DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- American Speed Association (December 8, 2006) – Racetracks often talk about changing the program to help bring more families to the grandstands, but Meridian (Idaho) Speedway is taking a more direct, and unique approach to getting families involved in motorsports – they are directly helping them get behind the steering wheel with assistance from the ASA Member Track program.
“We have found that if a family doesn’t support the kids in their desire to race then kids just simply don’t have a chance to do it,” explained Ken Hamilton, owner/co-promoter of the quarter-mile bullring. “So we decided to implement a concept that is unique to our area. We have purchased several cars from around the country and choose families to race them during the season.”
The vehicles are housed at the racetrack and the families are able to come and work on them at will. They are required to sell the sponsorship and maintain the vehicle, but aside from some basic limitations the vehicle is treated as their own for the season, and they are completely in charge of their own race team. The program has brought a lot of new life to the racetrack and seen a tremendous amount of interest from the younger drivers, especially those 14 or 15-years old.
“It’s really been neat to watch the families working side-by-side,” said Hamilton. “We see Moms, Dads, sons and daughters all working together on the race car and getting it ready to go. And honestly, we probably would not have been able to do this without the help of Dennis (Huth) and the ASA. He was able to work with their insurance company to help lower the age of insured drivers to 14. My prior carrier limited us to 16-years and older so we could not have done this type of program under their policy.”
“It is really great to see how Ken and the staff at Meridian Speedway have truly embraced the family aspect of racing,” said Dennis Huth, president of the ASA Member Track program. “The nice thing about the ASA Member Track program is the flexibility we can offer. When he brought me the problem he was having getting younger drivers insured we were able to work out a deal with the insurance company and now Meridian has an entirely new base for the future. Their car counts are up because of it, and they are having a lot of fun with all the enthusiasm in the community because so many families are now into racing as a group activity instead of just heading their separate ways on weekends.”
Hamilton has once again signed as a Level I participant in the ASA Member Track program, continuing the track’s streak as one of the inaugural members. Tracks and regional touring series that join as Level I members in the ASA Member Track program are eligible for contributions to their year-end point fund, marketing assistance, and enhanced participant accident insurance to the competitors.
“The ASA relationship has been great. It’s been the best thing I did all those years ago,” Hamilton claimed. “It’s not just the insurance which has been outstanding, but everyone at the track seems to be enjoying being part of the ASA. They make us feel like we are a part of what is going on and informed through the newsletters and e-mails. It is a very good relationship.”
Meridian Speedway is undergoing a continual renovation, particularly needed since the track has been in operation for more than five decades. Fans, and especially the drivers, will appreciate a new lighting system which will be in place for the 2007 season which opens on the third week of April and runs through September. Other upgrades include re-painting, additional asphalt in the pit areas, and the dirt infield has had sprinklers installed and will be seeded with grass. Also new to the facility is John Wood who joins Hamilton as co-promoter.
“John Wood is coming aboard as a partner in the speedway operations,” Hamilton explained. “He has made it possible to provide many of these cars that the families are using, and there are a lot of people in the community that are grateful for his generosity and foresight to help get this program launched and running as well as it has been.”
The track runs several classes during the season, including Bandolero, Legends, Mini Stock, Late Model Lite, Late Models, Winged Sprints, Crate Engine Non-Wing Sprints, Hornets, Super Stocks, Street Stocks and Grand Americans. A normal Saturday night program will feature five of the classes on a rotating basis so each division will have 12 to 14 races during the course of the year. Special touring series which will make stops at Meridian Speedway include the ASA Western States Supermodifieds, the ASA Northwest Sprint Car Series and the Open Comp Grand Americans. Information on the track and schedule can be found online at www.MeridianSpeedway.com or by calling (208) 888-2813.
To learn more of the Daytona Beach, Fla.-based ASA 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 ASA, visit www.ASA-Racing.com.
