Sunday at Madison International Speedway. “I was disappointed when
the race last weekend was rained out,” says Wimmer, “I’ve tried to
race twice already this season, but both times the weather wasn’t
good. I’m really excited to get things underway this weekend at
Madison.”
There’s also probably no better way to kick off the
ASA Midwest Tour season than with a race honoring the late Joe
Shear. Almost all race fans are familiar with the name and recognize
Shear as one of the greatest short track racers of all time. “He was
a really neat guy,” says Wimmer, “My brother used to race against
him and Joe was one of the guys I looked up to.”
Wimmer raced twice at MIS last year picking up a 6
th
place finish in the ASAMT race
and a 7th
place finish in the Wisconsin All‐Star
Race. “I like Madison, but it can be a tricky track,” says Wimmer,
“Last year at the Wisconsin All‐Star Race my car was actually really
good. If I hadn’t been involved in an earlier incident and sent to
the back, I think I might have been able to contend for a top three
finish.”
While Wimmer has high hopes for a top finish Sunday,
he also sets his sights on a Tour Championship this year. After a
forth place finish in ASAMT points last year, Wimmer thinks his #52
Chevy can compete for a title this year. “We had a really good
string of top‐five finishes last year,” says Wimmer, “If we can get
a run like that together again this year, I think we’ll be really
successful. There’s a lot of tough competition every weekend and it
would be awesome to win a championship.”
Wimmer Racing continues to search for primary
sponsorship for this year, but would like to thank our associate
sponsors. FlipSide Graphics returns to the #52 car this year as an
associate sponsor. They have always supported the Wimmer Racing
program and it is greatly appreciate. Hallman‐Lindsay, Swift Spring,
R2C Performance Products, 51sports, AutoMeter, OPTIMA Battery,
Vanderkoy Bro’s Drywall, Joe Kleiber Construction, Pergolski
Elecrtic , and Wimmer Suspension have also all jumped on board to
help in a sponsorship role. Without their support it would be
difficult to make it to the track every weekend.
Wimmer practices at Madison International Speedway
Saturday from noon – 5pm. On Sunday, the gates open at noon and
racing begins at 4pm. For more information on Chris Wimmer of Wimmer
Racingor to get involved in sponsorship, please contact Jana
Jurkovich at (612) 819‐4564.
Wimmer
Finishes 4th overall in the ASALMT Points for 2008

Chris & his dad Ron
2009 ASAMT TOURING
STAR CHRIS WIMMER
By: Kevin Ramsell
BURLINGTON, WI (Monday, February 23, 2009) – In 2008, he came in
the American Speed Association Kwik Trip Midwest Tour presented by
ECHO Outdoor Power Equipment series quietly. At the end of the
season, Chris Wimmer was still soft spoken but was speaking
volumes behind the wheel.
The Wausau, WI driver
finished fourth in the final 2008 point standings with two ECHO
fast qualifier awards, five top-five’s and nine top-ten finishes.
In fact, his five top-five finishes came in five consecutive
events which started with a fifth place finish at Iowa Speedway, a
fourth place at Wisconsin International Raceway, a fifth at
Shakopee, a second at Milwaukee, and a fifth at Norway.
The Milwaukee Mile event
was his best finish of the season as he finished in between winner
Kyle Busch and the 2009 Daytona 500 champion Matt Kenseth. “I was
really excited about that,” Wimmer recalled. “Any time you get a
chance to race with those guys it’s awesome, and to compete with
them only builds confidence. It’s always neat to watch them race
on Sunday and win Cup races and then to get a chance to race
against them on our local tracks.”
At the end of the season,
he almost pulled off a huge win at the All-American 400 event at
Nashville’s Music City Motorplex, but engine problems with ten
laps to go gave him a second place finish.
“This is the most fun I
have ever had racing and I hope to have as much fun next year,”
Wimmer stated. “I plan on doing the whole deal again next year.”
One of his goals coming
in was to be a Touring Star this season. With that accomplished he
has two more goals in 2009, “The first goal next year is to win my
first ASAMT race and then get in the top three and go for the
championship.”
Wimmer already has a head
start on the upcoming season as he won a new Tesar Engineering ACE
motor at the recent Championship Banquet.
Wimmer does have
sponsorship availability for the 2009 season. For more
information, please contact Chris at
cwimmer05@yahoo.com, 715-212-6105, or his PR person Jana
Jurkovich
jjurkovich@gmail.com, 612-819-4564.
The ASAMT Touring Star
program was developed to help the series promote each special
event prior to, during, and after each event. Each year a group of
Touring Stars will be selected to the travel bonus program.
In 2009, the top-14 from
the 2008 points standing will be eligible for the Touring Star
program. Those drivers who are eligible will be required to sign
an agreement with a promise to attend all ASAMT events and to
participate in all promotional programs or opportunities. Failure
to do so will result in removal from the bonus program. Touring
Stars will be allowed one (1) excused absence due to unforeseen
reasons that is approved by the ASAMT office.
Those eligible drivers
must have their agreement signed by February 28, 2009 to be in the
program. If an eligible driver declines, then the Touring Star
offer will go to the next eligible driver in the 2008 points
standing prior to the start of the 2009 season. If a star drops
out during the season, it will go to the next eligible driver in
the current 2009 points standing.
The 15th spot in the
ASAMT Touring Star program is reserved for the highest finishing
rookie at an ASAMT event. If they are the highest finishing
eligible rookie at any 2009 ASAMT events, they will receive a
Touring Star bonus at the next event.
“The Touring Star program
accomplishes a major goal that Tim (Olson, ASAMT President) and I
set when we started this series. That is we want to have our fans
local heroes to compete against the best Midwest drivers,” Steve
Einhaus, ASAMT Vice-President stated. “When we come to compete at
a track with our Touring Stars, we encourage the local competitors
to race with us. This is a win-win for everyone. The fans get to
see some great racing and the local heroes get to show their
talent against some of the toughest competition in the United
States.”
The season opening event
will take place on Saturday, April 25 at Dells Raceway Park in
Wisconsin Dells, WI with the Race for the Gold – Bronze Race.
To learn more about the
American Speed Association Kwik Trip Midwest Tour presented by
Echo Outdoor Power Equipment log on to
www.asamidwesttour.com or call the ASA Midwest Tour office at
(262) 514-3880 or e-mail Tim Olson at
tim@asamidwesttour.com or Steve Einhaus at
steve@asamidwesttour.com.
To learn more of 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 racetracks
and regional tours involved in the American Speed Association,
visit
www.asaracing.com.
ASA™, ASA Racing™ and
American Speed Association® are trademarks of Racing Speed
Associates, LLC. Racing Speed Associates, LLC is not related to
or affiliated with ASA Late Model Series, LLC.

Wimmer
Finishes Second in the ASA Southeast Asphalt Tour Series Adam Petty
Memorial All- American 200
Nashville, TN: In what could be
Chris Wimmer’s final race of the 2008 season, he had one of the best
race weekends on the year in Nashville at the Music City Motorplex
during the All American 400 Weekend. From the moment the Wimmer
Racing crew unloaded the #52 Chevy at Music City Motorplex, it was
fast. Wimmer never dropped out of the top-ten in practice times
Thursday and Friday. “We were just pretty good right off the
truck,” says Wimmer, “We tried a few different things throughout
practice and went right back to what we unloaded with.”
Wimmer’s strong car continues to
show in qualifying as he timed in seventh out of the 47 entries. “I
think I could even have qualified better,” says Wimmer, “My first
lap was good and I messed up a little on the second, but I was just
happy to start in the top ten.”
