SpeedFest Marks Return of ASA Name to Short Track Racing

SpeedFest is one of the first marquee races of the Late Model season each year, bringing top teams to Crisp Motorsports Park each January. This year, it also marks the return of the ASA name to the short track world.

With the ASA/CRA Super Series and ASA Southern Super Series taking part in SpeedFest 2023, it marks the first time we’ve seen the American Speed Association branding in years.

Bob Sargent, president of Track Enterprises, and his team have spearheaded this as part of the new ASA STARS National Tour in 2023, a 10-race national Super Late Model series. Sargent discussed the anticipation of the new year and new series’ heading into 2023 on Racing America’s ‘The Bullring.’

“It is kind of our kickoff, our inaugural event for the ASA name being brought back into motorsports and grassroots racing,” Sargent told Racing America. “We’re very fortunate to be able to come back with SpeedFest.

“We’re fortunate to be able to use the ASA name. We’ve got a lot of memories from when the American Speed Association had so much success with Rex Robbins and everyone that worked there. We’re looking forward to involving some of the drivers who ran in that series, along with the branding. With the mixture of the old and the new, we believe there are so many teams, so many talented drivers and crew chiefs in this pavement Late Model world. We’re excited to get this started.”

The ASA STARS National Tour kicks off on March 11 at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida. Plenty of anticipation is building before that race, which will likely feature many of the same top Late Model racers headed to SpeedFest this weekend.

The 10-race slate is dotted with premier events, ranging from historic races such as the Slinger Nationals, Redbud 400, Winchester 400 and All American 400 as well as iconic tracks such as North Wilkesboro Speedway.

“The inaugural race, we want it to go well and we think it will. It’s gotten a lot of interest. We picked the 10 best premier facilities in the United States, from north to south. A majority of these are established events, and we’re going to add to it. I think every one has its unique twist, history, geography, the size of the track, the pavement, the grandstands. Every one of them, we are going to look forward to.”

There have been plenty of challenges leading into the inaugural season, but Sargent is excited to get the season underway and show off the new STARS National Tour for fans and teams.

“The biggest thing I didn’t expect was the enormity of it all. Just putting together the staff, putting together these tracks, putting together our TV package which we’ll be announcing shortly.

“I joke a little bit about it as we work daily on it. I say sometimes, ‘I know why no one has done this in a long time.’ It has been an enormous project to do it properly, and we are focused with the team I have put together on doing it as professionally as possible and delivering to the teams, the fans, the drivers and the sponsors and first-class, top-notch grassroots racing series.”