By: Kevin Ramsell (www.kevinramsell.com)
Burlington, WI (Thursday, February 21, 2008) – ASA Midwest Tour officials along with Kwik Trip Stores, Inc. are proud to announce that Kwik Trip will return as the title sponsor for the 2008 season. For the second year in a row, the full series title name will be the ASA Kwik Trip Midwest Tour presented by Echo Outdoor Power Equipment.

“This is a very good match for us,� Gary Gonczy, Marketing Director for Kwik Trip Stores, Inc. stated. “The support we got from everyone, especially the drivers and the race teams was phenomenal. They all did a great job of helping to market Kwik Trip to the race fans. We are very happy to be back as the title sponsor.�

Last season, many of the race teams became familiar with Christa Gerloff, Marketing Project Manager of Kwik Trip Stores, Inc. Christa and her support staff were visible at each event by promoting the Kwik Trip name not only to the fans, but also to the race teams as well.

For Gerloff, it was a pleasant welcome to the sport of auto racing. “Gary approached me and wanted to know if I wanted to take on this project and I never watched a lap of racing in my life,� Gerloff recalls. “I remember having my apprehensions being a young female coming into this sport and the rumors you hear, but I found myself surrounded with a great group of people who welcomed me and my staff with open arms at each event. When I went to their championship banquet in January, and got to see everyone, it got me all pumped up for this season, I can’t wait for it to start.�

Gerloff did say that she is working on a few surprises for the teams at this year events that will enhance their visibility at each event.

“You could not have asked for better people to work alongside with such as Gary and Christa and the rest of the Kwik Trip staff,� Steve Einhaus, ASAMT VP stated. “Both the ASAMT and Kwik Trip have the same goal, and that is to get our race fans to use Kwik Trip as their top choice to fill up their gas tank, get their morning coffee, etc. along with having them enjoy an ASA Midwest Tour race when it comes to a nearby track. The exposure we provide for each other is a great win-win for both of us.�

The first Kwik Trip store was opened in 1965. The company shares a common philosophy with the American Speed Association Midwest Tour: “We are mindful of the past, but don’t live in it. We have our feet planted firmly in the present but we do not stand still. We have an eye on the future, because that’s where we’re going. Our goal is to be "Better Than The Best!"

The Kwik Trip convenience store concept, combines bright clean décor and a strong private label program with competitive “Kwik n’ Low� pricing to create a unique identity for Kwik Trip. Kwik Trip offers unleaded, E-85 fuel, and diesel fuel, convenient pay-at-the-pump capabilities, a large 16-head fountain drink wall, Cheese Mountain Take n’ Bake pizza, and a state of the art car wash at many of its locations.

Kwik Trip, Inc., La Crosse, Wisconsin based headquarters, operates a FDA approved bakery, offering customers fresh Kwikery bakery products including white bread, wheat bread, buns, super muffins, donuts, cookies, bagels and Glazers donuts. Produced in Kwik Trip’s own FDA approved dairy is the Nature’s Touch brand of dairy products including Kwik Trip’s own Milk In A Bag packaging and Nature’s Touch Ice Cream.

Being the producer means Kwik Trip sets the standard and assures the quality of the products that will be sold in its stores. Being the distributor means these products are shipped to local Kwik Trip stores daily, which helps to guarantee their freshness. Being the producer and distributor also enables Kwik Trip to price private label brand products lower than the grocery stores. This pricing philosophy called “Kwik n’ Low� prices provides customers with prices as low as or lower than the grocery store everyday.

Race teams can particularly benefit from Kwik Bucks. Points are earned for every gallon of diesel fuel purchased at Kwik Trip or Kwik Star locations and are redeemable for cash.
Kwik Trip, Inc. is one of the largest independently held convenience store chains in the United States. Kwik Trip owns and operates over 326 Kwik Trip and Kwik Star stores in parts of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa and employs over 8,000 people.

Fans are encouraged to patronize the local Kwik Trip and Kwik Star stores surrounding the scheduled venues on ASAMT race days for car and driver appearances and other promotions. The full ASAMT schedule and a map of Kwik Trip and Kwik Star locations are on the Web.

More information about Kwik Trip, Inc. is available online at www.kwiktrip.com.
To learn more about the American Speed Association Kwik Trip Midwest Tour presented by Echo please contact the ASA Midwest Tour office by calling (262) 514-3880 or by e-mailing Tim Olson at tim@asamidwesttour.com or Steve Einhaus at steve@asamidwesttour.com.

To learn more of the Daytona Beach, Florida-based Racing Speed Associates or the American Speed Association Racing Member Track program, call (386) 258-2221 or send an e-mail to info@asa-racing.com. For news and information from all the racetracks and regional tours involved in the American Speed Association, visit www.asa-racing.com.