Because drivers in the top-ten draw
for their starting positions, Wimmer lined up 8th for the
ASA South East Tour 200 lap event. By lap 40, Wimmer moved up into
the second position and closed in on leader Jonathan Eilen. “My car
was really good says Wimmer, “And I thought I would be able to pass
Eilen, I just wanted to be patient, because it’s a long race.”
When the caution flag flew at the
halfway point, Wimmer was still lined-up behind Eilen and started
the second 100 laps from that position. “At the break we actually
only took two right side tires, and everyone else took four,” says
Wimmer, “We were hoping to get a late caution and be able to put on
two fresh rights because tires are so important here.”
Just after lap 151, Wimmer was able
to make the pass on Jonathan Eilen and took the lead. The #52
stayed up front for the next 40 laps, but then with 10 laps to go
Wimmer experienced motor problems allowing Brian Campbell to make
the pass for the win, while Wimmer finished second. “With 10 to go
my motor started missing,” says Wimmer, “I ended up breaking a
valve. I tried to hold on to the lead, but Campbell was too strong,
I was happy to have able to hang on for second.”
Wimmer’s second place finish ties
his best finish of the year, and is also his best finish ever at
Music City Motorplex. “I’m really happy,” says Wimmer, “I would
really have liked to win, but with what happened, second is pretty
good. Hopefully we can get a win here one of these times.”
With
such a great run at Nashville, Wimmer is looking to possibly enter
the Snowball Derby in December. The Snowball Derby is the final
race of the 2008 season and already has over 50 entries. “I’d love
to be able to go to Florida and race the Snowball,” says Wimmer, “To
do so I’ll definitely need some sponsorship help, so we’re busy
looking for that hoping we can make all this work.” If anyone is
interested in sponsoring Chris at the Snowball Derby please contact
Chris at
cwimmer05@yahoo.com.
The Nashville Race will be
televised starting this week on many cable outlets and on
www.youtube.com. .
Wimmer Set
to Finish Season in Nashville
Just three weeks after wrapping up
a fourth place points finish in the ASA Midwest Tour at Oktoberfest,
Chris Wimmer gets set to close out his 2008 race season in
Nashville. “It’s hard to believe it’s already the end of the
season,” says Wimmer, “But I’m looking forward to Nashville, it’s
always been a fun place to race.”
Wimmer entered the CRA race in
Nashville a year ago, but this year will compete in the ASA
SouthEast Asphalt Tour. Wimmer is just one of seven drivers with
ASAMT experience competing ASASE event this weekend. “It’s a pretty
neat deal,” says Wimmer, “They tried to kind of make it a north and
south battle, so a bunch of the guys I’ve been racing with all
season will be here as well as all of the guys from the ASA
SouthEast.”
While Wimmer failed to make the CRA
race last year, he has high hopes for his trip to Music City this
year. “Last year we were pretty fast all weekend, I thought,” says
Wimmer, “But that was really just our 4th race of the
season and things just didn’t go our way. This year I’ve been at it
all season and put together some pretty good finishes.”
The 200-lap feature sets up a
little differently than many of the ASAMT teams are used to, as
drivers will make live pit stops. Usually in ASAMT competition
there is a cautioned break period that gives teams time to make
adjustments and change tires. “it’s definitely a little different,”
says Wimmer, “But it’s also fun, if everything goes right. I know I
have a good group of guys who will be pitting for me, so everything
should work out well.”
The ASASE event in Nashville gets
underway Thursday with practice and continues Friday with more
practice and qualifying. The 200-lap feature event begins Saturday
at one o’clock in the afternoon.
Wimmer Wraps-up Fourth Place in The
ASA Midwest Tour Championship
The ASA Midwest Tour wrapped up its
season Sunday at the LaCrosse Speedway in West Salem, WI and Chris
Wimmer’s finish put the final touches on his fourth place finish in
the series overall point standings. “To be able to finish top-five
in points, our first full year in the series, I think is a huge
accomplishment,” says Chris Wimmer, “The guys in this series are so
tough and to finish well and stay consistent all season is really
exciting.”
Though he ended the weekend
claiming fourth in points, Wimmer’s Oktoberfest weekend didn’t
exactly go as he hoped. Things started out well when he qualified
the #52 FlipSide Graphics Chevy fifth. But a change in race format
forced all drivers to qualify for the Oktoberfest 100 through
qualifying races, with the top ten advancing to the feature. Wimmer
began his qualifying race from the 6th starting position
and held on for an 8th place finish and a spot in the
feature. “I was definitely happy just to make the race with this
different format,” says Wimmer, “But during the qualifying race my
car wasn’t as good as it was in qualifying. I think we had a good
qualifying set-up and not a good race set-up.”
So Wimmer and his crew made big
changes to the #52 Chevy for the Oktoberfest 100 Sunday. “We went
back to a more traditional set-up that I had been running at a lot
of tracks,” said Wimmer, “It seemed like the best option at the
time.”
The changes didn’t seem to help,
but Wimmer drove his car to a 21st place finish and
finished ahead of a couple of drivers who were also in a tight
top-five points battle. “My car just wasn’t very good during the
race,” said Wimmer, “We came in under a couple of cautions and tried
to make some changes, but ran out of time. Unfortunately for us
there wasn’t another caution so we didn’t get another chance to come
back in until the end. I was hoping to end the season a little
better, but to hang on to 4th in points is huge.”
Wimmer has one more race planned
before he calls it a season. He and his crew will head to
Nashville, TN the first weekend in November for either the ASA South
East Tour race or the CRA race at the Nashville Fairgrounds track.
“I really like Nashville,” says Wimmer, “I always look forward to
going there, I’m sure there will be a lot of good cars, so hopefully
we can have a good run.”
The ASA Midwest Tour banquet will
be held Saturday, January 24th 2009 at the Kalahari in
Wisconsin Dells, WI. More information will be available on
www.asamidwesttour.com
Wimmer Prepares for Final ASAMT Event
of the Season
After three weeks off Chris Wimmer
prepares for Oktoberfest Weekend and the final ASA Midwest Tour
event of the season. “It was nice to have a few weeks off,” says
Chris Wimmer, “But I’m definitely ready to get back on the track.
The Fest is always fun.”
The ‘Fest, as it’s called, is known
as one of the biggest race weekends of the year in Wisconsin and
beginning last year also serves as the championship for the ASA
Midwest Tour Series. “Oktoberfest has been huge for years,” says
Wimmer, “It’s something everyone looks forward to and to also have
it as the ASA Championship it huge. Last year over 65 cars were
entered.”
And last year didn’t work out how
Wimmer had hoped. After only running a couple of races, Wimmer
entered the #52 in two different races Oktoberfest weekend.
However, he failed to make either race by only one position.” It was
tough because I hadn’t raced a lot last year and was trying to play
catch-up,” says Wimmer, “Also, the best of the best come out for the
‘Fest, it’s definitely one of the toughest races of the year to
make.”
This year though has gone well for
Wimmer. As he enters the final ASAMT race of the season, he
currently sits 4th in points and can mathematically still
finish as high as second. “We had that string of a few top five
finishes in a row,” says Wimmer, “And that was huge. The points are
really tight and I know some guys last year moved as much as two
spots, up or down, in the final race. We really need to race well
to try and finish top-five in points.”
