Eight Dates Announced for 2004 ASA Late Model Series
Pendleton, Ind. (November 21, 2003) - In high anticipation of the inaugural season
for the ASA Late Model Series, eight event dates of a planned 12-15 for the 2004
season have been announced. The series will make appearances at Lake Erie
Speedway in Pennsylvania, Mansfield Motorsports Speedway, Sandusky Speedway and
Toledo Speedway in Ohio, Berlin Raceway in Michigan, Indianapolis Raceway Park and
Anderson Speedway in Indiana and Hawkeye Downs Speedway in Iowa.
Five of the eight announced ASA Late Model Series dates are companion events to the
ASA Racing Series, taking place on the same day as the nationally touring ASA Racing
Series feature event. These events are set for Lake Erie on Saturday, May 29, Mansfield
on Saturday, June 5 Berlin on Saturday, June 12, Toledo on Saturday, July 24 and
Indianapolis Raceway Park on Saturday, July 31.
"Each of the eight race tracks have long established themselves in motorsports and
those events that are companion to the National Tour are simply five of the finest short
track facilities anywhere," said Joe Balash, ASA Operations Director. "I'm confident
these races will be competitive and entertaining."
The state-of-the-art Lake Erie Speedway, in Erie, Pa. is a 15-minute commute from the
shores of Lake Erie and offers one of the most beautiful spots for a racetrack in the
country.
Mansfield Motorsports Speedway has quickly become Ohio's premier short track.
Located north of Columbus and southwest of Cleveland, the track re-opened on May 9,
1999 after being converted into a .50-mile asphalt track. It retained the high banking of
the original dirt track layout.
In 2002, new light poles, lights and grandstands were added to the facility. More than
$16 million in improvements were made including a six-story tower, 12 suites, a press
facility, ticket booth and concession stand as well as bathrooms and 7,200 permanent
seats. Additional seating is being added to reach nearly 20,000 by the start of the 2004
season.
The legendary Berlin Raceway hosts the ASA Late Model Series on Saturday, June 12.
In 1965 the fairgrounds facility, originally a horse track and then used for dirt
motorsports, became the .438-mile paved oval that is raced on today. In 2001,
Whitecaps Racing, a division of the West Michigan Whitecaps professional baseball
team, purchased the track and made numerous improvements to the facility befitting its
hallowed status in the racing community.
Toledo Speedway hosts the second-year series on Saturday, July 24. ARCA president
Ron Drager and Detroit-area businessman Roy Mott purchased Toledo Speedway in
January 1999. A track "facelift" undertaken quickly allowed the North Toledo facility to
regain its famed notoriety of being one of the best short tracks in the country.
Currently the largest track on the 2004 ASA Late Model Series schedule will be the .686-
mile oval of Indianapolis Raceway Park. The event at IRP will take place on Saturday,
July 31.
Owned by the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) since 1979, Indianapolis Raceway
Park has been a staple of the American motorsports landscape since the legendary A.J.
Foyt won the first oval race there in 1961, capturing a USAC race on a dirt oval, the only
dirt race ever held there. The facility, which also includes the oval, a drag strip and a 2.5-
mile road course, has undergone major renovations, including new grandstands for the
oval track in 1999. Along with the weekly program, IRP hosts Kroger Speedfest during
August and the annual NHRA U.S. Nationals over Labor Day weekend.
Anderson Speedway, the birthplace of the American Speed Association, will host the
ASA Late Model Series on Saturday, August 7. The quarter-mile oval is one of the
premier weekly race tracks in the state of Indiana, featuring 8,000 seats and full array of
suites in Turn 1.
The ASA Racing Series has made 29 appearances at Anderson dating back to May of
1973. A who's who of Motorsports has recorded victories at Anderson including Mark
Martin, Bob Senneker, Alan Kulwicki, Tiny Lund, Dick Trickle, Mike Eddy, Butch Miller,
Bryan Reffner and 2003 National Champion Kevin Cywinski.
The ASA Late Model Series travels to the .50-mile oval of Sandusky Speedway in Ohio
on Saturday, August 28. The nationally touring ASA Racing Series has made two stops
at Sandusky with Illinois racer Bobby Dotter winning the most recent event in 1987,
fending off a furious challenge from seven-time Winston Cup Champion Dale Earnhardt.
The final announced date is Hawkeye Downs Speedway in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on
Saturday, September 4. The former Frontier Park and Cedar Rapids Speedway, has
been an Iowa racing tradition since 1925. In 1989, the old .50-mile dirt track was
revamped into Iowa's first paved .5-mile oval with a .25-mile oval within the larger track.
The nationally touring ASA Racing Series has an impressive history at Hawkeye Downs
Speedway totaling 17 appearances since July 4, 1994.
The entire 2004 ASA Late Model Series schedule continues to be formulated with a total
of 12-15 events making up the expected final slate.
Officials are planning for 100-lap green flag races with a preference to not have
competitors changing tires, adding fuel or having to use pit stops during the events. The
cars will include makes from three major manufacturers - General Motors, Ford and
Dodge. They will utilize template bodies and engines from all three.
Rules for the 2004 ASA Late Model Series are available by contacting the ASA office at
1-765-778-8088.