NORTHEAST ENTRY FOR ACE SPEEDWAY

The new steel head motor option for 2008 will have a presence at the season opener at Ace Speedway.  Cal Snyder from Drums, Pennsylvania has expressed great interest in the ASA Southern Modified Race Tour for 2008 and is currently finishing his #37 modified for the long trip down. “I am anxious to get down there and race with you guys”, said Snyder.

Cal has been a weekly competitor in the Modified division at Mountain Speedway in St. Johns, Pennsylvania. He has also made starts at Wall Speedway and on the Race of Champions Modified Tour. His experience extends beyond Modifieds to Late Models and Street Stocks. A feature win in the Jerry Cook Memorial race is Cal’s standout memory as he was a “close personal friend”. 

Cal credits his sponsors with helping make the trip to Ace.  They include King Bear Auto, Power Mist Fuels, and his personal company CALAIR Dry Air Systems. As of Tuesday, Cal was considering his ride about 90% complete.  The freshly painted Modified sits waiting on the return of its engine and for decals to be applied to the new sheet metal, designed by Cal himself.

ASA SOUTHERN MODIFIED RACE TOUR RELEASES
INAUGURAL WINNERS OF THE RUSTY HARPE SPIRIT AWARD

Points for the 2007 Rusty Harpe Spirit Award have been tallied and the winners are in. The award was announced at last year’s Awards Banquet to honor the Spirit, Drive, and Determination shown by the late Rusty Harpe. The countless stories of how Rusty never turned away from a friend or fellow racer who needed help with a setup, shocks, springs or just weighing out the car have continued, even a year later.  It didn’t matter what the problem was. He was there and along with all that, he made sure there was time for his family.

Rusty’s goal of Modified racing has been carried on by his Dad in the car they prepared together.  The black and blue #71 took to the track several times last year with Dean Ward behind the wheel. Rusty would have surely been proud as Dean recorded a 7th place run in his first race. Next came an impressive 2nd place run that nearly turned into a win, followed up by another top-five. Three excellent showings in just three starts by the Harpe Motorsports team. We look forward to what 2008 may hold for them.

With so many different ways to determine a winner, the ASA/SMRT Officials along with the Harpe family, came up with a point system that would value performance both on and off the track. A winner was calculated from each event in the 2007 Season as well as an overall winner gaining the most combined points. Congratulations to all the winners below who have exhibited the qualities set forth in this award and the true “Spirit” that Rusty represented.

RUSTY HARPE SPIRIT AWARD
(Combined Overall)

BRIAN KING


RUSTY HARPE SPIRIT AWARD
(Event Winners)

Race #1 Friendship Motor Speedway – Josh Nichols
Race #2 Friendship Motor Speedway – Greg Butcher
Race #3 Hickory Motor Speedway – Greg Butcher
Race #4 Friendship Motor Speedway – Jason Myers
Race #5 Franklin County Speedway – Brian King
Race #6 Friendship Motor Speedway – Scott Rigney
Race #7 Dillon Motor Speedway – Luke Fleming
Race #8 Friendship Motor Speedway – Johnny Sutton
Race #9 Franklin County Speedway – John Lain
 

Rich Kuiken, Jr. Aims for “Rookie” Title

For many, racing is part of our family heritage and for others it is just the love of the sport. For drivers like Rich Kuiken, Jr. it’s that lucky combination.  Kuiken is a third generation driver from Staffordville, New Jersey looking to follow in the foot-steps of his grandfather and father.  His grandfather, Ray Kuiken raced under the name of Ray “Cook” and claimed the 1955 NASCAR Modified Track Championship at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City, New Jersey. Rich, Sr. was also an accomplished racer with experience on dirt and asphalt. 

Rich, Jr. jumped right in at the early age of 6 and immediately began to show signs of things to come.  He would go on to race quarter midgets until age 12 when he moved to microsprints.  Over the course of his young career, Rich would end up seeing 27 tracks in 10 states.  This would only be the beginning and surely not the end.  In 2006, it was time for something new.  With family roots in modified racing and the abundance of modifieds in the northeast, it would seem only logical for Rich to test the waters. 