While Oktoberfest weekend is one of
the most looked forward to of the year, it’s also the longest race
weekend of the year. Racing begins as early as Thursday and runs
through Sunday. Wimmer and the ASAMT hit the track for practice
Friday, qualifying and qualifying races Saturday, and the 100-lap
feature Sunday. “They’re changing up the qualifying a little this
year,” says Wimmer, “So it should be interesting to see how
everything plays out. I’m looking forward to the weekend though and
it should be a good way to wrap up the ASAMT season.” For more
information go to
www.asamidwesttour.com or
www.lacrossespeedway.com.
Flat Tire Slows Wimmer’s Day in
Marshfield
Marshfield, WI: Chris Wimmer
and the ASA Midwest Tour hit the track at Marshfield Speedway
Sunday, September 7th for the Kim Parsons Memorial 100
and it looked as though Wimmer’s day would be pretty good. The car
was quick right from the get-go and he drove it to the 5th
fastest time in qualifying. “During practice the car felt good,”
said Wimmer, “I had to go out first for qualifying, and no one wants
to do that, so to end up fifth, I thought, was pretty good.”
With the inverted start Wimmer
lined up 10th for the Kim Parsons Memorial 100. The car
moved towards the front right away, but then began to slide back
through the field and Wimmer ended the day with a 15th
place finish. “The car was good right away,” said Wimmer, “And then
it just got really bad. It got really loose and I wasn’t exactly
sure why. I had a hard time holding on to it. After the race when I
pulled in to the pits we found that my right front tire had a hole
in it and was going down, so I was just happy to hang on for 15th.”
Wimmer now sits 4th in
the ASAMT point standings with just one race left to go. While he’s
out of the chase for the championship, he can still move up to 2nd
with a good race at the season finale during the Oktoberfest Weekend
on October 4th and 5th at Lacrosse Fairgrounds
Speedway in West Salem Wisconsin. For more information go to
www.asamidwesttour.com.

Wimmer Sets
Fast Time and Takes Home Another Top-Five Finish
8/31/2008 Norway, MI: Chris
Wimmer set fast time in qualifying at Norway Speedway Sunday and
then followed it up with his 5th straight top-five finish
in the ASA Midwest Tour.
Wimmer’s qualifying time of 14.284
seconds shattered the ASAMT track record in Norway, Michigan. “I
saw some of the guys in front of me turn 14.3’s and I was a little
worried to be honest,” says Wimmer, “But when I got out there my
second lap felt really good. It’s always awesome when you can go
out and set quick time, so I was really excited.”
With the inverted start, Wimmer
began the race from the 13th starting spot. Just ten
laps in to the race a pair of cars in front of Wimmer tangled coming
out of turn two. Wimmer’s #52 Chevy received minor damage, but
others would be finished for the night. “I didn’t see exactly what
happened,” says Wimmer, “But I ran into someone and got tapped from
behind and then I saw a spot to get out, so I did. I was pretty
lucky because some other cars had some pretty heavy damage.”
Wimmer re-started the race in the 7th
position and despite the fact he had the fastest car on the track,
was only able to move up to 5th, where he finished. “It
was really hard to pass here,” says Wimmer, “If you try to pass on
the outside it takes awhile and you can wear your stuff out, but no
one is going to give you the inside either, so it was tough. I
think I could maybe have gotten in to the top three, but I’m
definitely pleased with a top-five finish.”
Wimmer now has finished in the
top-five in five straight races and with his 5th place
finish, owns sole possession of 3rd place in the overall
point standings. “Sunday was definitely a good points day for us,”
says Wimmer, “It’s so tight because there are so many good drivers
that you have to be able to compete each week. We’ve been able to
do that lately, so hopefully we can keep it going and hold on to
that spot in the points chase.”
The Wimmer Racing crew now prepares
for the Kim Parsons Memorial 100 Sunday at Marshfield Super
Speedway. “Marshfield is the closest race we have,” says Wimmer,
“So I’m excited about that. It’s funny because I haven’t raced
there that many times, but I usually run pretty well there, so we’ll
see.”
Practice begins at 10:45 am with qualifying at
2:00 pm followed by ASAMT autograph session at 3:00 pm. Opening
ceremonies are at 3:45 pm. For more information visit
www.asamidwesttour.com.
Wimmer
Earns Runner-up Finish at the Milwaukee Mile
Milwaukee, WI:
8/24,2008. Any day you finish in-between two NASCAR Sprint Cup
drivers is a pretty good day. And that’s just what Chris Wimmer did
Sunday when he finished runner-up to Kyle Busch, but ahead of third
place Matt Kenseth in the Governor’s Cup 100 at the Milwaukee Mile.
“Anytime you get to race with guys like that is awesome,” says
Wimmer, “The ASA does such a good job with the series and bringing
those guys in and to race up front with them is pretty cool.”
Wimmer qualified 5th
for the Governor’s Cup 100 and with the inverted start began the
race from the 7th starting position. In the first 50
laps Wimmer moved his way up in to the 4th position and
used the halfway break to make a few adjustments to the car. “My
car started tight and continued to get tighter,” says Wimmer, “So I
freed it up for the second half.”
The adjustments paid
off as it didn’t take the #52 long to negotiate his way towards the
front. Kyle Busch quickly overtook Matt Kenseth for the lead and
just a few laps later Wimmer found his way past Kenseth and began to
chase down Busch.
With the long green
flag run, Wimmer seemed to be closing in on Busch, who had a better
car on the short run. A late caution allowed Wimmer to restart on
the bumped of the #51, but Busch was able to pull away and hold on
for the checkered flag with Wimmer finishing second. “I felt like I
was catching him during the long green flag run,” says Wimmer, “I
knew his car was good on the short runs, but mine was better on the
long run. If we had stayed green I might have been able to catch
him, but he had a really strong car.”
With his second place
finish Wimmer extends his consecutive top-five streak to four races
and earns his first podium finish in the ASA Midwest Tour this
season. “We’ve been running well lately,” says Wimmer, “But to
crack the top three and get on top of the podium feels awesome,
especially with the competition in Milwaukee.”
Wimmer’s strong finish
Sunday also served him well in the overall ASAMT point standing. He
was 7th entering the Governor’s Cup 100 and leaves in a
tie for third place with Tim Schendel. “Going to Milwaukee I think
I was only 25 points out of third,” says Wimmer, “The points are so
tight because there are so many good drivers, so anytime you can
jump a few places in one race is great. Now we just have to finish
strong and hope to stay in the top-five.”
Next up for Wimmer and
the ASAMT is the Labor Day 100 in Norway, Michigan on Sunday.
Wimmer would also like to thank his sponsors for their support this
season. They are Flip Side Graphics, Philly’s Subs and Gyro’s, and
Cloverbelt Credit Union of Wausau, Leo’s Upper Dells Bar in Lyndon
Station and Nelson Auto Repair of Lodi. He would also like to thank
Skyview Sunrooms of Menomonee Falls, WI for coming on board for the
rest of the 2008 season.
Wimmer
Looks to Continue ASAMT Top-Five Streak
Wausau, WI: 8/15/2008 Chris
Wimmer earned top-five finishes in his last two ASA Midwest tour
races, and looks to continue that streak this Sunday at Raceway Park
in Shakopee, MN. “It’s been great,” says Wimmer, “We’ve ran well
lately, especially the last two weeks and it’s definitely a boost to
me and the guys. Anytime you can put together a couple of good
finishes it helps.”
