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| The CASA Chronicles (No. 2) By Glenn Hopper |
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KEEPING UP WITH THE CALIFORNIA ASPHALT SPRINTCAR ASSOCIATION |
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September
13, 2003 Throughout the spring and summer months California Asphalt
Sprintcar Association, CASA, has now run 10 of its 11 scheduled dates (with one
date lost to rain) at Altamont Raceway Park. The growing pains of a new club and
a track unfamiliar with sprint car racing and its unique needs have been bridged
- and together the club and the track promotion team can look back with great
pride at what they have accomplished. Many observers doubted that a new club
could be created, a track deal struck, and a successful series promoted in such
a short period of time. After all it had never been done before. But
perseverance, hard work, intestinal fortitude and a true belief in the cause,
enabled what was a simple list of interested racers back in November 2002 to
band together and make for an unprecedented inaugural season of first-rate
sprint car competition. Naysayers
said it could not be done without a series sponsor. That there wouldn’t be
enough cars readied in such a short time frame. That without a guaranteed purse
it wouldn’t be financially possible to sustain car counts. Wrong on all
counts! CASA never lost sight of its mission to promote pavement sprint car
racing in California over the long haul. CASA recognized that while promoting
and competing in 2003, focus was to remain on long-term goals. The happenings of
2003 were to be used primarily as a springboard to the future. Club president
Scott Clough, stressed at each meeting that this season was a foundation for
seasons to come. With an eye on the future, CASA would work hand in hand with
Altamont Raceway and its own membership to do what ever was required to make
this work. Series
sponsorship: While negotiations continue for future series sponsorship, ACME and
Sons Sanitation stepped up to sponsor one race this season. CASA recognizes it
must walk before it can run, and support will be available if the club stays the
course. Car
counts: The spring opener saw 11 cars entered. CASA has averaged 12 cars for
most of this first season. Twice CASA has provided the largest contingent of
cars of any group supporting Altamont Raceway for that particular event. To
date, twenty-three drivers have competed this inaugural season. Kenny Rines,
Ivan Warden and Tony Iacobitti have staged a torrid battle in lowering the 1-lap
qualifying track record at nearly every event. Point leader Iacobitti currently
owns the E.T. record at 17.485 and has designs on displacing Tony Stewart from
the top of the speed charts while enroute to his first championship. But opening
night winner Bullard has equaled Iacobitti’s feature win total of three, and
isn’t likely to concede anything until the last checkered flag of the season.
Two time NARC champion Mike McCreary, in his Oval Chassis Research Special holds
a slim 2-point advantage over his protégé, 2002 Carson City champion Glenn
Hopper, for third place in the championship fight. Ultra-fast Ivan Warden has
the opportunity, and the speed, to advance his #63 beyond his current fifth
place standing. In
all, there have been five different feature winners in nine races. Iacobitti and
Bullard have three each, and single wins have been posted by Brad Bumgartner,
Chad Ede, and Brian McClish. Dash wins have been recorded by McCreary and Rines
(1 each), Warden (2), and Bullard (5), while heat races have gone to Iacobitti
(4), Bullard and Warden (3 each), Hopper and Rines (2 each) and single heat wins
have been captured by McCreary, Bumgartner, McClish and Don Hicks. Guaranteed
purses: While it was initially hoped that CASA and Altamont could agree on a
figure to guarantee prize money for 2003, the reality of the situation and the
uncharted territory both partners were facing in this inaugural effort, required
some creative alternatives. Altamont offered its entire officiating and scoring
support to CASA, eliminating CASA’s need to hire it’s own officials.
Altamont also offered to provide all trophies and plaques including the year-end
banquet hardware. Furthermore, since the unproven club did not have any history
or yet-established fan-base, track management agreed to monitor front gate
results, reaction, and response to help verify CASA’s new status. A great deal
of trust was shared by both track management and CASA as both parties were
taking new risks together. And a unique deal was developed. Altamont
offered a separate pit gate sign in for CASA competitors, members, and guests.
All CASA-based pit revenue would be returned to the club as prize money to be
distributed as CASA saw fit. The initial race saw CASA management anxiously
counting the receipts and hoping the faith placed in them by the membership
would be warranted. When the checks went out to the competitors, the winner was
paid $500 and $100 dollars was earned for taking the green flag. Considering the
minimal travel and the fact that many competitors raced on used tires, the first
purse had established that this program could continue and grow. Future purse
agreements between Altamont and CASA are to be reviewed in the off-season after
all the data is processed. The stage is set to close out this thrilling first season of CASA racing at Altamont on October 4th. A champion will be crowned and will forever hold bragging rights as the first ever CASA champ! The future of California sprint car pavement racing has just begun.. |
