Rocky Mountain Raceway joins member program

ROCKY MOUNTAIN RACEWAY SEES THE FUTURE... AND IT IS THE ASA MEMBER TRACK PROGRAM

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 12, 2007) -- Doug Binstock, general manager of Rocky Mountain Raceway (RMR), also known as "The Rock", has a vision for the future of short track racing. And looking at the current landscape, he sees this future of the sport looking stronger with the ASA Member Track program which is why RMR has signed on as an ASA Level I participant for 2007.

"Rocky Mountain Raceway wants to look at the big picture when it comes to the future of short track racing. The sanctioning body is joined with the racetrack at the hip and we all need to be working together to get to our destination faster which is to make short track racing an even more exciting sport and fun for the competitors and fans," Binstock explained.

"We felt like we had run our course with the previous sanctioning body and started to take a look at the ASA Member Track program and what Dennis (Huth) has been doing there. I believe that he will be able to help bring a national flavor to the local racer and once again put short track racing back to the prominence that it held several years ago. Dennis and the ASA Member Track program should help to bring back that continuity we need in this segment of the industry," Binstock added.

Huth was quite excited to welcome RMR to the ASA Member Track family. "I have worked with Rocky Mountain Raceway previously and they were one of the prized tracks in those days," said the president of the ASA Member Track, Regional and National Racing programs. "And it is no different today. Rocky Mountain is still one of the prized racetracks in the country and it is extremely exciting and exhilarating to sign them into the family of the ASA Member Track program and have the opportunity to continue working with Spencer, Doug, his staff and competitors. This is one of the nicest short tracks in the country and certainly the type of facility that can be viewed as a model in the industry."

Located in West Valley City, Utah, RMR is a 3/8-mile asphalt oval with seating for 5200 spectators and VIP suites. In addition to the oval track, the multi-purpose facility includes an NHRA drag strip, motocross course, and the world's first manmade rock crawling facility. Information, results, points and schedules can be found online at www.RMRracing.com or by calling (801) 252-9557.

"Everyone at RMR is excited to work with ASA in the development of a strong racing program in this region and for the short track racing sport in general." Stated track President Spencer Young. "We love the grassroots racing and the great competitors in the Salt Lake and surrounding area and feel that the ASA program is best for everyone involved from a competition perspective, track perspective, and entertainment perspective. We are looking forward to this coming year to work with Dennis Huth and ASA in the expansion of great motorsports competition and the growth and strengthening of grass roots racing in our home town."

As part of building a solid future, Binstock sees a current void in the entry-level racing programs. To help remedy this, the track will be adding a Hornet class this season.

"We have been really fortunate to have some good car counts in most of our weekly divisions, but I feel like we need to put a bigger emphasis on bringing in new, young blood. We have struggled a bit with the entry-level racing and hopefully the Hornet class will help to turn that around," Binstock said.

"The other tracks that have started a Hornet class have done really well. It helps to put the fun back into racing and a very reasonable price. You shouldn't need to put a second mortgage on the house just to go racing. Costs to race are getting too high, and it is a problem from our track right up through those like Daytona or Talladega. We need to break that trend before it breaks racing."

Although the rules are still being finalized, the Hornet class will be based on a 4-cylinder vehicle which can be built and maintained using standard off-the-shelf parts. The goal is to introduce auto racing to those who don't have the funds to build a car, but want nothing more than to race.

"We really want to make this a fun class," Binstock said. "We want these cars to go out and race and have the drivers really enjoy themselves but not to get too serious about it. So we'll be doing some things to shake it up a little and make it fun for the drivers and the fans. Some of the ideas we have been kicking around are to have the Hornets do something a little different each time they race, such as adding a chicane on the backstretch, maybe a bump to pass, running backwards around the oval, or any number of little unexpected twists like that."

As a Level I participant in the ASA Member Track program, Rocky Mountain Raceway is entitled to contributions to their year-end point fund, marketing assistance, and enhanced participant accident insurance, an issue that Binstock mentioned as a major benefit.

-credit: asa