Wimmer though must continue the
streak at a track where he’s never raced before. However, that
hasn’t been a huge problem for Wimmer this season. In fact he
averages a tenth place finish at first time tracks so far this
season and even set a new track record at I-94 Raceway his first
time there. “It’s a challenge, but it’s fun,” says Wimmer, “I’ve
raced pretty well at new tracks this year and enjoy the challenge of
it.”
This week starts the beginning of a
four-week stretch of racing for Wimmer and the ASA Midwest Tour, so
it’s especially important to start out strong. “This is kind of the
home stretch for us,” says Wimmer, “We race the next four straight
weekends and to start this stretch out with a good run is extremely
important.” Wimmer is currently 6th in the ASA Midwest
Tour standings and just 51 points out of third.
Practice at Raceway Park begins at
12:45 with qualifying at 4:00p.m. and racing set to start at
6:00p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the gate. For more information
go to:
www.asamidwesttour.com.
Wimmer Picks up Second Straight ASAMT
Top-Five Finish
August 5, 2008. Tuesday
night Chris Wimmer recorded his second straight top-five finish in
the ASA Midwest Tour Scag Power Equipment Dixieland 150. Back on
July 20th he finished 5th at Iowa Speedway and
he followed that up with a 4th place finish at Wisconsin
International Raceway on August 5th. “Anytime you can
get top-fives it’s exciting,” says Wimmer, “They were two totally
different tracks, so to run well at both is a big boost to me and my
guys.”
The Dixieland 150 Tuesday seemed to
be the tale of two halves for Wimmer. He qualified 15th
and started the race from that position. After the first 75 laps,
Wimmer had moved up just one position. Teams though got a ten
minute break at the halfway point to rotate tires and make changes
to the car. Wimmer called for a number of changes to try and work
his way up in the second half of the race. “My car just wasn’t
handling very well in the first half of the race,” I needed a bunch
of changes and my crew guys did a great job getting everything done
in just ten minutes,” says Wimmer, “It was like a totally different
car the second half of the race.”
Those changes to the #52 car paid
off. In the final 75 laps Wimmer moved from 14th to 4th,
where he finished. “The car was really good those last 75,” says
Wimmer, “I would have liked even another five laps and I think I
could have had a top-three finish, but I’ll definitely take 4th.”
Wimmer also took second place in the odd / even heat.
Wimmer’s strong showing in Kaukauna
moves him from 9th to 6th in the ASA Midwest
Tour standings and just 51 points out of third. However, just 59
points separate 8th place from 3rd place.
“Anytime you can move up in points it’s a good day,” says Wimmer,
“The points are all so close though that it’s important to keep
running well.”
Next up for Wimmer and the ASAMT is
the Shakopee 100 in Shakopee, MN August 17th. That race
at Raceway Park is the beginning of a stretch of four straight
weekends of racing. “This is kind of the home stretch,” says Wimmer,
“It’ll be a lot of work, but also a lot of fun. They’re all
different tracks so hopefully we can just keep running well.”
Wimmer Wraps up Busy Racing Weekend with First ASAMT Top Five
July 20, 2008:
Chris Wimmer and the ASA Midwest Series had one busy weekend of
racing. Teams headed to Cedar Rapids, Iowa Friday for the Keith
Fleck Miller 100 and then went straight to
Newton, Iowa for practice and the Rasmussen Twin 75's Sunday.
"It was a crazy weekend," says Wimmer, "It was a lot of work, a lot
of racing, but it was fun. It reminded me of when my brother and I
used to race four nights a week."
Wimmer probably wished he could have gone straight to Newton, as
Friday at Hawkeye Downs wasn't exactly his day. His #52 Chevy was
good right away but then the team ran in to a few problems. "My
motor just seemed to be really flat as we started second practice,"
says Wimmer, "We tried to figure out how to fix it, but couldn't get
it in such a short amount of time."
To make matter worse, after about a half hour rain delay, Wimmer
was the first car out for qualifying and managed just the 30th best
time. "I think that's partly a mental thing too," says Wimmer, "I
was worried the track might be wet and I was a little cautious
maybe, plus the motor just still didn't feel right."
Wimmer finished third in his qualifying race and finally earned a
spot in the feature when he finished runner-up in the last chance
race. "It's the first time I've had to race in the last chance race
all year" says Wimmer, "My car seemed a little better during that
race, but I'm just happy to make the show."
Wimmer began the Keith Fleck Miller 100 from the 24th starting
position and before long had moved his way up to 14th. "My car was
working really good for me," says Wimmer, "I could get through the
corners awesome, but my motor was killing me down the straightaway."
But then Wimmer's problems continue. When he went to take the
restart on lap 57, Wimmer's had a shifter problem and was unable to
get in to third or fourth gear. That forced the #52 to pull off the
track for the remainder of the race. "It's frustrating," says Wimmer,
"The car just wasn't really great all day. I think we could have
managed a top ten out of it though, so it's kind of disappointing."
From there Wimmer and his crew packed up and headed to Newton,
Iowa for a day of testing and a day of racing. All ASAMT teams were
allowed to practice at Iowa Speedway Saturday for their 150-lap race
on Sunday. "It was nice to try and get some practice in," says
Wimmer, "I don't think anyone has raced here before and it's a big
track, it's almost a mile, so it's bigger and faster than what we've
been running all year."
Sunday Wimmer's motor problem seemed to be a little bit better.
He was seventh in the first practice, fifteenth in the second
practice and then went out and qualified 16th. "I still could feel
that my motor was a little flat down the straightaway," says Wimmer,
"but it was definitely getting better. I could get through the
corners really well."
Wimmer lined up 16th for the start of the Rasmussen Group Twin
75's. Teams were set to race 150 laps at the 7/8-mile track with a
break at the halfway point.
It didn't take long for Wimmer's car to come to life during the
race. In just over ten laps he moved up to the eighth position and
looked poised to keep moving up.
Wimmer raced ASAMT point’s leader Dan Fredrickson hard for
position around lap 40 and came in at the halfway break in the 7th
position. The #52 crew went to work refueling the Chevy, changing
four tires and making some minor adjustments to free up the car a
little bit. "I was still getting through the corners really good,"
says Wimmer, "I started to get a little tight towards the end of the
run, maybe because the sun was starting to go down so the track was
cooling off a bit, so we just made some small adjustments to loosen
me up."
And those changes paid off. Wimmer moved up in to the fifth
position and then went head to head with NASCAR Sprint Cup driver
Matt Kenseth for the fourth spot.
Wimmer was able to get side by side with the #17 on several
occasions, but was never able to complete the pass. "My dad was
telling me over the radio that we were running about the same lap
times, my motor just still wasn't 100% down the straight-aways."
Kenseth began to pull away a little bit and Wimmer held on for a
fifth place finish and his first ASAMT top five of the season. "It
felt really good," says Wimmer, "This was a huge track and a huge
race and to race so well here is really exciting."
Wimmer now has a little time off before his next ASAMT race,
which is scheduled for Tuesday night, August 5th at Kaukauna, WI.
Wimmer does have plans though to enter the Larry Detjens Memorial
Race next Friday August 1st at Golden Sands Speedway in Plover.
"That's always a special race because Larry was my uncle," says
Wimmer, "and they're pairing it with a Wisconsin Challenge Race, so
it should draw some good cars."

Wimmer Sets New Track Record: Earns Another Top Ten Finish
July 5, 2008: Saturday was the first time Chris
Wimmer ever raced at I-94 Raceway, but based on his performance
chances are you would never know. Wimmer watched, as the track
record fell not once, but twice before him in qualifying. That was
until he went out and put down a lap that topped them all. Wimmer's
time of 16.76 seconds now stands as the new track record and made
him the fast qualifier for the ECHO Bear Cat July Spectacular 100.
