ASA Press Release - CHANGES AT FOUR ASA MEMBER TRACKS BRING POSITIVE RESULTS THIS SEASON
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PRESS RELEASE September 17, 2010 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For Immediate Release Contact: Kevin Ramsell,ASA Public Relations Director (kramsell@asa-racing.com [mailto:racingpr@me.com]) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CHANGES AT FOUR ASA MEMBER TRACKS BRING POSITIVE RESULTS THIS SEASON ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ American Speed Association PR DAYTONA BEACH, FL (Friday, September 17, 2010) - Anytime a change is made, it will be met with either optimism or pessimism. This season, four ASA Member Tracks had changes occur that brought a positive outcome and proves that short track racing is still a healthy part of the American sports scene. Brad Allen at Ace Speedway in Elon, NC is one of many promoters who went from behind the wheel to behind the desk. This season he took what he thought would make short track racing work at the 54-year-old facilty and proved it. "We went into this season by showing everyone from the competitors to the fans of what we are going to do," Allen said. "What happened is nothing short of the miracle of Christmas. The spirit of racing and excitement took over. The drivers took over by advertising to other drivers to what we are doing and our car counts grew. The same with the fan base. That also grew and it proved that they are believing in what we are doing here. This is above and beyond what I forecasted. This is the best year we had here in the last 18 years. Short track racing in this area is not dead by a long shot. Now we just have to let it grow more over time." Allen said that one thing that really helped with the successful season was that they worked with the competitors. This includes a stronger inspection process to prove to the competitors that they were going to play on a level playing field. He also allowed them to police themselves. "Sometimes race directors and promoters try to do so much. You need to establish that level of respect with the competitors. They need to be human and express their emotions within reason," Allen explained. "We need the personalities and the conflicts. The fans want to see that. It becomes exciting and encourages fans to come back week after week when you have the banter and the battle back and forth. The fans want to cheer and boo. It gets them involved." For a first year promoter, Allen is grateful to have Ace as an ASA Member Track, "The entire ASA staff have been a valuable resource to bounce ideas off of and get their expertise of what to do and not to do," Allen said. "They are a great supporter of what we are doing here at Ace." Ace Speedway will be celebrating its 55th anniversary next season. Allen is already stating that it will be a good year for them. The same can be said at State Park Speedway in Wausau, WI. The famous track in central Wisconsin is the place where the likes of Dick Trickle, Scott Wimmer and many others started their racing career. During the past off-season, Scott Wimmer along with his father Ron bought State Park Speedway. They opened in May to an exciting full house and a strong car count. Throughout the summer, the crowd grew more and more. It grew so much that they had to ask a local hotel to provide shuttle service from their parking lot to the track. In one season, the Wausau area has embraced what the Wimmers have done. They appreciate the improvements they have made to make it a more fan friendly facility. The fans were treated to some great side-by-side racing. Most of all, they brought back a track with a rich history from going in the record books to become, again, a track where future stars can say this is where they started their racing career. Sometimes, it doesn't take a new promoter or owner. But a change in your weekly program. Dells Raceway Park in Wisconsin Dells, WI over the off season made one of the toughest choices that any race track had to make. After three years of trying to support two separate Late Model classes, 2010 saw Dells Raceway Park scale back to a single Late Model class. "It was an agonizing decision, and a lot of people were upset," said track promoter Joe Graziano. "Our fan count could only support one Late Model class, so we were forced to make a the change. In the end, our 2010 fan count was higher than 2009 which was a pleasant surprise. And the racing was as good and competitive as ever." At Skagit Speedway in Alger, WA, they went in a different direction when it came to their advertising. "The one thing we did is worked closely with a local agency to leverage our marketing," Steve Beitler, Skagit Speedway Promoter said. "I spent about the same amount in advertising as I did in 2009 and got double the exposure in 2010. The key was that we worked with a local agency that knows this market very well and could place us in the right areas. Our attendance did go up a little, but the key is that we didn't go backwards." Another thing that Beitler says that has helped is what they haven't changed. "We have held our prices. We haven't raised our front gate admission in five years and our souvenir/concession prices in three years," Beitler explained. "I recently had another promoter from another track commend us on our affordable pricing." Beitler is also proud of his association with ASA. "We have a great partnership with the American Speed Association. We get a lot of media exposure and a lot of assistance from their corporate partners like insurance, signage, timing & scoring, and much more," Beitler said. "Their partnership really helps a short track operation like ours." "Like with any business, you have to adapt to change in order to be successful," Dennis Huth, ASA President said. "Whether if it's a change in leadership or the content of the racing program, a change can be risky and can be beneficial. We have heard from some about how they remember ASA as a great racing series. In the last five years, we have transitioned ASA into a sanctioning body with the simple goal of helping short tracks and regional racing series grow and become more popular with the national attention and support we can give them. These four tracks are just an example of what is happening within our ASA Member Tracks and Series. Things are turning around and for the better." 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. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FOLLOW THE AMERICAN SPEED ASSOCIATION ON... 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