DAYTONA BEACH, Florida — He had all planned out. That was to graduate from high school, pack up and move down south hoping to get a job at a race shop and work up from there. But his father really didn't like that idea, hoping that his son would at least go to college. Enter the ASA - Student Educational Series and now father and son are both smiling on a bright future.
"This is what our involvement in the ASA - Student Educational Series is all about. To give students like Vern an opportunity to live their dream and be able to achieve them. "— Dennis Huth
Vern Fagerberg Jr. races weekly at Madison International Speedway, an ASA Member Track in Oregon, WI. He was very focused on moving down south that he graduated from high school in three years. "I was going to move directly to Concord, NC and sweep floors until I found a ride," Fagerberg said about his plans. "All of a sudden the ASA - Student Educational Series arrives and it was a great opportunity to keep my racing career going while still getting the opportunity to go to college and I found out that I could do both rather than just move down and go racing. Now I can go to school because of the ASA Educational Series."
That decison made his father, Vern Sr., very happy. "It's made him more committed to looking at to the future. So committed that he graduated high school in three years," Vern Sr. said. "I wanted him to get some schooling in anything and this program started at MIS two years ago. He asked me why I signed him up for this to where now he can't wait to go to Ohio Technical College in October. This is a great thing and I am really happy that ASA got involved with this."
Excited is an understatement when Vern Jr. was asked about going to Ohio Technical College as he recently visited the campus. "Oh man, they have a great facility. Everything is hands on and its working with full size cars," Fagerberg explained. "They have a lot of stock cars, drag racers, and well over 200 street cars to work on, diesel engines and more."
He plans on getting a degree in Racing & High Performance. "It's a year and a half program and after I take that, then I will move to North Carolina and hopefully start some place higher than sweeping floors," Fagerberg said.
For father and son, their involvement in the ASA Educational Series has grown more than just doing something fun together. "It has changed a lot, it has gone from us just a fun thing to now he is helping me with my education by being at the track and in the shop with me."
The 17-year-old driver from Bloomingdale, IL started racing Bandoleros and Legends in 2006. In 2007 he was the INEX Young Gun Illinois State Champion, Grundy County Speedway Track Champion, finished second at Rockford Speedway, third at the Milwaukee Mile and third at Madison. He was also the first annual Small Car Nationals Champion at Dells Raceway Park, an ASA Member Track in Wisconsin Dells, WI. In 2008, they moved up to compete in the Late Model division at Madison International Speedway where he still competes today.
"I recently had an opportunity to meet Vern, his father, and crew at Madison International Speedway and was very impressed with him," Dennis Huth, ASA President said. "This is what our involvement in the ASA - Student Educational Series is all about. To give students like Vern an opportunity to live their dream and be able to achieve them. He is a very determined young man and I think we will hear a lot more from him in the future. I wish Vern and the other students involved in the series the best."
The ASA - Student Educational Series is co-sponsored by ASA-Racing and Ohio Technical College, the 2009 #1 rated technical college in the US. For more information on the program, go to www.asa-racing.com and click on the ASA Educational Series link on the right side of the ASA Racing home page.
Students interested in being a part of this program should contact Larry Pond, National Director, at lpond@asaeducationalseries.com or (480) 861-8108.
For more information about Ohio Technical College, please visit www.ohiotechnicalcollege.com.
ASA®, ASA Racing®, American Speed Association® are registered trademarks of Racing Speed Associates, LLC. ASA International, LLC or Racing Speed Associates, LLC are not related to or affiliated with ASA Late Model Series.
