ASA SPEED TRUCK CHALLENGE ANNOUNCES 10 TRACKS ON 2008 SCHEDULE

Source: ASA Speed Truck Media Relations
Date: 09/19/2007

UPLAND, California -- For the past 11 racing seasons, the ASA Speed Truck Challenge series has built a national reputation for developing drivers behind-the-wheel experience and racing endurance through being a traveling series, subjecting drivers and their teams to numerous, varied style tracks. “This was my goal from the very beginning,” says president and series director, Jay Rutherford. “Not only does the entire team have to be creative in different setups for every track in which we run, the driver also has to adapt quickly week to week for different length tracks, different lengths of races and numerous other changes in surface conditions. This is what makes our drivers better than any others across the country,” we will never succumb to “one track wonders” concluded Rutherford.

Each of these 350-horsepower, sensitive-driving, semi-professional race trucks are as close to being the same as the rules will possibly allow. This fact has never been as evident as the results so far in the 2007 season. With an average of twenty trucks per race, the qualifying time between the entire field is less than 9/10 of a second. There have been six different winners in just eleven races and there is just 112 points separating the top five in the Championship points race, which could easily be made up in the last two races of the season, especially with the “drop-one-race” rule and 62 points awarded to the winner and 5 points for fast time. “We’ve never seen such parity among our trucks,” commented Jeff Austine, head Tech Official. “It is truly a testament to the way Jay runs this series, where just about anyone in the field of sixty teams can win race-to-race or season-to-season. To see 20 Speed Trucks qualify as close as 3/10 of a second from first to last certainly nails the parity issue” concluded Austine.

President Rutherford announced today that to further enhance his driver’s track experience as they move up in the professional ranks; he will be adding at least two more tracks to his 2008 schedule. The first of the two additions will be the new ½ mile, high-banked, paved oval at the old Mesa Marin Raceway; now “Kern County’s New Home to NASCAR”, in Bakersfield, CA. This new state-of-the-art raceway was designed to be an accommodating environment for families to enjoy auto racing as spectators, and for the competitors to enjoy a challenging, fast and safe raceway.

The second addition is Willow Springs International Raceway near Lancaster, CA, celebrating its 50th birthday this year and steeped in historical significance. It is a super fast 2.7-mile / nine-turn road racing circuit, patterned after the great courses and road racing traditions of Europe. With its substantial elevation changes and high average speeds, Willow Springs is one of the fastest and most challenging tracks in the country. Cornering speeds on this track range from about 70-mph to over 170-mph, with straightaway speeds nearing 200-mph possible with fastest cars and motorcycles. The real excitement comes for the guests, who can see almost the entire racecourse from just about anywhere.

Continuing the ASA Speed Truck Challenge tradition, Rutherford will be taking his series to the eight other track venues that have challenged all of his drivers in the past. These courses are found in California, Arizona and Nevada which include: Irwindale Speedway, Firebird International Raceway, Orange Show Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, California Speedway, Tucson Raceway Park, Havasu 95 Speedway, and the Lucas Oil I-10 Speedway. There is also talk about a race at Rocky Mountain Raceway in 2008 but Rutherford would not comment on this at this time.

“It should be our best season yet,” exclaimed Rutherford. “We expect the addition of at least these two great tracks to further stir up the competition in 2008 and make our drivers better than ever.” Rutherford also hinted at some other exciting additions and changes to the series but withheld further comment until a later date. With the added benefit of being televised nationally on the OUTDOOR CHANNEL, ASA Speed Truck Challenge should attract a lot of attention and will be the series to watch next season.

The ASA Speed Trucks are full tube chassis, 108 inch wheelbase, 350 horsepower Van Gordon Racing V-8’s, a 2-speed direct drive transmission, Speedway Engineering aluminum quick-change rear ends, 8-inch Hoosier Racing tires, powered by Torco Race Fuel, fired by Mallory / ACCELL ignition systems and are capable of speeds of 155 MPH at the road course races. The Speed Trucks sport exact replica Norris Racing fiberglass bodies in Chevy S-10, Chevy Colorado, Ford Ranger, Dodge Dakota and Toyota Tacoma. For more information go to www.speedtruck.com

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