Although the ASA STARS National Tour is on hiatus until late May, the ASA Midwest Tour was in action this weekend with a Sunday Afternoon matinee in Wisconsin.
ASA Midwest Tour
The ASA Midwest Tour opened its 18th season Sunday afternoon at the high-banked Slinger Super Speedway quarter-mile in Slinger, WI. The Jerry “Bear” Priesgan Memorial 100 presented by Zuern Building also served as the season opener for the venerable Slinger track.
2023 ASA STARS National Tour Champion Ty Majeski dominated the Midwest Tour Series opener, grabbing the lead on a lap 24 restart, and cruising to a 6.5 second win to claim his 35th career ASA Midwest Tour victory.
ASA Midwest Tour series regular Max Kahler finished 2nd, followed by former Slinger Speedway and Slinger Nationals champion Luke Fenhaus. Alex Prunty and Derek Kraus rounded out the top five.
Defending ASA Midwest Tour Champion Gabe Sommers raced his way into the feature event via one of the two qualifying heats, and would make a nice charge through the field to finish 9th.
For more info about the ASA Midwest Tour including the upcoming schedule, visit www.starsnationaltour.com.
NASCAR CUP SERIES
Several drivers with ties to the ASA STARS National Tour competed in the Geico 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, in a race that ended in typical “Dega fashion.
Noah Gragson finished third, just ahead of a huge pile-up as the field crossed under the checkers at the start/finish line.
Gragson, who ran several races for Rhett-Jones racing in the ASA STARS National Tour in 2023, recorded his career best Cup finish.
2024 Daytona 500 winner William Byron, who also ran a number of ASA STARS races in 2023, finished 10th, and his Hendricks Motorsports Teammate Chase Elliott, who ran 6th in the 2024 STARS Opener at New Smyrna Speedway, placed 15th.
NASCAR XFINITY SERIES
Jesse Love earned his first career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory Saturday in a typically wild double-overtime finish in the Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway
Love, the 2023 ASA STARS National Tour “Glass City 200” winner at Toledo Speedway qualified 2nd for the Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway, which put him on the front row for the drop of the green flag. Love certainly earned this first Xfinity Series victory, claiming his fourth stage win of the season (Stage 1) and leading 28 of the 124 laps. He ran top five for most of the afternoon and when he needed to go on that final restart, he did, jumping to the lead at the overtime green flag and holding off the field when it mattered most.
ARCA MENARDS SERIES
Jake Finch dominated the ARCA Menards Series General Tire 200 at Talladega Superspeedway, leading from flag-to-flag for his first ARCA victory.
Finch, a “semi-regular” on the ASA STARS National Tour, started from the pole and led all 80 laps. The starting field was set by 2023 car owner points.
Finch currently sits 7th in ASA STARS National Tour points, thanks to a pair of top ten finishes in the opening two events of the 2024 STARS season (10th at New Smyrna Speedway and 7th at Five Flags Speedway).
Kris Wright, who won the last-chance qualifying race to make the starting field at the Clyde Hart Memorial 200 at New Smyrna Speedway, finished 2nd.
ASA STARS National Tour
The ASA STARS National Tour will return to action just prior to the Memorial Day Weekend in May. The Tar Heel 250 is scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, May 22-23, at Hickory Motor Speedway. Teams will unload and practice on Wednesday, and then practice, qualify and race on Thursday. The INEX National Legends are scheduled to run in support.
Founded by Track Enterprises President Bob Sargent, The ASA STARS National Tour for pavement super-late model stock cars debuted in March 2023 for Super Late Model racing in America.
The ASA STARS National Tour is a ten-race championship series, offering a $100,000 point fund. The tour will visit ten different race tracks in 7 states in 2024, with the season beginning in February during Florida Speedweeks, and concluding in early November at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.
Track Enterprises (TE) is a racing Promotions Company based in Illinois, which owns and operates the ASA STARS National Tour. In addition to the STARS National Tour, Track Enterprises owns and operates Championship Racing Association (CRA) and the ASA Midwest Tour. TE also has a strategic alliance and controlling interest in the ASA Southern Super Series.
ASA Branded Tours
ASA Branded Tours encompasses four (4) pavement super late model racing series operating under the Track Enterprises banner, and under the ASA Brand via a licensing agreement for logo and IP Rights. ASA Branded Tours include the ASA STARS National Tour; the ASA CRA Super Series; The ASA Midwest Tour and the ASA Southern Super Series.
