‘It’s a really good deal,’ says ASA STARS racers of full-time team program

The Super Late Model industry is generally pleased with what Bob Sargent and Marty Melo put together with the inaugural ASA STARS platinum program.

In fact, on the eve of the season opening Clyde Hart Memorial 200 at New Smyrna Speedway, the national Super Late Model championship has 15 teams pre-registered to contest the full season. The package of incentives is valued at $65,000 per car in exchange for a $10,000 commitment up front to enter all 12 races in advance.

For the series, it gets buy-in from drivers and teams so that it can market a season long storyline while building its foundation for years to come. It took two years to get to this point, with the program being a natural continuation of the leader’s circle program, but one that also clearly draws inspiration from the World of Outlaws package of the same name.

The program, and thus the third ASA STARS national championship season, appears to have received the buy-in from pretty much all the major players in the subdiscipline.

Billy VanMeter | VanDoorn Racing Development
Austin Nason | Nason Motorsports
Derek Thorn | Highland Motorsports
Chase Pinsonneault | Carson Hocevar Racing
Kyle Steckly | Rette Jones Racing
Cole Butcher | Donnie Wilson Motorsports
Gavan Boschele | Donnie Wilson Motorsports
George Phillips | Donnie Wilson Motorsports
Dawson Sutton | Rackley WAR
Bubba Pollard | Pollard Motorsports
Stephen Nasse | Stephen Nasse Racing
Carson Brown | Anthony Campi Racing
Ty Fredrickson | Dan Fredrickson Racing
Derek Kraus | DMK Racing LLC
Johnny Sauter | Richie Wauters Motorsports

The package was the byproduct of months of meetings between the series and its team owners committee — working to establish a realistic baseline for what a national Super Late Model program should provide its full-time participants.

And this doesn’t even include purse increases for the races and the championship fund.

1: $25,000
2: $12.500
3: $10,000
4: $9,000
5: $8,500
6: $8,000
7: $7,500
8: $7,000
9: $6,500
10: $6,500

These are paid to the teams but the driver’s champion does earn an additional $5,000.

Anthony Campi, who won the championship with driver Casey Roderick last year, issued high marks.

“I think it’s a really good deal and I think it’s just a really good incentive to get racers to every race and just kind of show commitment back from the series to everyone here,” he said.

In addition to the Campi car, and the always reliably funded Donnie Wilson Motorsports teams, a big target for the series would be to get star drivers Stephen Nasse and Bubba Pollard on the tour and the latter said this was a good deal for teams.

“It’s good,” said Pollard. “They’re growing and doing what they need to do and we’ve been having meetings and phone calls, conversations with the whole group of team owners and racers and they’re making better. I think it’s gotten better. They’ve done a good job.

“They’ve listened and the communication has been really good since Marty has taken on his job.”

Melo joined the series last summer as director of marketing and operations.

“That’s been the biggest thing, I think thing that’s kind of helped their whole situation, their whole deal,” Pollard said. “I’ve known Marty in the past and he’s perfect for what they’re trying to do and he’s good on the marketing side and I hope he can continue bringing a lot to the series and I think it will be good.”

Mark Rette has long plied his trade in the ARCA Racing Series, which is where he first came across Sargent, and said he believes in what they are trying to build with ASA STARS.

“I have believed in Bob Sargent from day one,” Rette said. “You know, I feel like he got a lot of criticism early on but he can’t control tires, right? We had a tire problem and some other issues but they’ve worked hard and I think he’s on the path to fixing what they can. He’s put his own money into what he’s trying to build.

“I wasn’t a Super Late Model guy two years ago but knew Bob through his ARCA work and we got DuQuoin and Springfield and he’s out in the mud, grooming the race track. He’s a racer and believes in this and I believe in him.

“Has he made some mistakes along the way? Yeah. Haven’t we all in business? He’s learning and he’s got some really good people around him and has this thing going in the right direction.”

To that point, Rette said he really believes in Melo.

“Marty is a great guy,” Rette said. “I ask him a question and I get an answer. If he doesn’t have the answer, he points in the right direction to get one within 15 minutes. Done. He has brought a lot to this thing.”

Pollard echoed that sentiment.

“It’s all about communication,” Pollard said. “That and just being able to talk to people. He knows his place in ASA. It’s not rules but he knows how to organize people. He doesn’t get into making calls and personally himself sticks to the job he is good at.

“I think, in the past, where this got off the track a bit was having people making decisions that didn’t have enough knowledge to make those decisions. They are just now starting to get the right people in place now.”

Veteran racer Dan Fredrickson said he is putting his son, emerging talent Ty, into the series because it’s the best place for the 15-year-old to develop but also from a marketing standpoint.

“I think that Platinum deal is a really good deal,” the elder Fredrickson said. “This definitely helps the racer. We sold a sponsorship off the TV package deal where you get the commercials with the agreement. That part of it has already paid off way more than the extra $1500 they give you per race.

“They have done a good job with that and I’m just glad to see them doing these things to work with the racers.”

Bond Suss, general manager of Wilson Motorsports, said the racers really have a good deal in the commercial elements of this package if they understand how to utilize those assets properly.

But from a competition standpoint, ASA STARS have most of the big stars and cars in this discipline and that is reason for fans to celebrate. It’s also a reason for drivers to want to participate.

Derek Thorn has joined the series with Highland Motorsports and both Pollard and Nasse have mentioned wanting to race against the best.

“It’s important,” Pollard said. “You want these guys, and it’s not easy to get everyone here, but they’re making progress.”

He also said there is one more step for the series to take.

“They need to get that major title sponsor,” he said. “Can they do it? Yeah. If they can get the right title sponsor behind this, not just from a money standpoint but marketing, it would take the ASA to the next level.

“It’s getting there. It’s grown a lot in three years. They have to get the big teams to follow the tour but also, for when they go to these local places, have their local teams be competitive and give fans reasons to support them too. There’s a lot that goes into this but I think it’s heading in the right direction.”