DAYTONA BEACH, Florida — For more than four decades, the red-and-black ASA oval logo of the American Speed Association has stood the test of time. It has outlasted the Beatles, Michael Jackson and Brittany Spears, and when fans see that famous ASA logo enhanced with the words “We Build Champions” they know they can count on one thing – short track racing excitement complete with the wheel-to-wheel and door-to-door action that has flourished under nine US Presidents, and counting.
"There is only one true American Speed Association that has the history, the names, and the great on-track action."— Dennis Huth
“There is only one true American Speed Association that has the history, the names, and the great on-track action,” said Dennis Huth, president of the ASA sanctioning body. “If you want the genuine article, look for the red-and-black ASA oval logo on the series or ASA Member Track for they offer the very best in short track racing today.”
During the ‘60s the drivers began to make a mark for themselves and the ASA reputation was born on the short tracks of the Midwest. Dave Sorg took his Ford to the very first ASA championship in 1968, the first of two he would win. While disco was king in the ‘70s, it was drivers like Mike Eddy and Mark Martin who had the fans talking. Eddy ultimately would win seven ASA championships in his esteemed career.
The ’80s saw Rusty Wallace battle Martin, Eddy, and Butch Miller who all first become household names as drivers in the ASA long before they saw fame in NASCAR. Tony Raines, and Kevin Cywinski flexed their muscle in the ‘90s and the young hotshots took their turn in the 2000s as Joey Logano and Reed Sorenson all battled the veterans and, more often than not, finished behind them on the racetrack but learned many valuable lessons they still use today in the top NASCAR series.
So many legendary names have been part of the American Speed Association over the years; Dick Trickle, Alan Kulwicki, Bob Senneker, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Mike Garvey, Gary St. Amant and Kevin Cywinski; even crew chiefs such as Jimmy Fennig and Kevin Hamlin have all learned the trade in the ASA trenches.
The ASA has long been a family affair. Over the years the ASA has seen brothers Rusty, Mike and Kenny Wallace; Jay, Tim, and Johnny Sauter; Kyle and his son Adam Petty; Darrell and Michael Waltrip; Bobby, Davey, Clifford and Donnie Allison are just a handful of the greatest surnames in racing that have all been part of the American Speed Association. Even now families can be seen in the pits working together towards the goal of becoming the next ASA champion.
Today, the sanctioning body is stronger than ever with more than 35 ASA Member Tracks and eleven ASA Regional Racing Tours in action. All told, there are more than 700 American Speed Association events held annually marking a return to the greatness that it had experienced for many years; the 22,000 fans that attended the May 16 American Speed Association Midwest Tour event at Iowa Speedway can attest to that fact.
“The ASA was founded on grassroots, short track racing. Wheel-to-wheel, door-to-door and fender banging action was what brought the fans into the stands and that is what we have been doing with the ASA Member Track programs and the ASA Regional Racing series. It’s all about getting back to basics and doing the things that fans associate with a positive ASA experience. That’s all about providing good value for the money, exciting entertainment, and leaving at the end of the night with a smile on their face and a story to tell their friends,” Huth explained.
But, the only way to guarantee this type of experience is to look for the genuine red-and-black ASA oval. If it is there, so is the action on the racetrack.
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.
ASA™, ASA Racing™ and American Speed Association® are trademarks of Racing Speed Associates, LLC. Racing Speed Associates, LLC is not related to or affiliated with ASA Late Model Series, LLC.
