Casey Smith press release

[NickHolt]

For Immediate Release:

Contact: Paige Miller

512.923.0752

 

Release: August 12, 2003

 

Casey Smith Returns to the

"Roots of Stock Car Racing" In His Home State

Driving Two Separate Cars in Two Different Classes

for Saturday's San Antonio Speedway

Texas Super Racing Series & Texas Asphalt Modified Series Events

 

 

 

Austin, Texas -- Austin teen driver Casey Smith will drive #3 Chevrolet Monte Carlo for Bobby Joe New in this weekend's Texas Super Racing Series (TSRS) and #31 Bartell Motorsports/Bell County Electric in the Texas Asphalt Modified Series (TAMS) events at San Antonio Speedway in San Antonio, Texas.

 

Smith, a graduate at Bowie High School, entered the American Speed Association's premier short track racing series (ASA) on a limited schedule this year, preserving his "Rookie" status for the 2004 season. In only four starts to the season Smith has posted impressive finishes including (1) Top-15, (1)-Top 10 and (1) Top-5. Not running the full ASA series, this season, the three-time national champion likes to hone his skills on weekends racing against top stock car drivers.

 

"I love racing," Smith said this week. "I started racing quarter midgets when I was 5 years old, when I turned six my Mom and Dad provided me two different quarter midgets and I raced two cars in two different classes almost every weekend." "There is no substitute for seat time, and I am thrilled to be chosen to drive these cars" says Smith.

 

"When we joined the Quarter Midgets ranks, Mickey and Bob Stone were members their son, Kenny raced." "The Stone's embraced us, and we developed a very special friendship that has continued." "Kenny really enjoys racing his dirt cars, he drove this modified on three different occasions, and just wasn't having fun." "They called me and ask if I would be interested in driving it." "Bartell Motorsports offered to help sponsor the car, we took it to Corpus Christi a couple of weeks ago, it was the first time for me to race a modified, I finished 6th, and picked up the hard charger award for advancing eighteen positions, I had a lot of fun, and I am very anxious to get back in the #31 Bartell/Bell County Electric Modified for this weekends TAMS event."

 

"Bobby Joe New is a Texas stock car legend." "I can remember sitting in my Dad's lap at Longhorn Speedway watching Bobby Joe race." "He was very competitive; driving his black #3 Chevrolet." "Bobby Joe contained many of the same elements of the late great Earnhardt, the fans either cheered him or booed him, but he made them make noise, and as long as they were making noise he knew he was attracting attention" says Smith. Bobby Joe New is a successful business leader in the community, he adores racing; and has recently shifted his position from driver to car owner. "Undoubtedly he takes great pleasure in watching his drivers and cars compete." "His equipment is first class and I am excited to race his #3 Chevrolet Monte Carlo in the TSRS against the state's top late model competitors" says Smith.

 

Late models are the roots of American stock car racing. They are the fast, exciting, crowd-pleasing, Saturday-night-hero driven hot-rodded American sedans that ultimately led to NASCAR. The ASA series, along with other regional series, began with late model stocks on Saturday night, and drivers from "Texas Terry" Labonte to Rusty Wallace to the legendary Dale Earnhardt built their knowledge, careers and fame on short tracks in late model stock cars.

 

In Texas, some 150,000 to 200,000 fans crowd local tracks each week to watch the home-town heroes, a fair portion of them there mostly to see the late models bang fenders on circle tracks a quarter-mile or so in length. Austin's own Longhorn Speedway, or "Austin Speed-O-Rama," as it was known when it opened in 1960, contributed to the rise of stock car racing as legendary drivers like Freddie Fryar and Bobby Allison raced there.

 

"Casey likes racing so much," says his father, Glen Smith, "He just can't wait to get back out and race again, whether it is ASA, Super Late Model, Late Model or a Modified he just wants to go race."

 

Most drivers feel that way. NASCAR star Ken Schrader hits the short tracks at every opportunity, racing his modified, or late model. It's the fun part, the no-pressure event with very little money or points championships to worry about, just "braggin' rights," and that's what it's all about.

 

The Texas Super Racing Series (TSRS) and Texas Asphalt Modified Series (TAMS) will be at San Antonio Speedway on Saturday night, once again showing the rest of the world what American short-track racing is all about, and an 18-year-old named Casey Smith will be there to show he's one of the best. Maybe he can show how he has won three national championships in auto racing: win the race, against the best short-track drivers in Texas, some more than twice his age.

 

It'll be fun.