"To put down a lap like that the first time I've raced here is
pretty awesome," said Wimmer, "I thought we were pretty good in
practice, but I didn't know we'd be that good. It was pretty cool."
The inverted start lined the #52 up 14th for race in Sauk Center,
MN. By lap 26 Wimmer worked his way up in to the fourth position and
appeared that he was going to chase down the leaders. "My car was
pretty good right away," said Wimmer, "I was trying to save my tires
and stuff, but I saw some of the guys up front start to pull away
and I knew I needed to get going."
As Wimmer tried to work his way up to the front, his car began to
go away on him. He slid to fourteenth and then rallied back for a
tenth place finish. "This place just eats your tires up," said
Wimmer, "I could feel them going away and then I got really loose in
and out of the corners. I just burned my stuff up trying to get to
the front and held on for a top ten."
This marks Wimmer's 4th top ten finish in the ASA Midwest Tour
this year and his good showing at I-94 Raceway moves him up to 4th
place in the ASAMT overall point standings. "You get a lot of points
for qualifying first and anytime you can finish in the top ten is
important," said Wimmer, "The points are so close that to make the
jump from 7th to 4th is a lot in one weekend and I'm happy with
where I'm sitting now. I don't know if it's possible to catch some
of the guys at the top, but I'm going to try."
Wimmer has another busy week of racing coming up. He heads to
Slinger Speedway, Slinger, WI Tuesday, July15th for the Slinger
Nationals and then it's the ASA Midwest Tour "Western Swing" that
weekend. The ASAMT will make up it previously schedule race at
Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Friday, July
18th and then the Tour is set to race at Iowa Speedway in Newton,
Iowa on Sunday, July 20th. "It'll be a busy week," said Wimmer, "But
it will be fun. Slinger is always a good time and I'm excited to
race at Iowa Speedway, from what I've heard it's a really nice
track."
Wimmer Hopes to Carry Momentum to Minnesota
Wausau, WI 7/3/2008: Fresh off his win
in the Flip Merwin Memorial Race last Thursday night, Chris Wimmer
heads back to the ASA Midwest Tour scene and hopes he and his team
can use that win as a catalyst for bigger things. "Anytime you win
it's good for morale of the team," says Wimmer, "It was so much fun
to win Thursday and watch all our hard work pay off. Now we want to
make it back to victory lane, it's just such a great feeling."
And pulling his #52 Chevy back in to victory lane might not be
out of the question for Wimmer. With his busy race schedule last
week, Wimmer earned a 10th place finish at the ASAMT race in Grundy,
IL, then grabbed a 7th place finish at the Swiss Colony All-Star
race Tuesday in Madison, WI before getting the win at his home
track, State Park Speedway on Thursday. "The car has just really
been running good lately," says Wimmer, "It was really good at
Madison and then again at Wausau, so I just hope we can keep it
going and try for a win in the ASA Midwest Tour."
The racetrack in Sauk Center, MN, where the ASAMT races Saturday,
might not be the easiest place for Wimmer to try and take his first
series checkered flag though. I-94 Raceway is yet another track on
the schedule where Wimmer has never raced. However, he's been pretty
good at tracks for the first time so far this year averaging a 12th
place finish. "All the other guys are willing to help you out,” says
Wimmer, "So that make it a little easier. It's been fun though to go
to new tracks and race pretty well. I enjoy the challenge, now we'll
just have to see if we can keep it up."
Wimmer heads to the 3/8 mile track in Minnesota seventh in the
ASAMT overall point standings, but just five points out of the top
five. "These guys are just so good week in and week out and the
points reflect that," says Wimmer, "You need to race well each week
to have a shot at the championships. I'm happy with the position
I've put myself in, now I just have to work hard to stay there and
try to get in to the top five."
Practice for the July Spectacular 100 begins at 1:30p.m. with
qualifying at 5:00p.m. and racing set to begin at 7:00p.m. Tickets
can be purchased at the gate for $15.
Wimmer and ASAMT Get Back on
Track at Grundy County Speedway.
June 22, 2008: The ASA Midwest Tour had to postpone its race at
Hawkeye Downs last Friday June 13th. The terrible storms and heavy
rainfall that swept through the Cedar Rapids area caused heavy
flooding in the city, closing most roads and highways and causing
many people to evacuate the area. A date and time is still being
worked on to reschedule the event.
This weekend race teams and the ASAMT get
back on track as they head to Grundy County Speedway in Illinois for
the ECHO Power Blower 100. This marks the third track on the ASAMT
schedule so far which Chris Wimmer will race for the first time.
“My brother, Scott, raced there over ten years ago,” Says Wimmer,
“I’m sure it’s changed since then, but from what I’ve heard it’s a
pretty flat 1/3 mile.”
Of course racing at a new track can be
fun, yet difficult at the same time. “I like to go to tracks where
I’ve never been,” says Wimmer, “It’s fun to try and figure them out
and put together a set up that works. On the other hand, if you are
way off when you get to the track it can make for a long day.”
After his 8th place finish at
Dells Raceway Park June 1st, Wimmer ranks sixth overall
in driver’s points and becomes one of the ASAMT’s ‘touring stars’.
“Like I’ve said all year it’s so important to get in the points
right away and stay consistent,” says Wimmer, “I’d love to get a win
one of these times, but as long as I keep putting up consistent
finishes I feel pretty good about it.”
Grundy is just the start of a busy race
week for Wimmer from there he plans to head to the Swiss Colony
All-Star Challenge Tuesday in Madison and, if everything goes well,
the Flip Merwin Memorial Race Thursday June 26th at State
Park Speedway in his hometown of Wausau.
Qualifying begins at 4 p.m. Sunday at
Grundy Country Speedway with racing set to start at 6 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the
gate for $18.
Chris Wimmer; Win-Tron
Racing Solider To Top-20 In Michigan
BROOKLYN,
Michigan (June 17, 2008) - -
Returning to the ARCA RE/MAX Series at the site of his inaugural
debut a year later, American Speed Association Midwest late model
driver Chris Wimmer maneuvered a solid 16th place finish
in the rain-delayed Racing for Wildlife 200 at Michigan
International Speedway (MIS).
Returning to MIS with Win-Tron Racing, Wimmer was
looking forward to finishing what he started as in his ARCA debut.
An engine failure in 2007 erupted Wimmer’s chances of a top-five
finish. Another chance equaled another opportunity for the Wisconsin
native.
The weekend started off on a positive note for the
Win-Tron Racing team as Wimmer posted his No. 32 Win-Tron Driver
Development-Red Line Oil Dodge Charger 10th on the
overall rundown netting a time of 39.662 seconds or 181.534 mph.
“Our Dodge is pretty strong,” offered Wimmer. “We
made some great gains in practice. It feels good to be back here in
the ARCA RE/MAX Series and especially with Win-Tron Racing. We’ll
hope to improve on practice and get us a good starting position for
the race.”
Wimmer in Kevin Cywinski’s owned No. 32 Dodge
tackled the two-mile oval in a time of 39.780 seconds or 180.995 mph
in ARCA SIM Factory pole qualifying. A tick slower than practice,
Wimmer’s efforts still awarded the team with a solid 13th
place starting position.
