ORANGE SHOW SPEEDWAY ROLLS OUT NEW DRIVING OPTION FOR ASA SPEED TRUCK CHALLENGE

UPLAND, California -- Despite the fact that the ASA Speed Truck Challenge (ASA STC) puts on an action-packed, edge-of-your-seat headliner show for the fans at each of its eight different tracks on which it races in 2008, this Saturday night could prove to be one of the most exciting. With five of its twelve races now in the record books, the ASA STC championship is even tighter than last year at this time with only five points separating the first four drivers. The first five races have presented five different winners and race number six just might see the same. With every race encouraging a group of excellent drivers to reach inside themselves for more skills to collect valuable points, anything can happen; especially at Orange Show Speedway and especially with a “double points” race.

Orange Show Speedway (OSS), being a ¼-mile oval track has always threatened many drivers, particularly rookies, due to the extremely close-quarters driving and the near impossible openings to pass. That has all changed now due to some fancy maneuvering by the new ASA track management. “We know that ASA STC drivers have always wanted the track to be a bit more forgiving and now it is,” says Greg Cozzo of OSS. “We have applied a special cleaning and coating technique to the upper half of the track and applied a unique gripping solution in order to open up a full second groove of racing and lots more passing. We have already had a former Speed Truck driver (Austin Murphy) win on the upper groove of the track in a Late Model, which changes the whole complexion of our track,” he concluded.

With extremely fast and very close qualifying times split by less than 7/10 of a second this year, the Speed Trucks will have no problem in quickly finding the fastest line for their trucks in order to pass. Said Jimmy Neal, three-time NASCAR Champion and a Rookie in the ASA STC this season, “As a driver that likes to have options, I am extremely glad that we will have an extra groove for running this race.” Neal, in the #61 Sunray Treatment Alcohol and Drug Rehab Center Dodge Dakota has been getting faster and faster each race and is now hitting his old driving stride from twenty years ago with an impressive 4th place finish in Phoenix last race on the famed Firebird International Raceway road course. “We’ll do well here this week,” he smiled.

Jay Rutherford, the president of the ASA Speed Truck Challenge has long been a supporter of the 1/4-mile track at Orange Show Speedway. “I’ve always believed that today’s drivers need the experience of true short-track, bumper-to-bumper and door-to-door driving for turning themselves into excellent driving talent. If a driver can hit the correct setup and drive 100 laps at Orange Show for a top five finish, they’ve really proved something to me as a driver and can race virtually at any other track successfully,” Rutherford commented. “Two grooves or not, this is real short-track “Bullring” racing at its finest.”

The 2008 Championship to-date, with five different winners and five different fastest qualifying times rolls into Orange Show Speedway on Saturday night with race time at 8:00 p.m. This is one “Showdown” that you won’t want to miss!

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