| ASA Late Models Cancel DeSoto Speedway Race | By Jack Smith
 Events spiraled out of control at DeSoto Super Speedway Friday night, leading to the ASA Late Model Series making the decision to pull out of the scheduled Seafest 100 event.
Twenty ASA late models ran qualifying laps after a two hour rain delay, Chris Fontaine (Lakeland, Fl) again setting fast time around the 3/8 mile speedway. The Seafest 100 race was scheduled for Saturday night, October 6.
Shortly after qualifying a meeting was held at the ASA trailer and the series announced it would not be racing. What transpired leading to this decision is, as usual in these situations, a bit confusing with several witnesses seeing things differently.
There was an altercation, according to ASA staff and the several witnesses just prior to the start of ASA qualifying, between track owner John Sarppraicone and an ASA official.
The ASA officials ushered the drivers and car owners into a closed door meeting shortly after qualifying and the drivers were told the news. The Manatee County Sheriff's Dept. summoned two deputies to the track at the behest of the ASA officials, and statements were taken from witnesses. The deputies left the track at 11:15 PM with no arrest being made.
By 10:30 PM a steady stream of haulers were leaving the speedway, heading back to locations all over Florida as well as Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.
Driver sentiment was mixed, several we talked to felt they would have rather stayed and raced, while most were noncommittal. Most race fans in attendance were completely unaware of any of the controversy.
We spoke with John Sarppraicone after the deputies has left the speedway. He asserted that he tried to to resolve the issue, including paying the purse in advance. He also denied doing anything to harm the ASA official.
We attempted to talk with Sandy Varney of the ASA Series after the decision to withdraw was made, but were unable to get a statement at that time.
Many of the postings on Internet message boards are simply fabrications. There was no one kicked or punched by an DeSoto Speedway official. The ASA made the decision to leave the facility, the owner of the speedway did not in fact order them to leave.
How this will play out is anybody's guess at this point, as there are very hard feelings all around. It would be hard to see how anybody could gain public favor from the incident, one of the most bizarre we have have witnessed in our coverage of motorsports.
The next scheduled ASA Southern Division race is at the famed Hickory Motor Speedway on October 20.
DeSoto Speedway will run the annual Seafest 125 Saturday night as scheduled.
Twenty Super Late Models qualified for the event, with fast time going to Justin Larson.
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