SHOWDOWN OF THE SUITS

Source: RacingWest.com/ Janet Peery
Date: 04/27/2004

Envision a wild west town complete with a saloon and through the swinging doors and unto the dusty street heading for opposite ends, come two men with guns drawn, one wearing a NASCAR vest and the other an ASA fringed jacket.

That is the real Showdown. And what is jarring is that the vested NASCAR is not shooting it out to be the last one standing, but shooting to see the opposition fall.

An inside source said NASCAR is basically stepping up promotions to win the battle. They said, "We have definitely reacted to the ASA entering the Northwest, but the competition between the ASA and NASCAR is good, it makes for a better program for the drivers." I could swear someone else said those words, but that is neither here nor there,

What is interesting is that NASCAR is playing the game and convincing the players (drivers, car owners, team members) that NASCAR is still the best and only game in town. There is no doubt NASCAR is making their game more appealing. The question is if NASCAR is playing the game for the purpose of hammering the ASA, will NASCAR continue to promote if they succeed in their game?

Numerous racers and track promoters are frustrated by NASCAR who has said all along it is a sanctioning body only, and now out of the blue is able to whip out a commanding marketing department, one that has been in place for years. NASCAR we now find out was negligent in promoting the Tour and Grand National, or what NASCAR refers to as the lower levels (steps) of racing, for the resources to promote were there all the while.

Picture the frustration of the drivers and tracks that walked away for lack of promotion and marketing assistance from NASCAR, to now see what it is capable of doing, not because it is proactive, but because it is reactive.

There is a choice between ASA and NASCAR, for now it is only at the track level. Some teams at Tri-City Raceway during the Northwest Elite race said the ASA would, "Never work in the Northwest because is has too many different rules to try to bring together."

Lets think about this, were the rules all the same when the NASCAR NW Tour began? Hasn't NASCAR itself recently taken two series, the West and Busch North and combined different cars and different rules? Is there reason to think ASA could not do the same?

And most importantly, don't current NASCAR tracks have different rules and cars anyways? Can any Late Model or Super Late Model go from one track to another without changing something?

Far be it from me to understand what it takes to convert a car, but that aside, even when the folks in the Northwest agreed that the ASA is a good idea, some said, "I never liked Dennis Huth".

Me either. I actually thought he was the biggest SOB in the Winston West. He strutted around the pits with an arrogant attitude, yapping commands to tracks, drivers, and owners. He seemed to expect everyone to do what he said. In fact he seemed to be all that was wrong with NASCAR and one of the happiest days for me was hearing the supercilious, conceited snob resigned.

That is until he left. Then many of us that bashed and lashed out at Huth, had a different view. There is not a person I know that can say the Winston West is better without him. If you raced in a series or at a track that he was a part of, think back to that time and ask yourself, ?Is what and how I am racing today better than when Huth was involved?? It probably isn?t and I would guess the purse isn?t better either.

Funny now I can see some of his egotistical attitude as class. And now I understand better he really wasn?t out to win a popularity contest, he was out to do the best job he could do. He is competitive. He wants things done right and he wants everyone to be involved. I think I would rather have him fighting for me, than some of the men and women today that are out there making promises.

But there is more to the ASA than Huth. After all, he is only one small, albeit vital, part of a large organization. What if there was a bigger name behind the ASA? No one has openly come out and said anything here. But what if someone like Bruton Smith was silently behind it? I don't know he is, I have heard rumors, but can find no concrete evidence. But it is something to ruminate. Is Smith ready to roll over and play dead with NASCAR expanding tracks as it is? Or is it possible he has another card to play?

Another conversation I had at Tri-City Raceway was the fact that no series would want to be ASA sanctioned. Why not? What are the pros and cons?

This isn't really an article with an ending; it is an article to open conversation, for I would love to see the ASA get a chance. NASCAR's Showdown of the Suits will help the drivers, for now, but what if you had two powerful players in the West, the ASA and NASCAR? Wouldn?t that be better? What are your thoughts?

I have to stop and think of recent entries into the NEXTEL Cup. They didn't come from NASCAR. Maybe they will, maybe Kevin Hamlin, or David Gilliland or Austin Cameron, or Johnny Borneman will be the next driver to move up, but it could just as easily be a USAC or ASA driver, which is why I would like to see the drivers in the west have more choices.

I hope the Showdown becomes a long drawn out Western Saga, because I personally want to have the ASA and NASCAR both. I'm a greedy racing fan :)

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Update 08/20/07 -- Well I sure missed the mark on Bruton Smith...but I made up for it with my correct prediction for Kevin Hamlin and David Gilliland. I hope I will also be right that the ASA can work in the NW.

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