2002 ASA SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED
November 28, 2001 - Baltimore, MD

The American Speed Association today released its entire schedule for the 2002 ASA Racing Series season. Highlighting the series’ 35th year of championship stock car racing are visits to two new facilities and return trips to three tracks that have previously hosted ASA national events. Some specific event dates have previously been released.

Once again, the 2002 schedule consists of 20 events with the series visiting 19 different tracks in 12 different states. All 20 events are scheduled for broadcast on TNN: The National Network.

The 2002 ASA Racing Series kicks off its season on the weekend of March 23 and 24 at USA International Speedway in Lakeland, Fla., marking the third time the Florida .75-mile track opens the ASA schedule. The series will then take a week off before heading out West, making its second trip to the state-of-the-art Irwindale Speedway in Irwindale, Calif. The California event, which will be run on April 6 and 7, proved to be a big hit for the ASA fans on the West Coast. One week later, ASA returns for a second straight season to one of the legendary short tracks in the country, Big Daddy’s South Boston Speedway in South Boston, Va. The one-day show is scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 13.

Officials from ASA recently announced the The National Network (TNN) will televise the entire race schedule for the 2002 ASA Racing Series season. The schedule shows a number of ASA events being run on Sunday afternoon, allowing for live coverage on TNN. In all, 14 events will be televised LIVE, with the remaining six on a tape-delay basis. TNN Sports will produce the race telecasts. The 2002 season marks the 12th year of ASA Racing coverage broadcast on TNN.

Two new tracks highlight the schedule, giving the states of Minnesota and Michigan two event dates each. Elko Speedway, located in Elko, Minn., hosts its first ASA event on the weekend of June 15 and 16. The 3/8-mile oval will host a 300-lap event on Sunday afternoon. The state’s second date comes with the traditional Minnesota State Fair Speedway event scheduled for Labor Day, Monday, September 2.

“We are extremely excited as it will help to give us the national recognition that we need to make our track one of the best in the region,” said Tom Ryan, president of Elko Speedway. “We are striving to be a regional center for circle track racing and this will greatly enhance our efforts to do so. Our fans have been supporters of ASA Racing as we have sold hundreds of tickets annually for the State Fair race. We know there is a big interest in ASA Racing in Minnesota.”

Michigan sees a second race added in 2002, with the new US 131 Motorsports Park, owned by former ASA car owner Alec Pinsonneault, hosting an ASA event for the first time. The track, located in Martin, welcomes the ASA community to town on September 21 and 22 for a 300-lap event. ASA also makes its traditional stop at Berlin Raceway in Marne on June 1.

The series also announced the return to several tracks previously on the ASA schedule, including a second trip to Florida that comes on the weekend of May 4 and 5. Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola will host ASA for a second time, the other visit coming in 1997.

“There is tremendous excitement to have ASA back at our track after a five-year absence,” said Five Flags Speedway’s Wade McNaughton. “The racing community here is very supportive of us working with ASA and bringing a series of national stature back to our city. We’ve hosted ASA drivers in other events and to have all of the top drivers for an ASA show will be special.”

After a two-year absence, ASA is returning to La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway. The midsummer event marks ASA’s sixth appearance at the 5/8-mile oval located in West Salem, Wis. The series first visited La Crosse in 1981, then returned 15 years later in 1996, the first of four consecutive appearances through 1999. ASA makes its fourth appearance at Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna, Wis., on June 8 and 9. The series raced there for three consecutive years from 1995 to 1997.

“We are very enthused about ASA returning to the La Crosse area,” said Chuck Deery, general manager of La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway. “The fans have been anxious for the return and we can’t wait for the green flag. It’s a great opportunity to show what a great part of the country we live in to the national television viewers.”

Hawkeye Downs Speedway, located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, will be the only track to host two ASA events for the third consecutive year. The track’s first 300-lap event is scheduled for the weekend of May 18 and 19, with its second date coming September 7 and 8.

The 2002 ASA Racing Series season concludes in the sanctioning body’s home state, with Indianapolis Raceway Park hosting the series on September 28 and the year wrapping up with the 33rd running of the Winchester 400, scheduled for the weekend of October 5 and 6.

The remainder of the scheduled is filled with many tracks traditional to the ASA Racing Series. I-70 Speedway hosts an event on June 22, while Jennerstown Speedway, Salem Speedway and Madison International Speedway host events on consecutive weekends beginning on July 13. Toledo Speedway in Toledo, Ohio again hosts ASA Racing on August 10 and 11, while the .75-mile Memphis Motorsports Park again hosts a 200-lap event on August 24 and 25.

2002 ASA Racing Series Schedule

1. March 24, USA International Speedway, Lakeland, FL, 2 PM EST
2. April 7, Irwindale Speedway, Irwindale, CA, 4 PM EST
3. April 13, South Boston Speedway, South Boston, VA, 9 PM EST
4. May 5, Five Flags Speedway, Pensacola, FL, 2 PM EST
5. May 19, Hawkeye Downs Speedway, Cedar Rapids, IA, 2 PM EST
6. June 1, Berlin Raceway, Marne, MI, PM EST
7. June 9, Wisconsin International Speedway, Kaukauna, WI, 2 PM EST
8. June 16, Elko Speedway, Elko, MN, 2 PM EST
9. June 22, I-70 Speedway, Odessa, MO, 9 PM EST
10. June 30, La Crosse Speedway, La Crosse, WI, 2 PM EST
11. July 14, Jennerstown Speedway, Jennerstown, PA, 2 PM EST
12. July 20, Salem Speedway, Salem, IN, 9 PM EST
13. July 28, Madison International Speedway, Oregon, WI, 2 PM EST
14. August 11, Toledo Speedway, Toledo, OH, 2 PM EST
15. August 25, Memphis Motorsports Park, Millington, TN, 2 PM EST
16. September 2, Minnesota St. Fair Speedway, St. Paul, MN, 3 PM EST
17. September 8, Hawkeye Downs Speedway, Cedar Rapids, IA, 2 PM EST
18. September 22, US 131 Motorsports Park, Martin, MI, 2 PM EST
19. September 28, Indianapolis Raceway Park, Clermont, IN, 9 PM EST
20. October 6, Winchester Speedway, Winchester, IN, 2 PM EST

Fans in the Baltimore area can listen for J.C. Beattie, Jr. on The Checkered Flag, a radio program covering NASCAR, CART, IRL, and Maryland racing. The Checkered Flag can be heard on WNST 1570 AM, Saturdays between 9 and 11 AM. Be sure to check www.jcbeattie.com or www.asaracing.com often for the latest information on J.C. Beattie, Jr. and the ATI Performance Racing team.


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