“Our car is still really good,” Wimmer stated. “We
slowed down a little but I think that comes from the track heating
up pretty good. I’m confident heading into the race and hope we can
bring home another top-10 for Win-Tron Racing.”
Sunny skies would give way to rain on Friday
afternoon forcing ARCA officials to postpone the ninth race on the
2008 ARCA schedule to Saturday morning. The new starting time would
throw a number of teams for a loop with weather conditions expected
to be a 180-degree turn.
Beautiful and cool racing conditions greeted the
teams on Saturday morning with Wimmer strapped in and ready to go.
At the start of the Racing for Wildlife 200, Wimmer
found himself comfortably in the top-15. As the race progressed,
Wimmer’s handling changed on his Dodge Charger forcing a slide in
the rundown heading into the first caution flag on lap 21.
Running 19th at the time of the yellow,
Wimmer brought his machine down with the lead pack allowing crew
chief Mike Chaffee and the Win-Tron bunch to do their magic and put
Wimmer back on track.
Returning to the facility 16th on the
course, Wimmer would find a very neutral racecar underneath him.
Continuing to motor on in a very clean and green ARCA event,
Wimmer’s machine again started to take a handling turn forcing
Wimmer to drive a little harder.
Another
caution flag allowed an opportunity for Wimmer to bring his No. 32
Dodge to the attention of his team. Geared up with fresh rubber and
Sunoco fuel and another chassis adjustment, Wimmer would be ready to
go for his final run of the Racing for Wildlife 200.
Unfortunately,
the tire compound for Saturday’s race would be the source of the
tight racecar and Wimmer would have to settle for a 16th
place finish on the lead lap.
“The teams were given a new tire for Saturday’s race
and it threw us for a loop,” said Wimmer, who completed all 100
circuits. “We did everything we possibly could to get our racecar to
the front and we came up short. The Win-Tron Racing team gave me a
great car, the tires just didn’t match.”
Nate Thiesse of Win-Tron Racing noted, “Chris gave
it his all in the race. The tire problem seemed to be a major issue
for a number of the race teams and we unfortunately joined that
lineup. Chris never gave up behind the wheel and gave us everything
the car had. He did a good job.”
Wimmer and Win-Tron Racing hope to put the 28-year
old in a few more ARCA RE/MAX Series races later this year if
sponsorship can be obtained.
Exiting Michigan, Wimmer will prepare for a busy
race week beginning on June 22 with the ASA Midwest Tour reconvenes
at Grundy Count Speedway. On Tuesday, June 24, Wimmer will head to
Madison International Speedway and participate in the fourth annual
All-Star challenge featuring NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Matt
Kenseth and Tony Stewart. Wimmer will close out his week on
Thursday, June 26th at State Spark Speedway in Wausau,
Wisconsin participating in the sixth annual Flip Merwin Memorial
race.
Wimmer has spent the 2008 season competing in the ASA
Midwest Tour Series. After four races the 28 year old sits sixth in
the championship standings with two top-10 finishes.
Wimmer Earns
Second Top Ten ASA Midwest Tour Finish of the Season
June
1, 2008: For the
second time this season Chris Wimmer put up a top ten performance in
the ASA Midwest Tour. Over forty cars entered the Miller Lite 100
and the competition seemed to be some of the toughest so far this
season. “It was probably one of the best field of cars this year,”
said Wimmer.
Wimmer’s car seemed to be pretty
good right away. He registered the third fastest lap time in
practice one and the sixth fastest in practice two. His twelfth
fastest qualifying time was good enough to make the feature right
away. “It’s always nice when you can get in right away,” says
Wimmer, “Of course you always want to qualify better, but I dropped
three tenth off my time from second practice, so I was please with
that.”
Wimmer just missed the invert on
the start, and lined up 12 for the Mille Lite 100 Presented by
Arby’s Restaurants. Just eleven laps in to the race Wimmer narrowly
avoided getting in to the wall as Blake Horstman spun out to his
inside and nearly collected him “We were racing side by side,” said
Wimmer, “I was on the outside and I think he was trying to keep off
of me and that made his car loose I think.”
When the field went back to green,
Wimmer went back to work and began to close in on some fast cars in
front of him. “I felt my car was working well,” said Wimmer, “I felt
I kind of got the feeling back I had in practice when I was running
well and I seemed to be making up ground.”
Wimmer worked his way up in to the
eighth position, but then lap traffic became an issue. “It’s hard
to continue to catch the guys in front of you when the lap traffic
builds up,” says Wimmer, “Those cars want to race you hard too, so
it’s hard to gain ground.”
As the race wore on
Wimmer rode solidly in the eighth position. A late race restart
with six laps to go bunched the field together, but by that time the
#52 Chevy had used up its stuff trying to get through all the
traffic. “When I used to race at Dells the outside groove was
really good,” said Wimmer, “As the track’s gotten older than groove
has gone away, that makes it harder to get around and harder to pass
people.”
This eighth place
finish moves Wimmer up to sixth place in the overall series point
standings. The next ASAMT race is Friday, June 13th in
Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Wimmer Excited for Return to Dells
Raceway Park
5/29/2008: For the second straight year Chris Wimmer
heads to Dells Raceway Park to compete with the best in the
Midwest. Wimmer is no stranger to Dells Raceway Park, the site of
this weekends ASA Midwest Tour Miller Lite 100. In 1998 1999, and
2000 Wimmer raced the track in Wisconsin Dells on a weekly basis. In
1999 he was named Most Improved Driver and finished 2nd
in the point standings. Wimmer’s entrance in the ASAMT event a year
ago ended a 3-year drought of racing at DRP and he’s excited to go
back. Says Wimmer, “Wisconsin Dells has always been one of my
favorite racetracks. I used to race there all the time and have a
lot of success there and I always look forward to going back.”
Dells Raceway Park has been kind to
Wimmer. In his many starts there he picked up about numerous wins
and many top ten finishes. “Anytime you run somewhere on a weekly
basis you can try different setups and see what works,” says Wimmer,
“I found setups that worked for me back then, but that was also
eight years ago.”
Wimmer got a more recent taste of
DRP when he finished 20th in the Back Home 100 last
June. While he hopes to better that performance this weekend, his
longtime experience at Wisconsin Dells can only help. “There are
definitely things I can take from last year that will help this
year,” says Wimmer, “and anytime you know a track, and know what
line to run it gives you confidence going in. It’s always nice to
be familiar with the track you’re going to run.”
Sunday’s race is also right in the
back yard of one of Wimmer’s sponsor’s, Leo’s Upper Dells Bar of
Lyndon Station. “You always want to race well in front of your
sponsors,” says Wimmer, “There are a few other guys Leo sponsors,
and so it would be nice to see his cars run well this weekend.”
Along with Leo’s, Wimmer would like to thank FlipSide Graphics,
Philly’s Gyro’s and Subs and Cloverbelt Credit Union of Wausau, as
well as Nelson Repair LLC of Lodi for their continued support.
ASAMT qualifying gets underway at
two o’clock Sunday afternoon, Autograph Session 3:00PM with racing
set to start at four o’clock. Ticket prices
$17.00 Adults, $10
Student (10-15) and Seniors, 9 and under FREE!
Wimmer Eyes First Race at Jefferson
Speedway
May 17, 2008: With his 6th
place finish at Madison International Speedway, Chris Wimmer moves
up to ninth place in the ASA Midwest Tour standings. Now he embarks
on unchartered waters. For the first time in his race career,
Wimmer hits the track at Jefferson Speedway in Cambridge, WI. “I’ve
heard a lot of different things about it,” says Wimmer, “I’m really
excited to run there though. It’s always fun to get race on new
tracks and try to learn them as fast as you can.”
