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American Speed Association PR
DAYTONA BEACH, FL (Thursday, January 7, 2010) - The upcoming ASA Transcontinental Series Free State 500 at the Phakisa Freeway Circuit in Welkom, Free State, South Africa will have a unique variety of competitors. Three of the drivers coming over to compete are graduates of the ASA-ProAutoSports Road Racing Program based out of Chandler, AZ. Don Uhlir, Mark Shaffer and Dustin Dudley are graduates of the program and have been racing competitively for at least the last ten years and have signed on early to compete at the January 31, 2010 event.
While ASA-Racing is well known for oval track racing, there are 3 road racing divisions that include ASA-ProAutoSports, The Bondurant Championship Race Series and Inde Motorsports Ranch. ASA-Racing continues to expand into road racing.
Uhlir started in the program about ten years ago driving in the Corvette Time Trials. With an engineering background, he has enjoyed the challenge of not only getting behind the wheel of a stock car but learning how to set up the car as well. He always has had the need for speed as he did some racing in high school and college, but put it on hold after he graduated from engineering school. From there he started racing motorcycles. After he grew out of cycles, he met up with Larry and Vicki Pond, founders of ASA-ProAutoSports, and started with the Corvette Time trials. But he wanted more of a challenge and bought an old Southwest Tour car. For him, getting behind the wheel is more of a stress relief, "At work I juggle multiple things, but when in the cockpit I can just focus on one thing," Uhlir said.
He is not afraid to take on any challenges as he has raced motorcycles to dog sled racing, "I will always explore something to find out if I don't like it as oppose to not trying it to find out if its something I don't like," Uhlir explained. "Down here in Tucson I have a pure bred Siberian sled team where I have ten dogs, not enough for an Iditarod run but enough for a couple of two day races a year here in Arizona."
Uhlir is looking forward to competing in the Free State 500, "It's thrilling, obviously I don't race for a living but people feel that I am skilled enough, especially on high speed tracks," Uhlir said. "Also, a little nervous, I'm an engineer and I like to do things methodically. We are hopping on an airplane and going to a racetrack that nobody has really run on before and we are going to have to figure out setups by ourselves."
When asked about working with the other competitors, he had a pretty quick answer to that, "Well, I'm a pretty darn good engineer. So I may actually keep my mouth shut and do it ourselves," Uhlir said with a smile.
This will be the second time that Uhlir has visited South Africa, "The first time was about 30 years ago...by sailboat," Uhlir said. "It was a trip from New York down to Cape Town, a couple of us sailed it down there for a bunch of maintenance on it." Uhlir said it only took a few weeks to get down there but coming back it was not that quick but he doesn't remember how long that part was.
Shaffer also comes to Phakisa with a lot of racing experience under his belt as he drove for Larry Pond's Gemini Racing Systems team in the ASA Truck Series about 15 years ago. He then moved up to a stock car competing in the Grand Am Road Race Series. He has also raced a vintage Trans Am car and has competed at Tucson Raceway Park, an ASA Member Track and is a longtime competitor in ASA-ProAutoSports.
"It's a once in a lifetime experience and its a good deal to be a part of," Shaffer said. "This really says a lot about grass roots racing with the competitors going over to compete."
Shaffer, who grew up in Pennsylvania has been around the sport for a long time and has raced in many different cars including for Stan Hover, who has fielded cars for the Daytona 500.
He will be traveling to South Africa with his 14-year-old son Mark Jr. "He is really interested in racing, has been doing well in school, so this will be a fun experience for him as well," Shaffer said.
His expectations? "We have some good expectations," Shaffer exclaimed. "I think I can finish on the lead lap and in the middle of the pack."
Dudley got his start by competing in an RX-7 Mazda Sports car in ASA-ProAutoSports about ten years ago. He moved up to the Stock Car GTO Division and has been running in stock cars for the last least the past five years where has set lap records and many wins.
"Frankly, I was surprised," Dudley, a trial attorney said. "I have never been to South Africa and I don't know what to expect in general." He is familiar with Phakisa Freeway Circuit, "I have seen super bike races on the road course and their road course looks pretty fun," Dudley said. "I am going to do everything that I can to let us take a tour of that part of the track and do so in a race car instead of a scooter."
"It should be a really nice event, but I am questioning the weather a little bit. But I am from Phoenix so worse case its looking like a summer day here and won't be too bad," Dudley said with a smile. "Any suggestions of how to deal with a 16-hour plane ride?"
"It is very exciting to see Don, Mark and Dustin get this opportunity to compete in South Africa," Larry Pond, now of ASA-Racing said. "It's awesome that ASA is giving three of our talented road racers the opportunity of a lifetime. I know is my conversations with them that they are excited and just appreciate it. It should be fun watching them compete at Phakisa."
"These three drivers are great examples of the talent we have on all levels of the American Speed Assocation," Dennis Huth, ASA President said. "Not everyone who races, does it on a full-time basis. Many of have full-time jobs and they race as a hobby along with the spirit of competition. Larry and Vicki has created the ASA-ProAutoSports road racing division for individuals like Don, Mark and Dustin to live their dreams and enjoy the sport of auto racing in a professional environment."
ASA-ProAutoSports was started in 1992 at Phoenix International Raceway. In 2000, they moved to Firebird International Raceway in the Phoenix area where they could utilize the three road tracks available there. They became ASA-sanctioned in 2003 and is the largest Road Racing organization in the Southwest of the United States. The organization is now run by a former employee of the Pond's, Hurley Hatch and runs three day race weekends once a month year around, primarily at one of the three tracks at Firebird Int'l Raceway in Chandler, Arizona.
ASA-ProAutoSports also runs races at Firebird International Raceway, Sandia Motor Speedway in New Mexico, Inde Motorsports Ranch (an ASA Member Track), St. Johns Grand Prix, Tucson Raceway Park (an ASA Member Track), Phoenix International Raceway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Arroyo Seco Raceway in New Mexico.
For more info look at www.proautosports.com;
www.professionalautosports.com; www.stjohnsgrandprix.com
For more information about the Free State 500, please visit www.phakisa.com or www.freestate500.com.
To learn more of the Daytona Beach, Fla.-based American Speed Association call (386) 258-2221 or send an e-mail to info@asa-racing.com. For news and information from all the racetracks and regional tours involved in the ASA, visit www.ASA-Racing.com.
ASA®, ASA Racing®, and American Speed Association® are registered trademarks of Racing Speed Associates, LLC. ASA International, LLC and Racing Speed Associates, LLC are not related to or affiliated with ASA Late Model Series, LLC.
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