FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 1, 2010

Wisconsin driver wins Cedar Lake title en route to national honor
Mahder Is Whelen All-American Top Rookie

By Paul Schaefer, NASCAR
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – When Chad Mahder was looking for a place to race this season, he decided to run Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wisc., because of the benefits associated with racing at a NASCAR-sanctioned track.

That decision paid off in a big way as the 25-year-old from Eau Claire, Wisc., earned the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national Rookie of the Year Award presented by Jostens.

“We wanted to race locally,” Mahder said. “Cedar Lake has the competition and the perks like the NASCAR sanction. Things worked out pretty well and we’re proud to be part of it.”

Mahder will be honored at the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Awards Banquet at the Crown Ballroom at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C, on Friday, Dec. 10.

The national rookie of the year is awarded to the highest finishing rookie in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Top 500 standings. Rookies are defined as first-year Feature Division license holders.

Mahder collected six wins, 13 top fives and 17 top 10s to finish 16th overall in the nation. He won the Impact Printing Late Model Division championship at Cedar Lake, a .375-mile dirt oval. He won five times at Cedar Lake and also picked up a win racing at nearby Superior (Wisc.) Speedway, which is also a .375-mile dirt oval.

He placed third in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Wisconsin state championship points.

Mahder started racing dirt Late Models in 2004, concentrating on the local touring series and select special events. When the series he had run previously shut down this year, Mahder turned his attention to Cedar Lake. He also made five trips to Superior, and plans a similar schedule in 2011.

“Cedar Lake has steep banking,” Mahder said. “The surface can change week to week depending on moisture. It’s a tough track with tough competition. When you race there, experience counts.”

Mahder, a machinist for Wisconsin Metal Fab, is an owner/driver of his racing operation. Crewmen include his brother Shawn, Steve Hoffmeister, Matt Larson, Mike Larson, his dad Duane and Shelby Heuer. Team sponsors include West Wisconsin Transport, Caribbean Tan operated by his mother Ruth Ann and Prime Time Designs and Graphics.

Chad Holman, who runs in the Western Late Model Division at Stockton (Calif.) 99 Speedway, was the second highest finishing rookie in the national standings. Matt Pritiko (Late Model/Delaware (Ont.) Speedway), Joe Kneeland (Street Stock/Evergreen Speedway, Monroe, Wash.), and Brandon Brown (Late Model Stock/Old Dominion Speedway, Manassas, Va.) rounded out the top five rookies.

In addition to Mahder, the top rookies in each U.S. state and Canadian province will also be honored at NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Awards Banquet.

Jostens is a leading provider of special awards, rings and trophies. The company supplies trophies and is the exclusive designer/provider of championship rings for all NASCAR sanctioned series.

Since its inception, NASCAR Home Tracks have served as a springboard in the careers of many NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers. Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer, Jeff Burton, Kurt and Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Jamie McMurray, Martin Truex Jr., and Brian Vickers all began their careers racing in NASCAR weekly and regional touring series. More information on the NASCAR Whelen All American Series is available at www.NASCARHomeTracks.com.