Ron's Rant....
By: Ron Varney-ASA Late Model Series

NOTE: This is the first in what is bound to be a very popular series of columns by various ASA Late Model Series Officials. Who better than to kick things off than one of the Co-Founders / Presidents of the ASA Late Model Series; Ron Varney.

Respect and Loyalty - or lack there of

Lexington, Michigan (11/15/2007): There are so many topics I want to rant about. The idea is to be opinionated, thought provoking and dare I say sometimes controversial. Sit back and hold on cause here I go!

Loyalty and respect - or lack there of, where has it gone. Everyone you talk to from track owners, fans, drivers and sponsors, they all want to know where the fans are. I hear the same old dribble about lost generations, about an older fan base dying off, the economy sucks, blah, blah, blah.

The real truth of the matter is there is no respect or loyalty to what racing was built on. Don't think for a minute that I am not partly to blame here, I am. We (race promoters, tracks, sanctioning bodies and series) have created an environment of false equality.

We as a society got sidetracked into thinking life should be fair and that the slow, fat, untalented kids should get equal playing time on the team. How does that work? Where does that create competition? How does that improve ones self worth? I mean why work harder to make the starting team when you know you get equal playing time anyway.

We've done the same in racing at all levels. In the big leagues we have cookie cutter cars, cookie cutter tracks and equal engines. Even at the ASA Late Model level we have done it, same bodies and equal engines.

What happened to who builds the best or the fastest car wins? If GM built a better motor, Ford and Dodge had to step up their game or if Ford had a better body, GM and Dodge had to try and one up them. Do you see where I'm going with this? How I long for the days of the "Superbird" again?

Respect - It seems every other week there's a new idea, a new part or a new series that crops up. Someone always thinks they have a better idea or thinks they can do it better. All this has done is drive a stake in the heart of racing. Fans become confused then frustrated and then just leave.

Once their gone it is twice as hard to get them to come back. The days of Bob Harmon, Rex Robbins and John McKarns have come and gone. Nobody has respect anymore. Back in the day no one would start a series to go up against Bob Harmon. No one started a series to compete with Rex Robbins.

It wasn't done out of respect for what was already created. But today it is a different world. In the "ME" generation its all about greed and ego. We can't stand to see other people have success, so we try to copy what they do and then take credit for it.

How do we fix it? If I could answer that I'd be doing it. We have opened Pandora's Box and for at least the foreseeable future we won't be able to close it. While short track is not dead by any stretch, it is in I.C.U. and we need to nurse it back to health.

A good post by a guy I respect. Thanks Ron.

Hopefully the respect issue isn't with our series that was started to replace the defunct USPRO Series. When USPRO was sold to ASA and Steve Dale, a number of drivers and owners indicated they would like something that stayed local. That's what SUPERPRO has provided and will continue to provide. I have tried on occassions by e mail to contact the new USPRO management to work together in cooperation as far as scheduling goes but have not received any response. Hopefully there will be dialogue in the near future. Best of luck to everyone in the 2008 season.

Bill Lackey

I know where you can get one.

http://www.mstrc.com/index.php?showtopic=15884

Bill:

I have never had a problem with you or SUPERPRO, and bringing back USPRO was never to compete with you. It was simply added to support some of our shows. If anything it was meant to compliment SUPERPRO not affect it.

Ron Varney

I had the opportunity to race in the old ASA during the 1983 and 1984 seasons. Rex Robbins had a way about him and logic prevailed. We violated a body rule, and in qualifying they told us to add 50 lbs for the feature---simple, quick, logical.

The question is this- what does a fan get for the $ 25.00 admission that they do not get at their local track for $ 10.00? The ASA cars are cookie cutters, not overly fast, and the days of Trickle verses Senneker verses Butch Miller are long gone. ASA is full of rich kids on developmental deals. And when they get to ARCA, Truck, or Busch EAst , except for Logano they simply flop.

I am never one to slam organizations or personalities. As I think of possible solutions, I will send them. Until we find a reason to visit an ASA show I will continue to support my local tracks--dirt some nights, asphalt others.

Seat Guy,

I will agree with you that local tracks have some great drivers that put on some very good shows but, ASA cars and drivers are doing a pretty good job. As far as your comment about "Cookie Cutters" what do you think NASCAR is? When you drive a " Cookie Cutter" the cream rises to the top. I have been involved locally and on tour with ASA, USPRO, SUPERPRO and I have learned that horse power isn't everything. I do agree with you on the rich kid thing! We have three drivers at our local track Shaun "Bubba" Whitney John Turnball, and Robbie Johnson who have raced ASA against people like Stephen Leicht, Joey Lagano, Landon Cassill, Travis Kittleson, Travis Krapvil, Reed Sorenson and a few others that are in the shows. Our drivers have beaten them and lost to them but, will never get someone to take a look at them because the money is not behind them. They will just keep plugging along at the local track putting on some good shows.
What you get for your 25.00 at a ASA show is a chance to see future NASCAR drivers before being contaminated by the big paycheck and the money behind them.
The not overly fast statement, I have been to tracks where the crates would of been in the upper middle of the Outlaw field.
The statement about Miller, Senneker etc. was right on! those guys were our heroes because there were not alot of them guys around back then. There are ton's of very good drivers around now in all types of cars and classes.
Joey Lagano is a good kid , very good race driver who is going to make it" Joe Gibbs" because of his family money that helped him get noticed. The same for Landon Cassill " Rick Hendricks"
The last one I can remember that made it without family money is David Stremme who came from a very hard working, down home racing family.
My last statement on the soapbox will be "Go Blue" and good luck to the Buckyes hopefully you are going to need it! LOL

Greg