Nathan Haseleu Hopes to Keep His Norway Streak Alive Friday Night
by Jana Wimmer
August 14, 2014 – When the ARCA Midwest Tour presented by Scag Power Equipment heads to Norway Speedway on Friday there’s one thing you can bet on, and that’s the local talent giving bringing their top game and giving the Touring Stars a run for their money. “When the Tour rolls in, the local guys know the best in the Midwest have just stepped onto your turf so you better find every bit of speed out of your ride,” says Norway driver Kris Kelly, “The day of being 95% isn’t going to cut the mustard, it’s 100% or nothing.”
The Norway drivers welcome the challenge of the Touring Stars and Friday is a date some have had circled on their calendar for months. “I’ve been looking forward to this race since winter,“ says Kelly, “My brother Toby has worked his tail off to make sure we have a darn good car that will last 100 laps, the rest is up to me.”
This marks the sixth trip the ARCA Midwest Tour has made to Norway Speedway, so while many Touring Stars have raced there before, current Norway Speedway point leader Dan Lindsley hopes the extra seat time at his local track will play into his favor. “It’s always exciting to see the ARCA racers come up and see how you can compete against them,” says Dan Lindsley, “Racing at your home track is always better. You know the ins and outs and we’re obviously more familiar with how we expect our car to perform, so that should be able to help us out.”
Another local driver hoping for a good showing this weekend is Robbie Iverson, whose father Jamie raced locally at Norway for years and is one of two drivers to win a Tour race there. Jamie Iverson took the checkers for the Tour’s first three visits to the ¼ mile track and has now handed the reigns over to Robbie, who makes his Tour debut this Friday. “It’s great he knows the car and track better than probably anybody and knows what it takes to compete with the Tour guys, so I really couldn’t ask for a better coach,” says Robbie Iverson.
“It’s been good,” says Jamie Iverson, “I enjoy watching him learn and improve weekly. He’s also learning to do all the car maintenance so that’s less I have to do. So far, it’s been a lot of fun.”
With Jamie Iverson knowing what it takes to get to Victory Lane, his advice to his son was simple. “Better go fast,” says Iverson, “These guys are good.”
Nathan Haseleu is the only other driver to win a Tour race at Norway Speedway and will be looking for his third straight this weekend. But there is nothing more the fans of Norway Speedway would like to see more than a local driver back in Victory Lane. “People love short track asphalt racing up here,” says Kelly, “And they would love to see one of their own back in Victory Lane.”
Upcoming Event Information
What: Norway 100
Where: Norway Speedway, Norway MI
When: Friday, August 15, 2014
Ticket Prices:
$15 for ages 11 and older
10 and under are FREE
Times: 3:00PM ARCAMT Practice Begins, 5:15PM ARCAMT Qualifying, 6:00PM Autograph Session, 6:50PM Opening Ceremonies, 7:00PM Racing Begins
Divisions: ARCA Midwest Tour, Street Stocks, Fab Fours
Be sure to follow the ARCA Midwest Tour on Facebook (midwesttour) and Twitter (@midwesttour).
To learn more about the Automobile Racing Club of America Midwest Tour, log on to arcamidwesttour.com. For questions call Tim Olson at (612) 327-5831 or e-mail Tim Olson at tim@arcamidwesttour.com
The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is among the leading auto racing sanctioning bodies in the country. Founded in 1953 by John and Mildred Marcum, the organization administers more than 100 events each year in multiple racing series, including the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, the ARCA/CRA Super Series, the ARCA Truck Series and the ARCA Midwest Tour, plus weekly racing at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways.
