ASALMS to kick off 2007 Season at San Antonio Speedway

[NickHolt]

The 2nd annual Alamo 200 at the San Antonio (TX) Speedway on March 2-3, 2007 to kick off the Fifth Anniversary Season for the ASA Late Model Series Challenge Division.

 

By: ASA Late Model Series

 

Lexington, MI (January 12, 2007) - The Fifth Anniversary 2007 Season in the ASA Late Model Series Presented by GM Performance Parts is fast approaching as the 2007 schedules within all three divisions of the ASALMS are now complete.

 

As for the crown jewel of the ASALMS, the Challenge Division, the 2007 Season Opener will also kick off the entire 2007 Season for the ASALMS Fifth Anniversary Campaign! On Friday and Saturday March 2-3, 2007, the series “Where Champions Race” will begin the ASALMS Fifth Anniversary season in a big way. So it’s only fitting that the 2007 Opener will be in a place where everything is just a little bit bigger! The only way to accomplish that feat is Texas Style!

 

The cars and stars of the ASALMS Challenge Division will draw open the curtain on the 2007 season at the fast 0.500 Mile High-Banked Paved Oval of the San Antonio (TX) Speedway in San Antonio, Texas on Friday and Saturday March 2-3, 2007 for the running of the 2nd annual Alamo 200. The first of 11 Points Races, 12 Overall on the finalized 2007 ASALMS Challenge Division Schedule, will pay a larger than normal purse to kick off the ASALMS Fifth Anniversary Season. That purse that will be announced in the very near future.

 

“Terry Dickerson is such a huge backer of the ASALMS and a good friend to the series and the teams that it’s only fitting that we kick off our Fifth Anniversary Season in the Great State of Texas!” ASALMS Co-Founder/President, Ron Varney said. “The entire ASALMS were treated like kings when we went down there in April and again in October last season, and we wanted to really jump start the 2007 season in the entire ASALMS and what better way to do that than with Terry Dickerson at his race track and in Texas?” Asked Varney.

 

Joining the ASALMS Challenge Division during the 2nd annual Alamo 200 race weekend in the Lone Star State will be the SAS Regular Weekly Divisions of Late Models, Sportsmen, Road Runners, and Grand Stocks, along with the Traveling Texas Pro Sedans Series, who all will be running in their respective 2007 season openers as well.

 

“We’re really looking forward to ASALMS return to San Antonio Speedway for our season opener on March 2-3. When the ASALMS Challenge Division made their first visit to SAS last April, we all thought y’all were a hoot!” Stated San Antonio Speedway C.E.O., Terry Dickerson. “That’s Texas talk for a great bunch of folks, including the ASALMS staff, drivers and their teams. The local fans raved about the race all throughout the 2006 season, and they’re excited to hear about the return of ASALMS in 2007 especially for their opener too.” Dickerson added.

 

Festivities for the 2nd annual Alamo 200 Race Weekend begins on Friday March 2, 2007 with a full day of Practice for the ASALMS Challenge Division in preparation for the 2007 Season Opener. In addition, the SAS Weekly Divisions will christen their respective 2007 seasons with a day Practice also on Friday.

 

Then on Saturday March 3, 2007, the ASALMS Challenge Division will open the 2007 season with the 2nd annual Alamo 200 complete with Practice, Qualifying, the 25-Lap GM Performance Parts Shootout(s) and the evening will be highlighted by the 2nd annual Alamo 200. In addition, a full night of regular racing action for the SAS Weekly Divisions will also be on tap.

 

“We think it’s a great honor that the ASALMS Challenge Series will open their 2007 season at San Antonio Speedway.” SAS General Manager Rick Day added. “That weekend is also San Antonio Speedway’s opening weekend, so we are looking forward to a great start to our 2007

season. The ASALMS teams love to come here and we really enjoy having them here. In our book the ASALMS Challenge Division is the best Late Model series in the country and we’re proud to be associated with them.” Day ended.

 

The ASALMS has visited the fast 0.500 Mile High-Banked Paved Oval on two occasions. The first ever appearance was for the Hill Country Satellite DirecTV Alamo 200 Presented by Express Lube back on April 1, 2006 for the ASALMS Challenge Division. Farmington, Minnesota driver, Jake Ryan won the Fast Qualifier Award and then dominated the 200-lap Feature en route to his first career ASALMS Feature Win.

