The American Speed Association laid off most all
of the ASA's in-house staff several weeks ago. Only a skeleton
crew remains in the sanctioning body's recently built
headquarters in Pendleton, Indiana. Industry experts expect to
see the ASA file final bankruptcy before Christmas.
Steve Dale, ASA President, had promised an announcement
regarding the series' future by December 1. But as with many of
his promises this year, the deadline came and passed and race
teams are still waiting to hear something.
Brett Sontag, 2004 ASA Rookie of the Year, has not received
the $50,000 award that was advertised for that title. And none
of the 2004 Points fund awards have been paid. In fact, teams
have not received payment for the purse from the Kentucky
Speedway event in September. Teams did receive payment for the
last two events on the schedule, Charlotte and Atlanta, only
because those tracks impounded ASA assets and paid the racers
the purse themselves.
Teams that have participated in the 2004 ASA National Tour
are left with cars and components that are not directly
adaptable to any other series and left with a great deal of
unanswered questions.
The ASA Late Model Series will likely operate in 2005. The
series, formerly the USPRO Series, had been purchased by Dale in
2004. Word has it that Ron and Sandy Varney, part of the
original founding team, have reaquired the series and will
operate it in 2005 under the ASA name. Jay Rutherford, director
of the ASA Speed Truck Challenge is rumored to be preparing to
operate that series for 2005 as well. At the Performance Racing
Industry show, the ASA Late Model Series booth was active but
the absence of anything referring to the ASA National Tour was
quite obvious.
On Monday, December 13, Dennis Huth, ASA’s Member Track
program director, announced that he has formed a new partnership
group, Racing Speed Associates, LLC, and acquired the ASA Member
Track program from the American Speed Association. The terms of
the asset deal were not released. Huth’s Racing Speed Associates
will be based out of Daytona Beach, Fl. Huth plans to continue
to use the ASA Member Track name. In a press release on the ASA
website, Huth is quoted as saying, “The fundamentals of the ASA
Member Track program was to offer the weekly-program racetracks
an alternative for insurance, point funds and assistance in
competing against the other forms of entertainment that pull
fans in different directions today,” Huth explained. “Under the
guidance of Racing Speed Associates, the program will remain
unchanged in these respects. We are still an alternative for
tracks and regional touring series looking to help lower their
expenses, increase the visibility of their program, and feel
like they are part of a national group.”
