My mom has always been the family resource for spouting cliches. Unfortunately, she sometimes mixes and matches one or two into one giant anecdote. Like "There's more than one way to skin a cow," or "Two wrongs don't make it ok to do what you did." And of course my personal favorite, "You can lead a horse to water, but if you can get him to swim, then you got something."
I try my best not to use these tired phrases in my work, but unfortunately after witnessing the season opening ASA race last weekend at USA International Speedway there's only one sentence to describe what took place -"If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
New series owner Steve Dale has tried to bring a new look to the 35-year-old stock car series and I'm not just referring to the controversial car designs. Dale has changed the ASA from a sanctioning body with just a national tour to a multi-tiered short track business. In addition to the premier National Tour, Dale bought the USPRO series and changed it to the ASA Late Model Series as well as the southern-based SMART modified circuit. He also brought in Dennis Huth, who was instrumental in growing NASCAR's Weekly Racing Series, to head-up ASA's Member Track Series, a similar concept that brings several short track facilities around the country under the ASA umbrella.
The moves show a commitment to the business of short track racing, a necessary boost to the lifeblood of the sport. While NASCAR maintains its weekly track program along with the regional touring series concept, it doesn't appear the model is as important to the folks in Daytona Beach as it once was. ASA, which bills itself as the premier short track series in the country, has an opportunity to fortify the local track scene.
But it's what Dale and his crew have done to the once proud National Tour that has everyone up in arms. ASA likes to boast a solid list of alumni who have used the Indiana-based series as a stepping stone to the big time, namely Nextel Cup. Indeed ASA sends out news releases every weekend crowing about how former series drivers finished on Sundays in NASCAR.
However the current product is not anywhere close to what the old series was and from the looks of things on Saturday night, it's going to be a rough season. First there's the car design issue, which takes the traditional number on the side of the door and transfers it to the car's rear quarter panel. The idea was to give team's sponsors more prime exposure on the larger door panels. Unfortunately not only is it just butt ugly, watching the race on television it was virtually impossible to identify the cars. I couldn't tell who was in what car on the track and if the concept was to provide more sponsor exposure it failed miserably because you couldn't read anything on the telecast. I have never received as many e-mails on any subject than I have from fans who hate this new look.
Not to mention how the layout looks even worse on cars, which by my count included half the field after I slowed things down on my TiVo, which did not have a major sponsor.
The race left much to be desired as well, with the 200-lap chase resembling more of a demoltion derby than anything. There are lots of inexperienced drivers in today's ASA who just don't seem ready for prime time. Which brings me to my next scary point and that is the introduction of superspeedway racing to the national tour. Dale has inked four dates on big, fast 1.5-mile tracks this year including two at Kentucky Speedway and one each at Atlanta and Lowe's. The thought of these inexperienced superspeedway drivers on high speed ovals is chilling and, despite tests the sanctioning body held, is a dire mistake.
There isn't a need for ASA to be on superspeedways. It's a short track series, the best in the country at one time, and should play to that strength. The Milwaukee Mile should be ASA's superspeedway with a solid slate of half-mile facilities filling out the schedule. ARCA makes more sense on superspeedways because those cars are basically Nextel Cup Series machines, heavy and steel-bodied, unlike the featherlight fiberglass ASA cars. Bringing ASA to superspeedways simply makes the series run-of-the-mill. Not to mention that a solid short track crowd of 15,000 will look like nothing in a 100,000 seat superspeedway facility.
The unique element of ASA is short track racing and with the Busch Series and Truck Series abandoning the smaller tracks, the ASA is in perfect position to play to its strength.
I've always had a love-hate relationship with ASA. The on track product is usually good but the philosophy and NASCAR chip on its shoulder mentality seems to come across loud and clear. I found it funny during last week's telecast that many time ASA champ Gary St. Amant was said to have gone on to "race in another series," rather than just state that he switched over to the Hooters Pro Cup Series. Don't want to mention the competition?
Put the numbers back on the doors and scrap the superspeedways. It's just that simple. ASA can own the world of short track racing but for some reason doesn't think that's good enough.