Jefferson Speedway marks the first of five
tracks where Wimmer has never run a race. But with the great crop
of drivers the ASA Midwest Tour draws, Wimmer should have no problem
finding advice. “The guys that run this tour have a lot of
experience and I’m sure they would be willing to help me with
anything I need,” says Wimmer.
Wimmer thanks his associate sponsors Philly’s
Subs and Gyro’s, Cloverbelt Credit Union and FlipSide Graphics of
Wausau, Nelson Repair LLC of Lodi, and Leo’s Upper Dells Bar out of
Lyndon Station. The search continues for primary sponsorship, but
meanwhile Wimmer and his crew work hard to stay competitive. “I’m
really happy to be in the top ten in points just two races in to the
season,” says Wimmer, “Now it’s important to stay there. My friend
Dave Mayer and I put in long hours trying to make sure that
happens.”
Practice begins at 1:00 pm with qualifying at
5:00pm. Racing begins at 6:30 at Jefferson Speedway Saturday
evening. Ticket prices start at $10 and can be purchased at the
track.
For more information go to
www.asamidwesttour.com
Wimmer Turns
Day Around for Top Ten Finish at Madison International Speedway
Madison, WI – 5/5/08 – Chris Wimmer’s day at
Madison International Speedway went from bad to good in a matter of
three hours Sunday. When the #52 Chevy hit the track for first
practice, Wimmer registered the second slowest time in the group.
Wimmer and his crew went hard to work on the car, making wholesale
changes for the next practice. Said Wimmer, “The set up we went to
the track with was just way off. We were too soft and had trouble
getting through the corners because the nose was dragging.”
Those changes paid off and Wimmer found himself
13th in the second practice and then went out and
qualified 11th, putting him in the ECHO Chainsaw 100 on
time. “We worked really hard on the car during the end of the first
practice and before the second. It’s nice to see that pay off and
it’s always nice to get in on time right away and focus on the
feature.”
With the inverted start Wimmer started on the
pole at Madison International Speedway. During the 100 laps he
slipped out of the top ten only once and avoided getting caught in
three incidents that happened in front of him to bring out
cautions. Wimmer lined up 6th for the final restart with
just 13 laps to go and help his ground to take the checkered flag in
that position. “From where we started the day to where we ended,
I’m really happy and thankful to my crew for all their hard work. We
were really tight during the race, so to finish where I did is
exciting.”
Wimmer’s sixth place finish at MIS moves him up
two places and in to ninth in the ASA Midwest Tour point standings.
Said Wimmer, “To be in the top ten in points just two races in is
great. Of course you always want to be higher, but it’s so
important in this series to get in the points and stay towards the
top.”
NASCAR Spring Cup points leader Kyle Busch
appeared to be the favorite to win after he put up fast times in
both practice sessions, but qualifying was a different story. Busch
qualified 14th and in the race was never able to
negotiate his way to the front of the pack. His #51 Nos Energy
Camry crossed the checkered flag in third position.
Chris’s next ASA Midwest Tour race will be on
May 17th , 2008 at Jefferson Speedway in Jefferson WI.
Wimmer Looks to Build on Solid Start
at Madison International Speedway
Wausau, WI – The ASA Midwest Tour makes its
second stop of the season at Madison International Speedway Sunday,
May 4th. With a 12th place finish at the
season opener in Elko, MN, Chris Wimmer looks to build on that solid
start. Says Wimmer, “Elko was a good start for us. With a new car
and it being our first time on the track I was very pleased. I hope
to change a few things and finish even better at MIS.”
Madison International is another track where
Wimmer has some experience from his previous ASA days. “MIS is a
fun track,” Says Wimmer, “There are long straight-aways, but tight
corners. You have to have your car working well and I know a lot of
the guys in the ASAMT have experience there, so it should be a great
race.” Meanwhile, Wimmer hopes that some of his previous experience
helps him this weekend and can land him his first top-ten finish of
the season.
As Wimmer found out last weekend, the ASAMT
brings in the top driver from the area. This weekend that
competition gets even tougher when one of the hottest drivers on the
NASCAR circuit enters the ECHO Chainsaw 100. Kyle Busch announced
his plans last week to run the event at MIS and avenge his 6th
place finish of a year ago.
Wimmer thanks his associate sponsors Philly’s
Subs and Gyro’s, Cloverbelt Credit Union and FlipSide Graphics of
Wausau, Nelson Repair LLC of Lodi, and Leo’s Upper Dells Bar out of
Lyndon Station. He still searches from primary sponsorship, but
makes the best of his opportunities. “It’s always hard when you
don’t have full sponsorship,” says Wimmer, “but my friend Dave Mayer
and I put in a lot of time and work and it’s nice to see if paying
off. Hopefully that will continue this week.”
The Big 8 Series joins the ASAMT at MIS this
weekend. Qualifying gets started at 2:30 Sunday afternoon with
racing beginning at 5 in the evening. Ticket prices start at $17
and can be purchased at the gate. More information can be found at
www.asamidwesttour.com.
American Speed Association Kwik Trip 125 –
Elko Speedway – Elko, MN
4/19/2008:
Forty-seven cars turned up at Elko Speedway for the Kwik Trip 125
and ASA Midwest Tour opener and Chris Wimmer saw weeks of hard work
pay-off as he landed one of the 26 spots in the feature. The day
started with a 1 ¾ hr practice session where Wimmer held the 11th
overall when it concluded. While qualifying, Wimmer’s #52 Chevy
became really loose in the cold temperatures of the day and he
managed to qualify 19th. His time of 13.944 a speed of
96.816 mph put him three spots short of the top 16 that
automatically got into the feature race. The crew tightened up the
car and Wimmer went out and won his qualifying race securing him a
spot field.
Wimmer started the
Kwik Trip in the 19th starting position steadily moved
his way up to 16th by lap 75, avoiding 3 different wrecks
that occurred in front of him. At lap 75 the caution was thrown for
the mandatory 10-minute break. The car was loose in to the corners,
so the crew added a rubber to tighten up the car. The change was a
good one as the car tightened on its entry and in the next 50 laps
Chris starting picking off the competitors.
“ It was difficult
passing tonight, on the high-banked 3/8
mile paved oval
track said Wimmer.”
The track was slick due to the cold weather and occasional drizzle.
After the break with the changes the crew did the car was great. I
wish that we would have had a longer race. We were able to start
passing and the car was both good on entry and exit. We just needed
more laps and I’m sure that we would have finished right up front.
Wimmer finished in
the 12th position. It was a stellar field of 47 of the
Mid-West’s finest drivers and a great start to the season for Wimmer
who hopes to chase the ASA Midwest Tour Championship. The Tour drew
an average of 44 cars at its races last year with more expected for
this years completion.
Wimmer’s next race
will be the Echo Chain Saw 100 at Madison International Speedway on
Sunday May 4, 2008. Practice begins at 12:00 noon with qualifying at
3:20 pm. Opening ceremonies are at 4:45 pm with racing starting at
5:00 pm. More information can be found at
www.asamidwesttour.com
Chris Wimmer Returns to His Racing Roots
Wausau, Wis.
– 4/14/2008 – Chris Wimmer returns to his racing roots with his
return to the ASA Series. This time it will be with the ASA Midwest
Tour Series, which enters its second season of full time racing.
