Mid-Am Racing Series


Mid-Am Racing Series, formerly Mid American Stock Car Series is a regional stock car racing tour based in the Midwestern United States. Established in 1993, the series features purpose-built race cars that utilize chassis designs influenced by earlier generations of NASCAR Cup Series construction before the Car of Tomorrow era. These cars retain traditional stock car engineering principles, including steel tube frames, rear-wheel drive layouts, and naturally aspirated V8 engines.
Cars in the series utilize composite stock car bodies supplied by established manufacturers. These bodies follow a standardized North American short-track design that is also used in other regional and international stock car divisions, including competition in NASCAR Mexico. Body rules promote manufacturer identity—typically Chevrolet, Ford, or Dodge—while maintaining cost control and aerodynamic parity among teams..
The Mid-Am Racing Series competes on a varied schedule that includes paved short tracks, dirt ovals, and road course events across the Midwest, with races in states such as Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa. Its combination of touring structure, traditional chassis design, and competitive parity attracts both developing drivers and experienced racers from across the region.

History

The Vercauteren brothers, during some time off in their hotel room in Daytona Beach, Florida during Speedweeks in February 1993, came up with the concept of a new asphalt series – the Mid-American Stock Car series. “Essentially the idea was to take the concept of the steel-bodied grand national cars that had been so popular on the dirt at Chilton Fairgrounds and create a traveling series on paved tracks throughout the Midwest.”
During the first two years the series ran in ’93 and ’94 the Vercauteren’s were able to secure dates at legendary tracks like the Milwaukee Mile and Road America in Elkhart Lake cementing itself as a formidable racing series. The Series was at one time a support class for the ARTGO Challenge Series. The Mid American corporation expanded to a traveling Supertruck Series named the Midwest Super Truck Series in 1995 and a traveling Super Late Model Series, named the Midwest All-Star Racing Series in 1999. The expansion also included the Stock Car Classics in 2004 and the American Stock Car League in 2005. The death of Vercauteran in October 2005 led to the purchase of Mid-American by longtime employees Doug and Julie Strasburg. The Strasburgs kept only the Mid American Stock Car Series while MARS and ASL were dissolved. The Stock Car Classics split into two groups. The Super Trucks were absorbed into the United States Super Trucks or USST.

Strasburg ownership era

When the Strasburgs took over Mid American in 2006, the series was struggling with car counts and tracks willing to host races. The average car count average jumped from 20 entrants per race to 27. A season high 39 participants ran at the Milwaukee Mile during the Governor's Cup Weekend. Several tracks have renewed relationships with the Mid-American Stock Car Series such as the Golden Sands Speedway, Marshfield Super Speedway, Dells Raceway Park and Road America.

Gruenberg ownership era

Dave Gruenberg took over ownership on October 22, 2014. Working with Gary Vercauteran, Doug Stasburg, and Julie Stasburg previously made this an easy transition.
Teams were intrigued when series owner Dave Gruenberg revealed a 2017 schedule that would have them competing on consecutive days at a couple of very different venues. Veteran drivers and newcomers alike were sent into their respective think tanks to consider how best confront these challenges. On Thursday, May 25 a race was held on the 1 mile dirt oval of the Indiana State Fairgrounds. In a show of versatility, less than 24 hours later on May 26, the VERY same drivers AND cars took to the track 21 miles to the west, for 40 laps of feature racing on the pavement at the fast 5/8-mile Lucas Oil Raceway in Brownsburg, Indiana. Competing at the event was retired NASCAR star, Ken Schrader.

Go Racing Promotions ownership era

The series was sold by Gruenberg to former La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway flagman Greg Oliver in early February 2017. Oliver ran both the Great Northern Sportsmen Series and Midwest Dash Series. All three series became a part of the GO Racing Promotions organization.

Scrogham/Hryn ownership era

In early October 2020, the series was purchased by former competitor Tim Scrogham from longtime owner Greg Oliver and rebranded as The Mid-Am Racing Series. In 2025, Scrogham added fellow former competitor Cheryl Hryn as a co-owner.
Following the change in ownership, the series was rebranded as the Mid-Am Racing Series and entered a new era focused on growth and innovation. Scrogham and Hryn have worked to modernize operations—implementing updated procedures, enhancing digital infrastructure, and streamlining race-day logistics—while remaining committed to honoring the rich history and grassroots spirit of the series.

