PENDLETON, Indiana -- This is quickly turning into one of the "must see" events of the year for stock car fans as more than 90 cars have entered the two American Speed Association races to be contested Saturday at the tricky 0.686-mile Indianapolis Raceway Park.
There are 45 cars entered for the Meijer 200 presented by SK Hand Tool, the National Tour event which will start at 8 p.m. local time. Drivers for this event have come from as far away as Scotland and Germany, with John Dalziel and Matthias Czabok representing those two countries.
Dalziel, driving for Indianapolis-based SS Racing, flies in from Scotland for each of the ASA races he participates in.
"I'm really looking forward to IRP this year," said the former open wheel driver. "I have a great team this year, and I have a good car for this race, so I'm looking forward to this event."
Butch Miller, a three-time ASA National Tour champion (1987, '88, '94) will make his 300th career start, reaching another milestone in his career. He is the only driver in ASA history to capture both 50 event wins and 50 poles.
"Actually, if someone were to say 300, I'd have to say 'I think I started more than that,'" Miller said with a chuckle recalling a career which saw his first start come in 1976. "That's surprising though. I guess I don't keep track of numbers like that, but that's pretty neat."
The ASA Late Model Series also have 45 entries for the SK Hand Tool 100, a 100-green flag lap event which begins at 6 p.m. local time.
David Stremme, the younger brother of NASCAR Busch Series driver David Stremme, comes into the event with the points lead as he tries to win both the series championship and rookie of the year titles. The hottest driver in the series right now Ryan Tedesco, winner of three races this season, including the last event at Shady Bowl Speedway on July 17.
Tickets for this double-header racing event are $18 in advance or $20 at the gate, with admission for children under 10 just $5. Discount vouchers are available at Indianapolis-area Meijer stores. For more information, or to purchase tickets, call 888-272-1020. Fans unable to make it to the track can still catch the action via a live Internet broadcast on RSBN.net.
The American Speed Association is based in Pendleton, Ind., and has offered stock car racing programs since
1968, including the ASA National Tour, ASA Late Model Series, several regional touring series and the ASA
Member Track programs. For additional information, visit asaracing.com.
