Cool cars, beauty on wheels....

[andre]

http://www.speed51.com/2009_Stories/...Car_Photo.html

[ModelCarMan]

Very sharp!!!

[Tim]

While I think it is very sharp......I wouldn't want anyone to think this was a late model or super late model. I think it's a great sportsman (maybe) body. This body has been mandated (required) by ASA, I think Mr Varney is getting ready to get a lesson in what you can MAKE a racer do. He's not offering any racer any more than any other series in the country other than the opportunity to spend more money on a body that can't run anywhere else. Like I said, it looks cool, but if you want to improve (late/super late models) racing let's see more downforce not more stock. JMO

PS. The fact that the press release was followed with...."the ASA Late Model Series will utilize only 2010 Ford Mustangs and 2010 Chevy Camaro’s. If you would like to order your new body, please contact AR Bodies at 888-245-1468. "

That's just not going to sit well with racers. Again JMO.

[Tim]

Just to clarify....

when I say "not more stock"....I mean not more like NASCRAP...You better run something you can't turn on the TV and see. Again...JMO

[tccaz]

In my opinion they look like something you might see on a road course, nothing worse than road course racin.

[fred23]

I saw them at the PRI show last week.....they do look pretty cool but I am with Tim on this one....why would they mandate that you can only run these bodies and NO ONE else runs them.
Everybody needs to get rid of all of these body rules. 90% of the tracks that "short" track cars run on are less than a 1/2 mile and the aero doesn't have that much affect anyway.
If you haven't seen the new Nationwide COT car yet.....it also has a mustang body. I am not sure what the other manufacturers will be using but they are not the same as the Cup cars.

[Edm]

How about that. Putting "stock" back into stock car, something we can relate to and see on the streets.

[Tim]

I don't disagree with you Ed but I just don't think ther fans come to a super/late model race to see a car that relates to something on the street. I may be dead wrong. Again I'm not against the body, I think they look sharp. I just don't care to see them on late models. JMO

[Jimmy McKinley]

I think it would these bodies would put more identity back into Late Model racing. To me, I grew up watching Camaros and Mustangs in the (Super) Late Models. Monte Carlos, Grand Prixs, and Chargers were for Grand National/Winston Cup. It looks like they're trying to bring the "pony car" back to short track racing. Now they just need to make the Challenger body style, and we'll all be happy

[Tim]

Maybe that's the difference....

Jimmy, I saw my first late model race in probably 1980. So I don't really remember ever seeing a body that resembled anything stock. I think the first late model I saw that I remembered was david rogers bud sponsored car where the number was on the rear quarter panel. It was more like a wedge body. I may be wrong about the year though. That was 29+ years ago. Thats why I said what I said about people showing up and expecting a particular thing. At my age thats what I expect.

I see the same problems over and over. I've seen enough cup tests at NSS to realize just how bad a$$ a super late model is. A super late model is almost 2 seconds faster than a cup car. The problem is that nobody is selling that. ASA's problem is that they are running a car that needs a weight break just to run with late models...much less super late models. Hence, lets put these bodies on them and call them sportsman.

[modracer22]

I agree with what has been said. Dirt latemodels pack the fans in and they look nothing like anything on the street. Outlaw latmodel also have a really good fan base and they also look nothing like anything you see on the street. So I don't think stock is what fans want to see on at a local short track.

[Tim]

The sad part of it all is that with all the combined engine races being run all over the country to try to put a good field of super/late/crate models together. This is just another attemp to divide the cars further.

[Tim]

Because I am trying not to delete or edit, let me add this. This decision does not better any one racer or any one race track in the country. I have tried to see the logic in this decision and it only seems self serving. Again this is only my opinion and I leave it open to others to change mine.

[Austin34471]

The thought process behind it is that ASA is trying to separate themselves from everybody else. ASA, PASS, CRA, GAS, etc all run cars that look exactly the same. Will your typical fan be able to tell the difference between any of them? Probably not. With this new body (which IMO looks pretty cool), ASA will hope to get a better reaction from the fans. ASA is having a hard time filling the seats and so it seems like this is kindof a last ditch effort to bring in some fans.

But from the team standpoint, its not very appealing. You would basically have to have a separate car to run this series unless you want to change bodies every week. New body/new car = more money. And its not like ASA is the only choice for late model racers. There are plenty of other options for people who don't want to change their template body. ASA can't control what they want the cars to look like and expect to keep all of their drivers. IMO. It will be interesting to see how it turns out.

[Tim]

I get it Austin, that is what I can see as a point as well. Again it is a very sharp body. I just don't see a late model when I look at it.

I like to look into the future and try to predict the change. But there are so many changes that have to be made around the country (including FL) to creat a unified set of rules for all late models, this is just off in left field and goes completely against what most leaders (FL, PASS, CRA, Blizzard, Viper, GAS, ect.) in the industry are working towards.

If the ASA wanted to be different, maybe throw a truck body on them. Now that is different as an east coast touring series!

I saw the Gov Cup and watched and listened to the Snowball on the web. There is no way as NSS or 5 Flags that I would let ASA come in and sell my fans that this was a late model race. Again this is all just my opinion. Austin thanks for yours, you obviously see both sides. While I don't like to see anything fail, I more importantly don't want to see this screw up what everyone else is working towards.