Notable Drivers

The following tracks are scheduled to host at least one event in 2026:
  • Wisconsin International Raceway
  • Hawkeye Downs Speedway
  • Norway Speedway
  • Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis
  • Winchester Speedway
  • Slinger Speedway
  • La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway
  • Dells Raceway Park
  • Grundy County Speedway
  • Plymouth Motor Speedway

    Former tracks

  • Madison International Speedway
  • Kankakee County Speedway
  • Sycamore Speedway
  • Tomah-Sparta Raceway
  • Milwaukee Mile
  • Rockford Speedway
  • Chicago Motor Speedway
  • 141 Speedway – Francis Creek, Wisconsin
  • Dodge County Fairgrounds
  • Elko Speedway - Elko New Market, Minnesota
  • Blackhawk Farms Raceway
  • Illiana Motor Speedway
  • Golden Sands Speedway
  • Indiana State Fairgrounds
  • Lake Geneva Raceway – Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
  • Marshfield Motor Speedway
  • Michigan Ideal Speedway
  • Road America – Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
  • South Bend Speedway
  • State Park Speedway
  • Beaver Dam Raceway
Super Truck Series Race ONLY:
  • Raceway Park

    List of series champions

YearDriverReferences
1993Eddie Hoffman
1994Eddie Hoffman
1995Eddie Hoffman
1996Mark Pluer
1997Jeff Storm
1998Jeff Storm
1999Rick Corso
2000Bill Prietzel
2001James Swan
2002Rod Brewe
2003Bill Prietzel
2004Peter Hernandez
2005Bill Prietzel
2006James Swan
2007James Swan
2008James Swan
2009Paul Neisius
2010Lyle Nowak
2011James Swan
2012Jeremy Spoonmore
2013Brad Keith
2014Jeff Holtz
2015Jeff Holtz
2016Ryan Gutknecht
2017Dan Glister
2018Ron Vandermeir Jr.
2019Ron Vandermeir Jr.
2020Ron Vandermeir Jr.
2021Ron Vandermeir Jr.
2022Ron Vandermeir Jr.
2023Clayton Curts
2024Scotty Gardner, Jr.
2025Scotty Gardner, Jr.

List of Vercauteran Memorial winners

The series honors its founder Gary Vercauteran with a race each year after beginning as an event honoring his parents. The race was often held as part of the Red, White, and Blue state championship event at Wisconsin International Raceway. The 2007 event at WIR was rained out, so it was held at 141 Speedway which is the track next closed to Vercauteran's hometown Chilton. The 2010 event was held at Road America. It began in Vercauteran's hometown dirt track in Chilton Fairgrounds before the series' origin. It has been held at a variety of tracks since then. The 25th annual Vercauteran Memorial winner returned to WIR and was won by Tyler Bauknecht.
  • 1990 Wayne Strand
  • 1991 Larry Richards
  • 1992 Jerry Wenzel
  • 1993 Eddie Hoffman
  • 1994 Brian Lambie
  • 1995 Eddie Hoffman
  • 1996 Pat Kelly
  • 1997 Bill Prietzel
  • 1998 Pat Kelly
  • 1999 Gregg Haese
  • 2000 Mark Pluer
  • 2001 Peter Hernandez
  • 2002 Peter Hernandez
  • 2003 Jeremy Spoonmore
  • 2004 Bill Prietzel
  • 2005 Brett Piontek
  • 2006 James Swan
  • 2007 Kevin Damrow
  • 2008 Jacob Finney
  • 2009 Gregg Haese
  • 2010 Bill Prietzel
  • 2011 Jacob Finney
  • 2012 Kenny Joosten
  • 2013 James Swan
  • 2014 Tyler Bauknecht
  • 2015 Lyle Nowak
  • 2016 Ron Vandemeier, Jr. --51st National Short Track Championships
  • 2019 Ron Weyer
  • 2020 Rick Corso --55th National Short Track Championships
  • 2021 Ron Vandemeier, Jr. --56th National Short Track Championships
  • 2022 James Swan --57th National Short Track Championships
  • 2023 Maxwell Schultz
  • 2024 Kenny Richards
  • 2025 Scotty Gardner Jr.