| ASA Opens 2002 Season March 24th at USA International | by Jane Smith
The American Speed Association (ASA) will hold
it's first race of the 2002 season on March
24th at Lakeland's USA International. At
2 PM, the W. J. Plemons Investments 200
presented by Jani King will take to the hot
asphalt of USA International.
The ASA was formed in 1968 for short track car
racing. As the series grew, so did the
mechanical rules. In the beginning, the stock
cars were just that "stock" cars, properly
prepared with skilled drivers and alot of
"lady luck" on your side. Financial support
and sponsorship was not needed as much as
today's ASA.
ASA is one of the few series that have mufflers
on their racecars. In 2000, ASA put "stock"
back into their stockcars when the GM Vortec
5700 engine was mandated for all cars. This
5.7 liter LS1 engine can be found in Corvettes,
Camaros, and Pontiac Firebirds. The 5700 is
rated at a potent 430 hp and produces 430
ft.-lb. torque.
GM assemblies the 5700 Vortec at their Romulus,
Michigan plant where it is then shipped to
Lingentelter Performance Engineering in
Decatur, Indiana. There the engines are
slightly modified for racing, dyno-tested and
SEALED. Race teams can make no further
adjustments or alterations to the engine
which keeps the playing field totally fair.
Right before race time, the PCM of the ASA
5700 is shipped to the teams where no
software adjustments can be made. "Black
Boxes" are GM production units calibrated
with slightly different values for fuel
delivery.
GM uses the feedback from these engines to
further their designs in street cars thus
giving the teams a good engine and the
public.
Among the expected entries will be Wayne
Anderson, two time All Pro Champion from
Wildwood, Florida, Mike Cope, Mike Garvey,
Gary St. Amant, Rick Beebe, Kevin Cywinski,
Chris Wimmer, Ed Brown, Travis Kittleson,
Jeff Emery and Chad Wood.
Travis Kittleson from Merritt Island, Florida
will begin his second year in the ASA. Travis
said, "it was alot harder than I thought. It
takes alot of patience in ASA." Travis lead
one race last year and was looking like the
winner when he ran out of gas and had to
pit putting him in the top ten.
Wayne Anderson will be driving the Jani King
ASA car. Anderson drove a handfull of races
last year but plans on racing the entire
season this year.
Many a Winston Cup star have come from ASA.
This is a very exciting series. But it
still runs about $300,000.00 to race the
whole season which is cheap in some circles
and expensive in others.
The ASA will take to the asphalt at 2 PM on
Sunday, March 24th. Qualifying will be on
Saturday, March 23, at 4 PM. An autograph
session will be at noon on Sunday.
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