Wimmer plans to run the 15-race series schedule with his eye on the
Championship Title. Wimmer raced the former ASA Series from 2001 to
2003 and a lot of success. While he still hopes for another
opportunity in the NASCAR Nationwide or Craftsman Truck Series,
Wimmer looks forward to the tough competition the ASA Midwest Tour
offers. Says Wimmer, “I want very badly to get back in to NASCAR,
but without funding and a sponsor it’s hard to know if that will
happen. The ASA Midwest Tour brings the top drivers in the area to
the track every weekend and I know it will be both a great test and
a lot of fun each weekend.”
The ASA Midwest Tour kicks off this
weekend, April 19,2008, at Elko Speedway in Elko, Minnesota where in
2003 Chris earned his first ASA Pole. Wimmer will once again take
the reins of the Wimmer Racing No. 52 Chevrolet, driving in the ASA
Kwik Trip Midwest Tour Presented by Echo Power Equipment.
“I’m really looking forward to this
weekend at Elko Speedway,” said Wimmer. “We’ve completely
rebuilt our Pathfinder Chassis and I’m looking forward to getting
behind the wheel again and get back into Victory Lane.”
“Also,” adds Wimmer, “I want to thank
my associate sponsors
Philly’s Subs and Gyro’s with two locations in Wausau, WI, Flip Side
Graphics in Wausau, WI, TRW Auto Body of Mosinee, WI, Nelson Repair,
LLC of Lodi, WI and Mittler Brothers Machine and Tool out of
Foristell, MO., for coming on board this weekend. I really
appreciate their support. We are currently seeking full time
sponsors. If anyone is interested in getting on board with us to
compete for the ASA Midwest Tour Championship contact me at
wimm25@wimmerracing.com. ”
Wimmer started racing Pure Stocks in 1996 and moved
his way up the the Super Late Model Division in 1998 where he won
Rookie of the Year honors at State Park Speedway. From 2001 to 2003
he raced the ASA Series.
Wimmer’s total career stats include
17 wins, 56 top-5's, and 113 top-10’s.
In 2004 and 2005 Wimmer raced part
time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. In 2006 and 2007 he raced
part time in the NASCAR Busch Series and the Craftsman Truck Series.
The American Speed Association KWIK
Trip 125 is scheduled to start at 8:30 pm on April 19th,
2008 with practice beginning at noon and qualifying at 4:00 pm.
There will be an autograph session at 5:30 pm followed by local
heats and ASA qualifying heats. For more information visit
www.asamidwesttour.com . For more information on Chris Wimmer
visit
www.chriswimmer.com or
www.wimmerracing.com.
CHRIS WIMMER WELCOMES THE CHALLENGE OF THE ASA MIDWEST TOUR
By: Kevin Ramsell
BURLINGTON, WI (Wednesday, April 9, 2008) – With less than ten
days until the season opener at Elko Speedway, the list of short
track stars registered for the 2008 ASA Kwik Trip Midwest Tour
presented by ECHO Outdoor Power Equipment continues to grow.
Former ASA National Tour competitor, Chris Wimmer, is the latest
to enter his hat into the ring.
The Wausau (WI) native
and nephew of the late Larry Detjens, is coming back to the
Midwest for many reasons, “I decided to compete in the ASA Midwest
Tour this year to hopefully continue my racing career,” Wimmer
recently stated. “I moved down South a few years ago and
struggled to find a full time ride. During the summer I came back
to Wisconsin and started racing some of the local tracks again. I
saw some of the Midwest Tour races last year and thought it was a
really neat deal. I really want to continue racing and I thought
the ASA Midwest Tour would be a good fit for me. I've raced a lot
of the tracks before and it's nice to be involved with my family.”
Wimmer’s name is well
known with those who competed in the original American Speed
Association National Tour. In 2001, he finished 15th in points and
was 17th in 2002. In 2003, he won his first pole while setting a
new track record at Elko Speedway in Elko, MN, the site of the
first ASAMT event on Saturday, April 19th.
He finds a lot of
comparisons with the former National Tour to what the ASAMT is
doing today, “When I ran the ASA National Tour it was all top
notch drivers, many who went on to NASCAR careers. That's the
same thing I see with the ASA Midwest Tour,” Wimmer explained. “I
think many of the drivers in this series are capable of a future
NASCAR career. Some have tried and found more fun and success
racing in a series like the ASAMT. The ASA National Tour also had
an excellent group of tech officials and owner and from the little
exposure I have had with the ASA Midwest Tour, I am already seeing
the same great foundation.”
That little exposure came
when Wimmer competed at the 2007 season finale at La Crosse (WI)
Fairgrounds Speedway. “I've ran Oktoberfest quite a few times
before and I just struggled to get my car right all weekend,”
Wimmer recalled. “My dad had a car that had been sitting around
for a few years and when I came back to Wisconsin in the summer I
wanted to get it back on the track and take it to some of the
local tracks. I ran really well at a race in Marshfield, but a few
weekends later I struggled at Oktoberfest. What I learned was
that these ASA Midwest drivers and teams are on top if their
game. They have the best equipment and a lot of the technology
has changed over the past few years and they make sure to keep up
with it. Those made me realize that if I hope to compete this
year, I'll have to do the same. I've been working on my car for
the past two months trying to update it and get it the best I can
to run the full ASA Midwest Tour and stay competitive.”
And he has had plenty of
help during those two months, “I've gotten great help from my
parents and friends during this process. I obviously hope to be
competitive in the ASA Midwest Tour, but I am working on a lower
budget. I am still searching for a primary sponsor for the
season, so there's been a lot of time put in by myself, my family
and my friend Dave Meyer trying to get this car ready for the
first race in Elko,” Wimmer explained. “While it's been a lot of
work the past few months, Dave and I have developed a good working
relationship and it will be fun to hopefully see all the hard work
pays off on the track. I want to thank my girlfriend for all the
help and support she gives me. Dave and I put in some long hours,
and she is very understanding and knows what an important part of
my life racing is. Also, my brother has been a lot of help as I
try to continue my race career. It's nice to have someone to turn
to for advice who knows the ups and downs of racing.”
But Wimmer is ready for
what is ahead of him this season, “The competition will be
extremely tough. There are a lot of top name drivers that are
going to run the full series,” a rejuvenated Wimmer stated. “All
the teams are top notch and put some of the best equipment around
in their car. Each week will be a challenge to compete. The
challenge though is exciting to me. It's always nice to be able
to push other teams and drivers to be their best while they
constantly push you to stay on top of your game.”
“The Wimmer family has
been an integral part of the history in short track racing in and
around the Midwest. Scott and Chris along with the whole Wimmer
family relations (Larry Detjens) are pure proof of the quality of
people that they are,” Steve Einhaus, ASAMT VP stated. “When we
heard Chris was considering the ASAMT, it makes you realize just
how exciting this series is and how many true veterans are in our
series. This announcement is just another example of the depth of
veterans in our series. This is another reason why race track
owners want us racing at their track, we are bringing them the
true veterans and future stars of the sport, it’s a win-win for
everyone involved from the competitors, the tracks to the fans.”
Over 30 paid entries have
already been received for the season opening event on Saturday,
April 19th at Elko Speedway. Defending race winner and 2007 Rookie
of the Year, Jonathan Eilen, along with 2007 ASAMT Champion,
Nathan Haseleu, and the rest of the ASAMT Touring Stars are
preparing to challenge the 3/8 mile oval. It will be, “Certified
Super Late Model Excitement!!!”