Kurt Luoma Photo
1999 National Champ also Driver Expert Analyst for Broadcast
Oregon, WI (May 2, 2023) – When the ASA STARS National Tour rolls into Madison International Speedway (MIS) for this Sunday’s Joe Shear Classic 200, it will mark the return of the ASA brand to Wisconsin’s Fastest Half-Mile oval for the first time in 18 years.
Tim Sauter, the 1999 American Speed Association national champion, has been invited by Madison International Speedway and the ASA STARS National Tour as a “Guest of Honor” for the event.
Sauter won the most recent ASA-sanctioned national tour event at MIS on July 17, 2004, and will serve in an honorary role this Sunday, May 7th, during pre-race ceremonies before joining Jim Tretow and Dean Strom in the broadcast booth as the driver expert analyst. Sauter joined Tretow in the booth last June for the MidwestTour.tv livestream coverage of the Father’s Day 100 race at The Milwaukee Mile.
This Sunday’s live stream broadcast of the “Joe Shear Classic 200” will be simulcast by TRACKTV.com; MidwestTour.tv and Racing America. The event will also air on MAVTV Motorsports Network on a tape-delayed basis on Monday, May 15 at 8:00 PM Eastern Time.
A Wisconsin native still living in the Necedah area, Tim and his family have strong ties to the ASA Brand. His father Jim Sauter won the first-ever ASA event at MIS on July 28, 1984 at what was then known as Capital Super Speedway.
Tim has one victory in 27 ASA Midwest Tour races, and competed in the 2016 Joe Shear Classic 200 at MIS. He remains actively involved in the Wisconsin short track scene.
In addition to his dad, brothers Jay and Johnny each raced extensively in ASA, with Johnny finding the most success – winning both the Pat Schauer Memorial Rookie of the Year and the ASA National Tour championship in 2001 with Joe Shear, Jr. serving as his crew chief. Tim’s son Travis has won a dozen super late model races at MIS as a driver, and will serve as ASA Midwest Tour front-runner Gabe Sommers’ crew chief this Sunday.
The Joe Shear Classic 200 will mark race two of the inaugural ASA STARS National Tour schedule, set for 2:00PM CT on Sunday, May 7. Advance tickets are available by visiting the track website at misracing.com/tickets, or at the track office during regular business hours. Madison International Speedway is located ten minutes south of Madison, on Sunrise Road off of Highway 138 between Oregon and Stoughton.
The Joe Shear Classic will be live-streamed on Racing America, MidwestTour.tv and TRACKTV.com. MAVTV will air the event on Monday, May 15 at 8pm ET.
The ASA STARS National Tour opened the ten race, six-state schedule at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, FL on March 11. Georgia racer Casey Roderick won the Sunshine State 200.
For the full ASA STARS National Tour schedule, plus Super Late Model rules and other information, please visit the series website at starsnationaltour.com, or be sure to follow the series on social media (Facebook: STARS National Series | Twitter: @racewithstars | IG: @starsnational).
ASA STARS National Tour
The ASA STARS National Tour debuted in March of 2023 for Super Late Model racing in America. Announced last October, many of the best drivers in America will compete in the ten-race national tour with a minimum $100,000 point fund. The championship team will be guaranteed $25,000.
The ASA STARS National Tour is made up of three races from each of the regional pavement Super Late Model Series under the Track Enterprises banner; the ASA CRA Super Series, the ASA Midwest Tour and the ASA Southern Super Series.
The Team Construction Winner’s Circle program has been announced as a part of the ASA STARS National Tour for licensed drivers/teams with perfect attendance. The program provides additional financial incentives to those teams who support the Series, thanks to Team Construction.
Track Enterprises, a Racing Promotions Company based in Illinois, will operate the ASA STARS National Tour. It announced the acquisition of the CRA sanctioning body in January and followed that up with the purchase of the Midwest Tour in July. In October, Track Enterprises President, Bob Sargent announced a partnership with the Southern Super Series which set the table for the formation of the ASA STARS National Tour.