By: Kevin Ramsell
Daytona Beach, Florida (Friday, January 12, 2024) – Two Minnesota drivers are each about to realize a personal dream this weekend at the “World Center of Racing.”
2023 ASA Midwest Tour Rookie of the Year Bryan Syer-Keske and 10-time Elko Speedway track champion Jacob Goede will get behind a ARCA Menards Racing Series stock car and take laps around the famous Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Syer-Keske & Goede will be part of the annual ARCA Menard Series pre-season testing scheduled for January 12th & 13th on the well-known 2.5-mile tri-oval. They will be getting behind the wheel of cars prepared by 1995 Series champion Andy Hillenburg’s Fast Track High Performance Racing Team.
Syer-Keske, fresh off of claiming the 2023 ROY title in the ASA Midwest Tour and finished third in the standings, is eager to take laps around the place that created his interest in racing.
“I think it’s going to be a once in a life time experience for a guy like me,” the Lakeville, Minnesota driver exclaimed after arriving in Daytona the night before the first day of testing. “Really cool that Gregg (McKarns, ASA Midwest Tour Series Director) and Bob (Sargent, owner of Track Enterprises) for making this happen with the ARCA guys.
“I remember when a was really young watching Dale Earnhardt Sr. at Daytona and that was kinda the start of my love for racing. It’s going to be pretty cool to take it all in and hopefully meet some cool people! I really have to thank my father Brad, Daulton Lamont, Jeff Graf, New Prague Auto, Ryan Rose trucking, vermillion creek homes, Sorenson’s appliance services, Schiells RV services, Dan Fredrickson signs and brothers Jorgenson racing for all the help this year to make this possible for this to happen!”
Goede, who is also a 2019 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national champion and 2009 ASA Midwest Tour Rookie of the Year, almost didn’t jump on this opportunity.
“Honestly, at first I wasn’t gonna do it. Matt (brother), who helps me all summer was scheduled to have one of the biggest snowmobile races of the year the same weekend, and I wanted to help him,” Goede from Carver, Minnesota explained. “After a little thought, I was like, wait, I’ll most likely never have the opportunity to run laps at Daytona any other way, I better take this deal.
“It is a cool opportunity, I have no idea what to expect. Closest experience I have is probably Iowa Speedway with a crate late model, when the pavement was new. Almost wide open all the way around, and probably close to 150. Thanks to NASCAR for the opportunity, it was always the dream to race in cup, and run places like this, so turning laps at Daytona is pretty cool.”
You can follow along with updates at arcaracing.com.
The 2024 ASA Midwest Tour season will get underway on Sunday, April 21st with the Miracle on the High Banks at Slinger Super Speedway in Slinger, Wisconsin.
