DAYTONA BEACH, Florida — In 1968, Rex Robbins created the American Speed Association which became a short track staple throughout the Midwest. Today, 41 years later, the American Speed Association name is just as well known across the entire United States.

It was in 1973 that the American Speed Association first came on the racing map as a national touring series with Dave Sorg crowned as the first champion. The series competed in Super Late Model stock cars which allowed local competitors to battle with its traveling competitors.

Drivers like Mike Eddy, Rodney Combs, Mark Martin, Rusty Wallace, Dick Trickle, Butch Miller, Bob Senneker, Johnny Benson Jr., Kevin Cywinski, Bryan Reffner, Ted Musgrave, Scott Hansen, Dave Sensiba, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Johnny Sauter, Jay Sauter, David Stremme, and Reed Sorenson honed their skills and became household names as they would be headliners on event posters, print ads, television and radio commercials and eventually the live television broadcasts which catapulted the American Speed Association to the front of the motorsports community.

In the early 1990s the American Speed Association further developed their own identity with their unique body style and look. In the Midwest, the ARTGO Series was doing the same thing and continued that tradition until 1997. In fact, in the early ‘80s fans would flock to see the ASA-ARTGO Challenge Series events where the best of the two series would compete. At one event in July, 1984, Darrell Waltrip came home to a sixth place finish driving a V-6 Camaro, while Mark Martin won the event.

In 2004 the ASA National Tour ran their final event, and the headquarters in Pendleton, Ind., were shuttered. Since that day, many have wondered if the long Midwest tradition that the ASA had developed would ever return.

That door was reopened once again when Dennis Huth took the next step and acquired the rights and ownership to the American Speed Association.

With Huth at the helm, the ASA name quickly rose to a preeminent position in the short track community once again. One of the first things was the 2007 sanctioning of the newly created American Speed Association Midwest Tour. The fans quickly took notice to how similar this series was to the old ASA/ARTGO days. The ASAMT started to promote its “Touring Stars,” the drivers they will bring to challenge the local weekly competitors at various tracks in five different states.

Midwest hot shoes like Dan Fredrickson, Donny Reuvers, Nathan Haseleu, Tim Schendel, Chris Wimmer, Jamie Iverson, and Steve Carlson compete in the series today and at many events, the locals do come and showcase their skills against the touring stars. In 2009, the series will have a 13-event schedule with stops at such notable racetracks as Madison (Wis.) International Speedway, Iowa Speedway, Hawkeye Downs Speedway, The Dells and Wisconsin International Raceway.

Further expanding their reach, in 2008, the American Speed Association sanctioned the ASA Southeast Asphalt Tour. The idea took much of what was created in the Midwest and brought it south with a TV component added. The series completed their inaugural season competing in seven different states with Jay Middleton being crowned as its champion.

Some of the 2008 winners included: Preston Peltier, Beau Slocumb, Tim Russell, Middleton, Travis Cope, Ryan Crane, Chris Whorton, Jason Hogan and Brian Campbell. A 17-event schedule is on the docket for the ASASEAT in 2009.

The oldest of the three Super Late Model tour’s got a facelift coming into the 2009 season as the ASA Northwest Tour recently merged with the ARCA Late Model Challenge Series to become the American Speed Association Northwest Late Model Tour.

The ASANLMT will have an 11-event schedule in four different states this season with their season opener at the famous Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Wash. Top names like 2008 ASA Northwest Tour champion Brad Stanwood and 2008 ARCA Late Model Challenge Series champion Wes Rhodes will lead a large group of competitors in the 2009 season.

“The one thing that stands out with any form of auto racing is tradition,” said Dennis Huth, president of the American Speed Association. “Thanks to promoters like Rex Robbins, John McKarns and others who created series like these back in the ‘70s with a formula that could easily work even decades later in every part of the United States, the American Speed Association has blossomed beyond their Midwest foundations.”

“The fans want to see their local heroes compete against the best in this sport,” Huth continued to say. “I strongly feel that the three American Speed Association Super Late Model series that we have sanctioned continue that tradition. They are building awesome fan bases, and delivering what the fans have been hungry for since the late ’80s. Each series has great competitors and great leaders, and stars that fans will be talking about and watching for years to come. It’s the same tradition of building champions, but with a new generation of drivers.”