ASA Press Release - ASA MEMBER TRACKS REACHING OUT TO FUTURE STARS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PRESS RELEASE July 27, 2010 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For Immediate Release Contact: Kevin Ramsell,ASA Public Relations Director (kramsell@asa-racing.com [mailto:racingpr@me.com]) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ASA MEMBER TRACKS REACHING OUT TO FUTURE STARS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ American Speed Association PR DAYTONA BEACH, FL (Tuesday, July 27, 2010) - Like baseball and football, auto racing is a sport that transcends from one generation to the next. But today's next generation has more things to capture their interest and short tracks around the country are looking for ways to get their attention to be a part of this sport or even be a fan. ASA Member Tracks are working overtime to create ways to get their attention to have that next generation to keep this sport successful. This past year, the American Speed Association launched its ASA - Student Educational Series to its ASA Member Tracks. Over 50 students got involved this season in the program that is sponsored by ASA and Ohio Technical College. In a few weeks, several students will be receiving a scholarship from $2,500 to $20,000 to attend Ohio Technical College, some will be starting in late August while others will start taking classes in October. Several high school students have spent this summer working on a race team at ASA Member Tracks across the United States. Some are part of a pit crew and some are even drivers. "We got off to a good start with our ASA - Student Educational Series in 2010," Larry Pond, ASA - Student Educational Series National Director said. "Once we hand out the scholarships for this year, we will start right away with recruiting students for next season as recruiters from Ohio Technical College will be visiting area high schools. They now have the ASA - Student Educational Series as a way to help students get an education at their award winning school." One student in the ASA - Student Educational Series, Vern Fagerberg, Jr., hopes to graduate from Ohio Technical College and pursue a career in auto racing. Pat Richgels, who earned a scholarship last year when the ASA - Student Educational Series was a pilot program at Madison International Speedway, an ASA Member Track in Oregon, WI, is already twelve months in to his 18-month program at OTC, hopes to graduate in February, 2011 and hopes to compete in the Late Model division next season at MIS. He is also hoping to work full-time as a mechanic or maybe for a local race car builder. He is currently racing in the Bandit division this season. Another way is that several ASA Member Tracks also have entry level divisions that are designed for preteens to teenagers to get involved in this sport. Many have 4-cylinder, Bandoleros and Legend car divisions for them to compete in. Meridian Speedway, an ASA Member Track in Meridian, ID, has created a Junior Stinger division, which allows ages 11-14 to compete in a 4-cylinder car and it has been well received as 16 drivers have already earned points this season. When you look at these divisions, you will see family and friends working together on the team as well as how many family and friends will show up to watch their young favorite driver compete. Will many of these future stars become household names in the next ten years or so? Some will be well known throughout the United States and while a majority will be household names in communities near an ASA Member Track. Some could be celebrities at their schools because they compete in a unique sport like auto racing. Schoolmates will become interested in what their friends are doing that they want to go to the tracks and see them race. Local or national...they are future stars of this sport. "The trend is to always focus on the adult generation of fans in this sport, but we also need to look at the future as well," Dennis Huth, ASA President said. "I feel that we are close to losing a generation of race fans. We need to step up and attract them to this great sport. A couple of ways is to have them be a part of the ASA - Student Educational Series or be a competitor themselves. Our ASA Member Tracks have great entry divisions for anyone at any age to live their dream of being in this sport. Many have a variety of divisions that will fit in anyone's budget. We have also heard the stories of generations racing together. In fact, at Meridian last Saturday we had a daughter beat her father for a feature win. Like in any other sport, if they get involved and enjoy it, they are hooked." The ASA Member Track program is comprised of dirt and asphalt short tracks along with road courses around the United States, as well as a variety of regional and national touring series. For more information, call (386) 258-2221 or send an e-mail to info@asa-racing.com. For news and information from all the racetracks and tours involved in the ASA, visit www.ASA-Racing.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. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FOLLOW THE AMERICAN SPEED ASSOCIATION ON... 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