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MIS Drivers Vie for National Championship in 2008 Drivers in the Weaver Auto Parts Super Late Model division in 2008 will be vying for not only a track championship but will also be part of the ASA Short Track National Championship. Madison International Speedway is part of the ASA Member Track program and this is one more example of the benefits of our joining forces with the ASA. “This is another great opportunity for our drivers. Wouldn't it be great if our track champion also won the national championship and all that goes with it including a tryout with Joe Gibbs Racing,” said MIS General Manager Dave Grueneberg. Here's the complete release from the ASA. Drivers should note that MIS will report the results directly to the ASA and this point system does not replace the point system MIS already has in place. HOW TO WIN THE ASA SHORT TRACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 26, 2008) - So, you want to win the inaugural ASA Short Track National Championship and the prestigious tryout with Joe Gibbs Racing? Well, read carefully, as this is how to do itÉ The first step is, obviously, race at an American Speed Association Level 1 Member Track. Each track will nominate one class to be their featured division and you must not only be competing in that class, but you must also be the 2008 track champion in that class. So far, so goodÉ Congratulations on that track championship. So, let's look at how you can also add the ASA Short Track National Championship to that resume. Are you ready, because here is the secret to accumulating the valuable points necessary - pass lots of cars on the racetrack. Actually, pass lots and lots of cars. Let's take a step back for a moment. The points formula used to calculate the ASA Short Track National Champion is, naturally, extremely complex. In fact, there are only a couple of people who really know and understand exactly how it works. In that respect, it is sort of like how the BCS system works in college football. In essence, you can think of the ASA point structure a little like a batting average in baseball. You can see your current number and how it compares to the other ASA competitors. But, while a baseball average is shown in a decimal form (like .250), the ASA number will be a digit extended to four decimal points (such as 5.4321). Most competitors will see their ASA number somewhere in the 5 to 6 point range, while those at the top of the charts will likely be in the 9 or higher range. That, my friends, is the number you need to be looking for to have a chance at winning the ASA National Short Track Championship. Kevin Spiddle, president of SpeedNet Direct, is the mastermind behind the ASA formula. He worked closely with Dennis Huth from the American Speed Association and toiled through eight to ten different formulas and countless scenarios before settling on this latest version. “Dennis and I have been working on this conceptually since December, and believe me when I tell you that I think we have considered all possible scenarios and worked through all possible variations to come up with something that we feel is going to work extremely well,” Spiddle said. “One of the biggest differences in the ASA formula is that we are looking at averages, while other types of formulas often are just a points accumulation. We felt that there were too many variables involved to use such a simple structure and took into account everything we could think of like field size, inversion, and even number of races.” Spiddle explained that there are five key criteria used in calculating the ASA competition average. The first is the finishing position in feature races. There is a descending points system from first to 25th place. Drivers finishing behind 25th place will all receive the same number of points so everyone in the feature will acquire points for competing. But, it is slanted towards the higher finish so pass some cars and get to the front. The second criterion is the size of the feature field. The base, or “full field,” is set at 20 cars. The formula penalizes fields of less than 20 by dropping a five percent factor for each car less than that. Inversely, fields greater than 20 will have a multiplier added to account for the greater challenge of beating out more competitors. Season length is calculated in a similar fashion. A “full season” is set at 14 events, and drivers competing in less are penalized by dividing the number of races competed in by 14. All races count towards the ASA Short Track National Championship, so drivers are encouraged to run at least 14 events this year, and more if possible to help accumulate the maximum points. The fourth factor, and the one that will make the single biggest difference, is the starting versus finishing position. Simply put, the more cars passed in a feature race, the more points scored. This is how the tracks which invert the feature event are factored in. For example, a driver that starts tenth and finishes first will have a major positive gain. However, a driver on the pole that finishes tenth will see a big negative factor applied to their ASA competition average. Start tenth, and finish tenth, will show a net of zero. “One of the first criteria that Dennis wanted to account for was inverting a field,” Spiddle explained. “We really made one of the keys to success in the ASA Short Track National Championship was to account for moving up through the field and passing cars.” There is that hint again - pass your competitors. “An obvious side benefit to the starting versus finishing position is that it will encourage more on-track action and this is what the fans come to the racetrack to experience,” said Dennis Huth, president of Racing Speed Associates which owns the American Speed Association. “With the heavy factoring of this, we anticipate seeing more battles for position all over the track and not just up front. Moving up from 15th to fifth will be even more important than starting and finishing up at the front of the field. And the fans will see that exciting short track action that the American Speed Association has been known for over the past four decades.” The final criteria in the formula accounts for feature wins. Admittedly, only a fraction of the wins versus the number of races competed in will be added to the point total, but it will still reward the drivers who end up in victory lane. “I feel like we have created a very strong formula that is going to withstand the test of a full season of ASA Member Track competition,” Huth prophesized. “We'll just have to see if there are any unique scenarios that come up as we implement the program, but I really feel like we will crown an ASA Short Track National Champion without any type of controversy over how the points are calculated.” It was previously announced that there would be an Eastern and Western Divisional Champion crowned, with the ASA Short Track National Champion being the single driver that has the highest ASA competition average at the end of the season. And yes, there is a tiebreaker system in case the astronomical odds are defied and these two drivers are tied at the end of the year. Total feature wins will be the first tiebreaker, followed by second place finishes and so on until one driver comes out on top. The ASA Short Track National Champion wins bragging rights for a year (actually, a lifetime), the Joe Gibbs Driven Racing Oil Champion Award, a cash prize, and something that money cannot buy - a test session with Joe Gibbs Racing and a chance to show your talents to those who can get things done at the pinnacle of motorsports. The ASA competition average will be posted online at www.ASA-Racing.com every Monday night so drivers and fans can see how they rank every week. Races through midnight on September 28 are eligible to be included in the calculations. Just remember to pass lots of cars (has the hint sunk in yet?). Speednet Direct, based in Crystal River, Fla., is a leading race management software developer that provides their program at no charge to any authorized track, series or sanctioning organization worldwide. In exchange, scoring officials agree to upload their race schedule, race result and current point standings to the Speednet Direct website (www.SpeednetDirect.com) using the software's “upload to the web” feature. Tracks, race teams and sponsors can “mirror” these results on their own web sites using Speednet's Results Feed syndication system, which is also free. For more information, or to request your copy of the Speednet Race Management software, contact Kevin Spiddle at 866-2SPEED4 ext. 100. The ASA Short Track National Championship is another step by the industry leader in creating new and innovative programs. This follows the recent announcement about extending the insurance coverage for ASA members traveling to, from, and during an ASA-sanctioned event.
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