ASA: Washington Apple Team Rolls Towards ASA Opener
28 January 2001
Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
Thomasville, N.C.--If the Washington Apples ASA Race team were not
able to look at the calendar on the wall, and see it were January, they would
swear it were mid - season with how busy they have been this week. In one
week alone they have re-launched their BG Motorsports website
(www.bgmotors.com) to promote their sponsor Washington Apples & the race
team. They are also in the midst of a 2 day test at USA International
Speedway ( Lakeland, Fl. ) and Florida Speedpark ( St. Augustine ). While all
that is happening the remaining BG Motorsports crew, back home in North
Carolina, are beginning to move into a 2nd race shop for their ASA race team.
On Monday BG Motorsports re-launched their website - www.bgmotors.com . A BG Motorsports spokesman said, " The website is not that high tech, by today's standards, but it does have a feature we are excited about. The message boards. This is a special interactive portion of the website. Race fans are welcome to post questions for driver Ricky Bryant, or for the BG Motorsports owners, all year long. Sort of an open mike format. Ricky and BG Motorsports staff will stop by the message boards a couple times a week to answer any questions the fans may have about their sponsor, team, and the ASA Racing Series they will compete in this year."
On the track Bryant and his Washington Apples crew started to shake things down for their season's long quest of the Pat Schauer Memorial ASA Rookie of the Year award.
On Thursday Bryant hit the ¾ mile USA International Speedway in Lakeland, Florida, along with the 2 Herzog Motorsports teams, and fellow ASA rookie Mike Cope. After a solid day of testing with their "brand new" #35 Washington Apples Pontiac Grand Prix Bryant was pretty satisfied, " Our best time today was a 21.48. Last year, when the ASA raced here, that would have qualified me in 9th position. I'm happy with that time as a starting point. The car was not totally in race trim, so I am very confident we can do better".
Unofficially Toby Porter had the quick lap of the day at 21.25 sec. On Saturday Bryant will resume testing his Washington Apples Pontiac at the Florida Speedpark in St. Augustine, Florida. The ASA Series will open the 2001 season in St. Augustine, on Feb. 17th, with the running of the ASA Racing 300. The race will be held at 9 PM that evening, and broadcast live on TNN.
Finally as if that was not enough for one week, BG Motorsports crewman Phil Plummer, and Dick Wayman were to begin moving equipment into the new BG Motorsports shop 5 miles north of their current shop in Thomasville, NC. For the time being BG Motorsports is going to operate out of 2 shops. The new facility will serve as primary home for preparing the ASA Pontiac Grand Prix for races in 2001. The current shop will be retained for fabrication work, some painting, and to house the BG Motorsports Dash team as well. A BG Motorsports spokesman said, " We are really trying to build for the future. We want to have a nicer place for our sponsors to visit, and hold meetings, as well as having a more modern facility to prepare the cars. The ASA Series is a tough series. We need to have the best possible facility that we can afford This will allow us to compete & market against all the other top teams in the ASA." BG Motorsports hopes to be settled into their new shop by the end of next week.
Text Provided By Tom Granelli
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