American Speed Association

Did You Know?

• After the 2004 season, Lowe's Motor Speedway impounded ASA's vehicles and equipment when the series could not pay teams, and Speedway Motorsports, Inc. paid the competitors directly.
• On December 10, 2022, racing promoter Track Enterprises announced that the ASA would make a return to sanction the 2023 ASA STARS National Tour under a licensing agreement with ARCA.

ASA National Tour

The national touring series, which ran until 2004, used late model body styles and raced primarily in the Midwest. It was the only nationally touring stock car series that required fuel injection in its engines, unlike NASCAR which mandated carburetors until 2012. In the mid-1980s, ASA became one of the first stock car groups to offer a six-cylinder, lower-price alternative to V8 engines. Following 2000 rule changes, it introduced crate motors to a national audience.

Many series races were televised on cable channels, especially The Nashville Network, beginning in 1991. That year, Gaylord Entertainment and Group Five Sports signed an agreement for live race broadcasts. The first live ASA ACDelco Challenge Series race was held in June 1991 at Nashville Speedway USA, featuring NASCAR star Darrell Waltrip defeating ASA regular Bob Senneker. In 1999, CBS purchased 25% of the ASA from Rex Robbins in exchange for live television rights to the entire ASA ACDelco Series schedule for five years.

When Viacom took over TNN in 2000, CBS Cable operations were shut down and signals transferred to MTV Networks for the creation of Spike TV.

Sale to Steve Dale

The 2003 ASA National Tour season saw television coverage move to Speed Channel, and Rex Robbins ended his involvement. Car owner Steve Dale, with a group of investors, purchased the ASA at the end of 2003 and began massive changes for 2004. The ASA expanded its Member Track program, offering lower sanctioning fees than NASCAR. Dale purchased the US Pro Series, a Midwest-based late model series using crate engines and template bodies, renaming it the ASA Late Model Series. Matt Kenseth and Tony Stewart raced in the inaugural event under the new name. The ASA also purchased the Southern Modified Auto Racing Teams (SMART) and the Speed Truck Challenge. In 2004, car liveries changed, with numbers on rear fenders and sponsors on doors, opposite traditional stock car placement.

Dennis Huth era

After the National Tour folded, the ASA Member Track program and asaracing.com domain were sold to Racing Speed Associates, run by former NASCAR official Dennis Huth, along with other ASA-sanctioned programs. NASCAR started a Whelen Southern Modified Tour in response. The American Stockcar League, using ASA formula cars, ran under Mid-American Racing but ended after four races when founder Gary Vercauteren died in 2005. After NASCAR ended its AutoZone Elite divisions following 2006, ASA began sanctioning replacement series: the ASA Midwest Tour and ASA Northwest Tour for 2007, and the ASA Southeast Asphalt Tour for 2008.

The Midwest Tour was given to ARCA in 2013. In 2008, ASA began sanctioning the ISCARS sport compact series. The ASA Member Track program added a national short-track points championship, with the winner receiving a test with Joe Gibbs Racing. ASA also sanctioned the former Goody's Dash Series until 2011.

Tracks that hosted ASA national events (2004 and earlier)

ASA national events were held at numerous tracks across the United States and Canada. These included Anderson Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway (which hosted the final ASA National Tour event in 2004), Auto City Speedway, Baer Field Raceway, Berlin Raceway, Birmingham Super Speedway, Brainerd International Raceway, Cayuga Speedway (now Jukasa Motor Speedway), Chicago Motor Speedway, Colorado National Speedway, Columbus Motor Speedway (which hosted the season opener in the early-to-mid 1990s with twin 50-lap qualifying races), Elko Speedway, Five Flags Speedway, Gateway Motorsports Park, Hawkeye Downs Speedway (first track in the Member Track Program in 2001), Heartland Park Topeka, Hickory Motor Speedway, Houston Motor Speedway, I-70 Speedway, Illiana Motor Speedway, Indianapolis Raceway Park, Irwindale Speedway, Jennerstown Speedway, La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway, Lanier Raceplex, Lonesome Pine Raceway, Louisville Motor Speedway, Lowe's Motor Speedway, Madison International Speedway, Mansfield Motorsports Speedway, Memphis International Raceway, Michigan International Speedway (first ASA superspeedway race in 1982), The Milwaukee Mile, Minnesota State Fair Speedway, Montgomery Motor Speedway, Mosport Park, Music City Motorplex, Peach State Speedway, Pikes Peak International Raceway, Pontiac Silverdome, Queen City Speedway, Race City Speedway, Salem Speedway, Sanair Super Speedway, Sandusky Speedway, Slinger Super Speedway, Southern National Speedway, Toledo Speedway, Tri-City Motor Speedway, USA International Speedway, Winchester Speedway, and Wisconsin International Raceway.