By Matt Prieur-ASA Late Model Series
Lexington, Michigan (02/15/2008): As the ASA Late Model Series Southern Division Presented by GM Performance Parts prepares for their upcoming 2008 season opener at the Bronson (FL) Motor Speedway in Bronson, Florida on Friday and Saturday March 28-29, 2008; The South teams are also looking ahead on the calendar at a return trip to the Sunshine State.
The ASALMS Southern Division will begin and end the 2008 racing season in the great state of Florida. Overall in 2008, the ASALMS South contingent will visit Florida on three occasions. The Fourth race of the season is set for the New Smyrna (FL) Speedway on June 21, 2008 in a highly anticipated event. But the final event in Florida is the one that will be on everyone?s mind.
To close out the 2008 season, the ASALMS Southern Division will crown the 2008 Champion and Rookie of the Year respectively at the 0.375 Mile Semi-Banked Paved Oval of the Charlotte County (FL) Motorsports Park, located North of Fort Meyers in Punta Gorda, Florida in the running of the 2008 ASALMS Southern Division Season Championships 100 on Saturday October 18, 2008.
Joining the ASALMS Southern Division will be the Fast Trucks and Fast Kids Series? as well as the track regular divisions of Sportsmen, Road Warriors, and Thunder Trucks. The 2008 ASALMS Southern Division Season Championships 100 Entry Form will be available beginning on Wednesday October 1, 2008.
?This is going to be a great way to end our 2008 season in the ASALMS Southern Division. I?m very happy we were able to make this date work with Charlotte County Motorsports Park.? ASALMS Co-Founder / President, Ron Varney said. ?Plenty of our teams have inquired about getting a date at CCMP and we?ve honored their request, it should be a great show.? He added.
?We?re very excited to be hosting the 2008 ASA Late Model Series Southern Division Season Championship race!? Added Bobby Diehl, Promoter of the Charlotte County Motorsports Park. ?There are plenty of ASALMS South teams who have race at CCMP in the past and combine them with all the great stars of the Southern Division, this will be a great race for sure.? He added.
For the ASALMS Southern Division Season Championship Weekend, teams can stay overnight at the speedway, but there are no hook-ups. There will be security on the grounds 24 hours and the public restrooms will be available. In addition, there are 60 cement slabs in the pit area providing plenty of space in the pit area for the ASALMS teams.
A lease extension equiling 30 plus will helped get things off on the right foot. Diehl kept the Punta Gorda 3/8-mile paved oval lit all year, only taking off for holidays and, of course, rain. He brought in a wide variety of traveling series? both stock cars and open wheel. He also kept a few base divisions.
He added on side shows like boat races and fire-breathing monsters to keep fans on the edge. The area is 80 degrees year-round and for no racing related activity, there?s over 100 golf courses in a 75-mile area of the speedway!
Diehl is hoping to tie in racing as part of the Charlotte/Southwest Florida total experience. Diehl believes visitors from the north will return to Charlotte after experiencing the area?s beauty. That, in turn, will positively affect the slumping housing business. ?85% of all people who race have some kind of tie-in to construction!? Diehl added.
There is a lot of other work planned at the track. The scoring tower is in the process of being improved and the VIP Booth will be redone. In addition, plans for expanding the concession area into a restaurant that would be open to the public six days a week is in the works. Diehl also wants to build a structure that would be an arcade, adult slots and all and on Friday nights, there?s go-karting.
During the 2008 season, CCMP operates on Saturday nights year round featuring a wide variety of regular divisions including; Modifieds, Sportsmen, Modified Minis, Road Warriors, Thunder Trucks, Pro 4s, Fab 4s, Fast Trucks, and Fast Kids divisions.
Some of the special events planned throughout the season and in addition to the ASALMS Southern Division Season Championships includes the TBARA Sprint Car Series, Legends, Bandoleros, and a wide variety of different types of Late Model events scattered throughout the season.
Charlotte County Motorsports Park is located at 8865 Piper Road within the grounds of the Charlotte County Airport in Punta Gorda Florida. Take Exit 161 off of I-75 and go east 1/4 mile, turn left onto Piper Road and you will find the track in about a mile on the left.
For more information about the Charlotte County Motorsports Park, please call during normal business hours at: 1 (941) 575-RACE (7223) or log onto the tracks website at: Charlotte County Motorsports Park
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