Austin Nason Hopes to Lead the Charge to the Checkers
The ARCA Midwest Tour presented by SCAG Equipment will hit the halfway point of the 2017 season this Saturday night with the 23rd running of the Kar Korner All-Star 100 at the Rockford Speedway in Loves Park, IL. This year’s expected entry list will be the classic local stars challenging the Touring Stars, just like fans saw with the classic ARTGO series from 1978-92.
Local stars like Jon Reynolds, Jr., Danny Darnell, Mitch Garfield, Mikie Breiner along with local ARCAMT Touring Stars Austin Nason, Mike Beyer ad defending National Short Track Champion Casey Johnson will challenge the rest of the Touring Stars in a 100-lap main event around the famous high-banked quarter-mile oval.
The history of this event dates back to 1978 with a winners list that includes legends and today’s stars in the sport. Drivers like: Dick Trickle (1978, 1980, 1983, 1986), Mark Martin (1979), Joe Shear (1981, 1985, 1992), Dave Watson (1982), Bobby Allison (1984), Al Schill (1987), Butch Miller (1988), Larry Schuler (1990), Kevin Cywinski (1991), Eddie Hoffman (2007), Trent Snyder (2008), Ross Kenseth (2009), Ryan Carlson (2010), Erik Jones (2011), Michael Bilderback (2012), Ty Majeski (2015) and last year’s winner Jeff Holtz have embossed their names on this historic event.
As Rockford Speedway celebrates their 70th season of racing in 2017, many drivers have made several laps around the famous oval. One ARCAMT Touring Star has been eyeing this event since the start of the season and wants to add his name to the list of winners this Saturday night.
Austin Nason literally grew up around Rockford Speedway watching seven-time champion Ricky Bilderback and his father Fred Nason, who also won numerous titles, win week in and week out.
“I grew up running around there just standing by the fence watching my dad and Rick race,” Nason recalled. “Then I got old enough to finally get in a race car and from there it went from running there weekly to now just a couple of shows a year. It’s a place I will always call home, love racing there.”
Nason was doing everything he could to get ready for his opportunity behind the wheel. He would do whatever he could at the shop and at the track. Sometimes those things would include things a future driver would not expect to have on his resume.
“I was the kid that went to the shop and just wanted to learn about the cars and I loved learning from Rick and my dad,” Nason explained. “Gregg (McKarns, ARCAMT Owner/Promoter and former Rockford Speedway Promoter) always asked me to help with cleanup after the trailer races. It was always fun to drive around in a bobcat picking up all of the junk. Something I started when I was 12-years-old.”
Last year, Nason finished second to Casey Johnson in the National Short Track Championship 200. He hopes to improve by one position this Saturday night and will be coming in with a notebook from that finish last September.
“To be patient and take your time getting through the field,” Nason said. “Last fall, we were passing for the lead with 40 to go and got tangled with the leader and had to go to the back.”
“Rockford is a tricky place to get around. You have to know when the right time is to pass how to set the guy up,” Nason continued to explain. “There has been a lot of big names that have won at Rockford, so to add my name to that list is something I have always dreamed of doing.”
And if he was able to accomplish that goal?
“It would be the biggest win of my career,” Nason exclaimed. “To do it in front of the hometown crowd would be something special, along with beating the best guys in the Midwest would be even better.”
Along with the Kar Korner All-Star !00 this Saturday night, the Rockford Late Models will also be in action with their Star Spangled 76-lap event and the American Short Trackers. Racing gets underway at 7:07pm.
Visit midwesttour.racing for the full schedule and be sure to follow the ARCA Midwest Tour presented by SCAG Power Equipment on Facebook (/midwesttour) and Twitter (@midwesttour).
ARCA Midwest Tour Presented by SCAG Power Equipment
Kar Korner All-Star 100 (Race #122)
Rockford Speedway, Loves Park, IL
Expected Entries
| Car # | Name | Hometown |
| 5 | Casey Johnson | Edgerton |
| 7 | John DeAngelis, Jr | Hubertus |
| 7 | Paul Shafer, Jr | Portage |
| 9 | Derek Kraus | Stratford |
| 13 | Mikie Breiner | Wonder Lake |
| 14 | Austin Nason | Roscoe |
| 18 | Michael Ostdiek | Lakeville |
| 35 | Travis Dassow | West Bend |
| 38 | Jeff Holtz | Franksville |
| 39 | Andrew Morrissey | DeForest |
| 42 | Dennis Prunty | Knowles |
| 43 | Matt Kocourek | Franklin |
| 44 | Justin Mondeik | Gleason |
| 44 | Mitch Garfield | Pingree Grove |
| 45 | Rich Bickle, Jr | Edgerton |
| 52 | Ricky Baker | Plainfield |
| 75 | Mike Beyer | Machesney Park |
| 77 | Jonathan Eilen | Hampton |
| 85 | Danny Darnell | Park City |
| 91 | Ty Majeski | Seymour |
| 119 | Dalton Zehr | Daytona Beach |
| O4 | Natalie Decker | Eagle River |
| X | Jon Reynolds, Jr | Rockford |
