Mario Clouser began racing Quarter Midgets at the age of 5 and became an accomplished Quarter Midget pilot. By the time his Quarter Midget career came to an end, he had accumulated over 200 feature wins, 7 region championships and 3 national championships – 2 on asphalt, 1 on dirt. He spent his last two years as a NC Chassis house driver.
In just three short years following, Mario Clouser has made quite an impact on Midget Racing in the Midwest. In 2006 he began his rookie campaign in the UMARA/USAC Ford Focus Midget Series by carding 11 top-5 finishes, including his first feature win at Dixie Motor Speedway in Michigan. He finished 3rd in the final points standings and was the highest finishing rookie in the series points.
Mario followed up his rookie series with an incredibly dominating performance in the 2007 season. He won an astounding 10 UMARA/USAC Ford Focus Features on his way to taking the championship. He set fast times in 11 races including 2 new track records.
For the 2008 season, Mario moved up to the UMARA/USAC National Midget Series. In his rookie campaign, he struggled through the first part of the series chasing mechanical gremlins in his new car. By the time the team found all of the issues, Mario was well out of the points chase. Still, he once again showed the drive and determination of the winner that he is by putting on an incredible charge to the top. Mario took his first National Midget Feature win at the Grundy County Speedway, and then followed that up by posting two consecutive runner-up finishes. He then reeled off three wins in a row including the 17th Illinois State Midget Championship and the Bob Lockhard Memorial. This late season charge boosted him all the way up to a third place finish in the UMARA points standings.
Mario finished out the season leading the UMARA Rookie of the Year points. Mario currently drives for himself in that he does not have high-level team support. He and his brother spend countless hours squaring and blocking his chassis and he does his own shock tuning. This gives him an uncanny ability to feel the car, know what it’s doing, and how to fix it.
Mario, who is now 20 years old graduated from Auburn High School in 2007. He now currently attends Lincoln Land Community College and will receive his associates’ degree in the spring of 09. Mario then plans to continue his education at Southern Illinois University Carbondale where he will obtain his Bachelor’s degree in Automotive Engineering.
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