McGrath devotes focus to ASA Midwest Tour

CEDAR RAPIDS - It was a choice that just made sense.

Less travel, better competition and a higher car count all influenced the decision for Cedar Rapids' Griffin McGrath to race a full American Speed Association Midwest Tour schedule this summer.

McGrath finds himself among the leaders in the points standings as a rookie, sitting in sixth place before Friday's ASAMT Keith Fleck Miller 100 at Hawkeye Downs Speedway.

McGrath had raced occasionally in the ASAMT, while running in a crate-motor class in the ASA North and the ASA Challenge Series.

"The competition is a little better, we have to go about 200 miles lesson average so that kind of helped make our decision," McGrath said. "It's been fun to devote ourselves to the whole schedule."

The start has been decent through the first two starts of the 16-race schedule. McGrath placed eighth last weekend at Elko (Minn.) Speedway, despite missing a higher placing after getting caught up with another car. A mechanical problem kept him from finishing his opening race at Madison, Wis.

"It should have been better," McGrath said about his first two races. "We've been running really well. If it wasn;t for a couple deals we would be a little higher in the points, (but) I'm happy with how it's going."

Preparation started long before the season started and learning is a continuous process. McGrath and his team did their homework before the schedule started. He even has relied on the advice of other drivers who race at various tracks. McGrath has traveled to tracks that the ASAMT visits for weekly points races to get a feel for those ovals - something McGrath said is a necessity with limited practice time for races. 

"We did a lot of testing in the offseason and a lot of research," McGrath said. "It's paid off so far."

McGrath, 22, has been racing at Hawkeye Downs since he was a teenager. He's enjoyed his time on a very tough super late model tour.

"They're a good group of guys to race with," McGrath said. "Everybody races really clean. The competition is the best, not only in the Midwest, but in the country."

McGrath finished third in his heat race, coming in behind winner Jeff Storm of East Troy, Wis., and runner-up Andrew Morrissey of De Forest, Wis.

Nick Murgic, of Rosemount, Minn., won the first fast heat for the late models. Joey Gase, a junior at Cedar Rapids Xavier and the youngest season points champion at Hawkeye Downs, was second. Chris Wimmer, a veteran from Wausau, Wis., was third.

Dudley Fleck, who has never won the Miller 100, won the last-chance qualifier race.

The local Hornets class competed in regular points races. Season points lead Bryce Bailey won the opening heat race with brothers, brad and Dallas Chandler, grabbing victories in the second and third heat, respectively.