In 2006, they began with a few races on the ROC Asphalt Modified Series at Mahoning and Lancaster. 2007 saw Rich make several trips south to compete in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified tour and the ASA Southern Modified Race Tour as well as the prestigious North/South Shootout where he finished an impressive second in the non-qualifiers race. In his first trip to the lightning fast Franklin County Speedway, he qualified 6^th while his second trip produced a 5^th place finish.

Rich finished 18^th in the 2007 ASA Southern Modified Race Tour standings while making only four starts on the nine race schedule. With a little guidance from family friend Jamie Tomaino, Rich is setting out to compete as much as possible in the ASA Southern Modified Race Tour for 2008 and has his sights set on the “Rookie of the Year” title. A freshened car, formerly “The Jets” orange and white #99; and a sponsorship package from Chad Sinon Motorsports/Joe Bertothy are all in place to aid Rich in his goals for 2008.  After race one of 2008, he sits 11^th in the overall standings.

At the age of 17, Rich is preparing for the next stage of his career.  He is an Honor Student in High School and has his sights set on an Engineering Degree.  Even farther down the road, literally; Rich looks to come to the Carolina area and settle in with a NASCAR Sprint Cup or Nationwide Series team. We wish him well!

Sources: Rich Kuiken, Sr. and www.richkuikenjr.com

To:  All Modified Owners and Drivers

From:  Randy Myers
Southern Modified Race Tour

Re:  Meeting and Refreshments

You are respectfully invited to attend a meeting of Modified Division Owners and Drivers to be held at King Plaza Shopping Center on Waughtown Street in Winston-Salem, NC. The date for the meeting is Tuesday, July 29th.

The meeting will be held in the large building beside the Business Center / Sweepstakes building.  I will have a sign in the window marking the location. 

The doors will open at 6:30 PM and the meeting will begin at 7:30 PM.  I will have cold drinks and some snacks available.

I will try to call each of you to confirm your attendance. Please make plans to attend this important meeting. Come with an open mind and any ideas you may have to improve and grow the sport we are all so passionately involved with. If you think you know someone that will not receive this e-mail or invitation, please feel free to make them aware of the meeting and invite them to attend on my behalf.

I look forward to seeing many of you there next week.

Sincerely,
Randy Myers

Directions:  From US 52 North or South – Take the Stadium Drive exit, go to the top of the hill and turn right at the light on MLK Blvd. – Go to the bottom of the hill (1/2 mile)  – turn left on Reynolds Park Road – Go approximately three miles and turn left into the parking lot of King Plaza Shopping Center (large yellow & blue sign on your left at entrance).
 

Dillon Motor Speedway Fans and Competitors: 

Congratulations to the winners last night at DMS.  I hope the fans enjoyed the “Fan Appreciation Night” track owner Ron Barfield and his family put together on short notice.  

I want to apologize to the DMS fans for the decision to postpone the scheduled Southern Modified Race Tour event.   We traveled to DMS last month with a 40% chance of rain forecast but felt good about our chances to get the show in.  Rain on June 21st caused us to reschedule for last night but with a 60% chance of rain forecast and a Tropical Depression setting off the SC coast, I made the call to reschedule yet again.  Most of our teams had a 3 – 4 hour pull and with the current cost of fuel and a good chance of rain, I thought I was making the right call.   In this business you are sometimes the hero and sometimes you are the zero.   I guess I fell into the zero category last night.

The SMRT series will return to Dillon Motor Speedway at a later date that we will finalize this week.  We will let everyone know that date as soon as possible.   We are committed to bringing all race fans a quality event with a large and competitive field of cars and I pledge to do that for the DMS fans when we return.

I want to thank the Barfield family for working with the SMRT series and we look forward to a long relationship with the track and the great DMS fans.

Respectfully,
Randy Myers
Southern Modified Race Tour