ASA ProAutoSports Competitors to Compete at Phakisa
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PRESS RELEASE
January 8, 2010
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For Immediate Release
Contact:
Kevin Ramsell,ASA Public Relations Director
(kramsell@asa-racing.com [mailto:racingpr@me.com])
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THREE ASA-PROAUTOSPORTS ROAD RACING PROGRAM GRADUATES GET READY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY
OF A LIFETIME IN SOUTH AFRICA
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American Speed Association PR
DAYTONA BEACH, FL (Thursday, January 7, 2010) - The upcoming ASA Transcontinental
Series Free State 500 at the Phakisa Freeway Circuit in Welkom, Free State, South
Africa will have a unique variety of competitors. Three of the drivers coming over
to compete are graduates of the ASA-ProAutoSports Road Racing Program based out
of Chandler, AZ. Don Uhlir, Mark Shaffer and Dustin Dudley are graduates of the
program and have been racing competitively for at least the last ten years and
have signed on early to compete at the January 31, 2010 event.
While ASA-Racing is well known for oval track racing, there are 3 road racing divisions
that include ASA-ProAutoSports, The Bondurant Championship Race Series and Inde
Motorsports Ranch. ASA-Racing continues to expand into road racing.
Uhlir started in the program about ten years ago driving in the Corvette Time Trials.
With an engineering background, he has enjoyed the challenge of not only getting
behind the wheel of a stock car but learning how to set up the car as well. He
always has had the need for speed as he did some racing in high school and college,
but put it on hold after he graduated from engineering school. From there he started
racing motorcycles. After he grew out of cycles, he met up with Larry and Vicki
Pond, founders of ASA-ProAutoSports, and started with the Corvette Time trials.
But he wanted more of a challenge and bought an old Southwest Tour car. For him,
getting behind the wheel is more of a stress relief, "At work I juggle multiple
things, but when in the cockpit I can just focus on one thing," Uhlir said.
He is not afraid to take on any challenges as he has raced motorcycles to dog sled
racing, "I will always explore something to find out if I don't like it as oppose
to not trying it to find out if its something I don't like," Uhlir explained. "Down
here in Tucson I have a pure bred Siberian sled team where I have ten dogs, not
enough for an Iditarod run but enough for a couple of two day races a year here
in Arizona."
Uhlir is looking forward to competing in the Free State 500, "It's thrilling, obviously
I don't race for a living but people feel that I am skilled enough, especially on
high speed tracks," Uhlir said. "Also, a little nervous, I'm an engineer and I
like to do things methodically. We are hopping on an airplane and going to a racetrack
that nobody has really run on before and we are going to have to figure out setups
by ourselves."
When asked about working with the other competitors, he had a pretty quick answer
to that, "Well, I'm a pretty darn good engineer. So I may actually keep my mouth
shut and do it ourselves," Uhlir said with a smile.
This will be the second time that Uhlir has visited South Africa, "The first time
was about 30 years ago...by sailboat," Uhlir said. "It was a trip from New York
down to Cape Town, a couple of us sailed it down there for a bunch of maintenance
on it." Uhlir said it only took a few weeks to get down there but coming back it
was not that quick but he doesn't remember how long that part was.
Shaffer also comes to Phakisa with a lot of racing experience under his belt as
he drove for Larry Pond's Gemini Racing Systems team in the ASA Truck Series about
15 years ago. He then moved up to a stock car competing in the Grand Am Road Race
Series. He has also raced a vintage Trans Am car and has competed at Tucson Raceway
Park, an ASA Member Track and is a longtime competitor in ASA-ProAutoSports.
"It's a once in a lifetime experience and its a good deal to be a part of," Shaffer
said. "This really says a lot about grass roots racing with the competitors going
over to compete."
Shaffer, who grew up in Pennsylvania has been around the sport for a long time and
has raced in many different cars including for Stan Hover, who has fielded cars
for the Daytona 500.
He will be traveling to South Africa with his 14-year-old son Mark Jr. "He is really
interested in racing, has been doing well in school, so this will be a fun experience
for him as well," Shaffer said.
His expectations? "We have some good expectations," Shaffer exclaimed. "I think
I can finish on the lead lap and in the middle of the pack."
Dudley got his start by competing in an RX-7 Mazda Sports car in ASA-ProAutoSports
about ten years ago. He moved up to the Stock Car GTO Division and has been running
in stock cars for the last least the past five years where has set lap records and
many wins.
"Frankly, I was surprised," Dudley, a trial attorney said. "I have never been to
South Africa and I don't know what to expect in general." He is familiar with Phakisa
Freeway Circuit, "I have seen super bike races on the road course and their road
course looks pretty fun," Dudley said. "I am going to do everything that I can
to let us take a tour of that part of the track and do so in a race car instead
of a scooter."
"It should be a really nice event, but I am questioning the weather a little bit.
But I am from Phoenix so worse case its looking like a summer day here and won't
be too bad," Dudley said with a smile. "Any suggestions of how to deal with a 16-hour
plane ride?"
"It is very exciting to see Don, Mark and Dustin get this opportunity to compete
in South Africa," Larry Pond, now of ASA-Racing said. "It's awesome that ASA is
giving three of our talented road racers the opportunity of a lifetime. I know
is my conversations with them that they are excited and just appreciate it. It
should be fun watching them compete at Phakisa."
"These three drivers are great examples of the talent we have on all levels of the
American Speed Assocation," Dennis Huth, ASA President said. "Not everyone who
races, does it on a full-time basis. Many of have full-time jobs and they race
as a hobby along with the spirit of competition. Larry and Vicki has created the
ASA-ProAutoSports road racing division for individuals like Don, Mark and Dustin
to live their dreams and enjoy the sport of auto racing in a professional environment."
ASA-ProAutoSports was started in 1992 at Phoenix International Raceway. In 2000,
they moved to Firebird International Raceway in the Phoenix area where they could
utilize the three road tracks available there. They became ASA-sanctioned in 2003
and is the largest Road Racing organization in the Southwest of the United States.
The organization is now run by a former employee of the Pond's, Hurley Hatch and
runs three day race weekends once a month year around, primarily at one of the three
tracks at Firebird Int'l Raceway in Chandler, Arizona.
ASA-ProAutoSports also runs races at Firebird International Raceway, Sandia Motor
Speedway in New Mexico, Inde Motorsports Ranch (an ASA Member Track), St. Johns
Grand Prix, Tucson Raceway Park (an ASA Member Track), Phoenix International Raceway,
Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Arroyo Seco Raceway in New Mexico.
For more info look at www.proautosports.com;
www.professionalautosports.com; www.stjohnsgrandprix.com
For more information about the Free State 500, please visit www.phakisa.com or www.freestate500.com.
To learn more of the Daytona Beach, Fla.-based American Speed Association 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 registered trademarks of
Racing Speed Associates, LLC. ASA International, LLC and Racing Speed Associates,
LLC are not related to or affiliated with ASA Late Model Series, LLC.
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