 

Ryan won the ASALMS Challenge Divisions’ second event of the 2006 season over Kris Stump, eventual 2006 ASALMS Challenge Division Champion and Pat Bourdow Memorial Rookie of the Year Kelly Bires, Chad Wood, and Charlie Menard completed the Top Five. There were 38 teams that made the long haul to South Texas for the ASALMS inaugural appearance in the Lone Star State.

 

Then the ASALMS Southern Division held their 2006 Season Championships on October 21, 2006 at the San Antonio, Texas speed plant and it would be Fairfax, Iowa teenager, Landon Cassill, who was just recently signed to a contract with the established NASCAR stable, Hendrick Motorsports, sweep both ends of the AT&T Texas All-Star Shootout Twin 75s Presented by Mercedes Homes.

 

While Cassill won both ends of the Twin 75-lap Features after a thrilling dual in each Feature with Buda, Texas native, Colt James, another Texas based driver, 16-year-old James Buescher from Plano, Texas walked away with both the 2006 ASALMS Southern Division Championship and Rookie of the Year titles.

 

In the first 75-lap Feature, Cassill beat out Colt James, James Buescher, Brandon Bendele, and Dillon Oliver, the Top Five. In the nightcap, Cassill again outlasted Colt James by winning his second Feature of the evening. Colt James was again second with Bendele, Buescher, and John Wes Townley rounding out the Top Five.

 

The San Antonio Speedway is a 0.500 Mile High-Banked Paved Oval with an impressive 18 Degrees of banking in the turns. The first race at SAS was held on August 22, 1977. SAS proudly claims former Two-Time NASCAR Winston Cup Champion, Terry Labonte as its first Late Model Sportsman champion in 1977. Terry Dickerson took over the management of SAS in November 2004.

 

The San Antonio, Texas speed plant will run bi weekly during the 2007 season featuring Late Models, Sportsmen, Road Runners, and Grand Stocks. In addition, the Texas Pro Sedans will also make select appearances as well during the season as will the United States Racing Association (USRA) Modifieds and USRA Trucks Series’, and the Lone Star Legacy Series.

 

Also San Antonio Speedway will host the SAS Swap Meet on Saturday, January 27, 2007. The gates will open from 7:30am until 9:00am for vendor admission. SAS welcomes any vendor, driver, etc., to set up at the swap meet to sell and swap their goods. Anything from jewelry to carburetors! The cost will be $25 to set up an area to sell your stuff.

 

The gates will be open for the general public from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. SAS will have free admission for the shoppers. Food and drink will be available for purchase during the swap meet. More details will be posted soon on the San Antonio Speedway website.

 

The United States Racing Association (USRA) and San Antonio Speedway will hold their 2006 Season Awards Banquet on Saturday, February 17, 2007, at the Highland Social Club in San Antonio, Texas. Drivers, team members, sponsors, staff, family members and fans are cordially invited to attend.

 

The top drivers from USRA and SAS will be honored at the banquet, including all of the series and track champions. The 2006 USRA champions include Chris Davidson from Pearland, Texas, in the Super Late Models, Billy Becka from LaVernia, Texas, in the Modifieds and Steve Green from Marble Falls, Texas, in the Trucks.

 

The San Antonio Speedway track champions are Joe Aramendia from Seguin, Texas, in the NASCAR Late Models, Mark Mathias from San Antonio, Texas, in the Sportsman class, J.R. Eichelberger III from San Antonio, Texas, in the Road Runners and Jody Wayne Stuart from San Antonio, Texas, in the Grand Stocks.

 

The Highland Social Club is located at 2929 S. W. W. White Road, on San Antonio’s Southeast Side. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., with dinner being served at 6:30 p.m. The awards ceremony will follow dinner. After all the awards have been presented, guests may enjoy dancing to live country music that will be provided by the Jim Byrom Band.

 

Guests may bring their own liquor to the banquet, excluding beer and wine. Beer will be sold at the banquet for $1.50 per can, and wine coolers may be purchased at $2.00 each. Soft drinks and ice setups are also available for purchase at $1.25 each.

 

San Antonio Speedway is located at 14901 State Highway 16 South, in San Antonio, Texas, 78264. For more information about the 2007 season as well as the SAS Swap Meet, and finally the USRA/SAS Banquet, please call the track offices during normal business hours at: 1 (210) 628-1499 or 1 (210) 827-4254. You can also log onto the tracks website at http://sanantoniospeedway.com.