(Van Der Geest Racing photo) Merrill, Wis., native Levon Van Der Geest is among the top ASA Midwest Tour drivers slated to compete at Norway Speedway this year. The season opener is Friday and Van Der Geest is expected to be on hand for the second week of racing.

The weather is nice. The mega schedule is out and race cars are making noise out at the track.

In all my years of being a part of the Norway Speedway, this schedule is by far the most intriguing and most exciting to date. With the new seasonal format of our regular weekly racing, combined with our new Fast 5 Series Championship, the potential to see some of the best drivers in the Midwest randomly is unbelievable.

Add in the fact that this season marks the return of the American Speed Association Midwest Tour and this could make this truly a season to remember.

The tour, which is in its 19th season, will encompass five states with 10 race dates in 2025. The fact that one of the most prestigious series of short track stock car racing has chosen Norway Speedway to showcase its talented drivers is a feather in all of our caps. This is the first time the season has run here since 2015.

The ASA Midwest Tour boasts great drivers such as last year’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Champion Ty Majeski. There’s also Wisconsin superstars Gabe Sommers and Casey Johnson, who recently won the Joe Shear Classic at the Madison International Speedway. Then there’s Luke Fenhaus, who has been dabbling is the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, along with Levon Van Der Geest, and many more, including Norway Speedway Stateline Challenge participant Ty Fredrickson of Minnesota. Another familiar name to all of us, and one of the winningest drivers in Norway Speedway history, is Port Orange, Florida’s Dalton Zehr.

Another interesting story about our ASA race will be NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Champion Johnny Sauter’s 14- year-old son Penn making his first appearance as a competitor in this race. Penn Sauter, who has solidified his abilities by running in the Legends Series, will now make his jump into the big time.

The best thing I believe in hosting this race is the element of surprise that it adds to our schedule. On any given Friday night, you could see one of the ASA Stars show up and use one of our weekly events for a practice or a tune-up to get ready for the big race on June 21.

The ASA Midwest Tour is owned and operated by Greg McCarnes out of Madison, Wis. McCarnes was just at the RPM Promoter’s Workshop at Daytona Beach where I attended, and was listed as one the top promoters in the country and we got to sit down and have a Q&A with him on track operation and the future of the sport.

I will always be amazed by hearing Johnny Sauter’s name repeatedly over the sound system at Daytona International Speedway and seeing Greg Ives stand on a pit box at Dale Earnhardt Jr’s pit area, and then be able to see them at Norway Speedway. A town with a population of 2,500 people where mosquitos, wood ticks, and pasties are the brunt of most of our conversations. Just imagine the revenue that not only this race but our entire schedule brings to our community and the surrounding communities as far as fuel, lodging, and food.

The Fast 5 Series is also taking off in a big way. We have been contacted by several top teams throughout Upper Michigan and Wisconsin saying that, “Making five trips to Upper Michigan’s Norway Speedway to win a short track championship is a very viable, affordable, and practical way of attracting top teams.”

Most recently, Tim Baumann has posted his schedule and has Norway Speedway on board for the Fast 5. Baumann, who is the defending champion of the quarter-mile late model series at Wisconsin International Raceway, had some impressive runs at Norway Speedway last year and he could very possibly be a contender for our very first champion in the series. Another cameo appearance by one of the top drivers in the Midwest will be Merrill, Wis.’s Van Der Geest. He will be at Norway Speedway the second week of racing in preparation for the ASA Midwest Tour race, which is brought to you by Weimer Bearing and Transmission. I will keep you posted with some other big names that have made the commitment to make the drive.

There are other new events on the schedule that are kind of interesting or exciting. Back in the 80s and 90s one of the biggest events in almost all race tracks across the country were big wheel races. In our continuing effort to continue to get the youth involved in our speedway, we are going to try and put on a race on June 13 for kids 10 and under to be a part of our Power Ride On Vehicle Race. These are basically the 12-volt battery powered car, jeeps, motorbikes you see kids riding on quite frequently. There will be a small track set up on the front straightaway for the youngest kids and we might be able to see if the older kids can complete a big lap.

Another event that we stole from the Freedom Factory racetrack in Bradenton, Fla., that’s owned by Cleetus McFarland, will be what we are calling The Minivan-O-Ramm-Ya. The minivans will feature the general safety equipment and will be in approximately a 10- to 15-lap race. However, there will be a ramp on the front straightaway that is being built by a local company, which each competitor will have to go over at least once during the race. The race take place on July 11 and we are looking for participants. Cleetus McFarland called the race The Van Prix and highlights are available on YouTube.

The next column will be all about the season opener, which is going to be like our Super Bowl opener with top local talent as well as many returning top drivers from across the Midwest.