I wish so much I knew who was getting the invite to go to South Africa. I know Steve, Scott Gaylord's crew member when he ran the NASCAR Winston West, said he would love to see Scott go. That would be a cool driver.

I heard other people that said they want to go to crew chief. Maybe they will use staff there? Maybe I should break down and ask the ASA for more info, but I really don't like being so nosy. Maybe I should play reporter?

The only for sure thing is that Geoff Bodine is racing. That is all I have on the entry list. It is driving me nuts.

I can't imagine all ASA drivers going, even though it is an ASA event, because it is a continent against continent race and I would think they would want a cross-section.

Garrett Evans or Pete Harding? That would be cool.

Anyone heard anything?

NASCAR Daytona 500 Winner, Geoff Bodine, Going to ASA Race at Phakisa in Welkom, South Africa

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida — American Speed Association officials have announced that 1986 Daytona 500 and 1987 IROC Series Champion Geoff Bodine will be competing in the “Championship Between the Continents – South Africa versus USA Motorsports” that will take place on January 29-31, 2010 at the Phakisa Freeway Circuit in Welkom, South Africa. The first ever ASA venture outside of North America.

Bodine is no stranger to international activities as he has made two trips to visit the American Troops and this year his Bo-dyn Bobsled that will be used by the United States Bobsled Team as they strive for the gold at the Winter Olympics.

“I am looking forward to making this trip,” Bodine said. “This will be my first time traveling to the continent. The thought of going to South Africa to race is very exciting and I would certainly like to be the first driver to win this enormous event.”

“It’s an honor to have a legend such as Geoff Bodine compete in this historical event,” Dennis Huth, ASA President said. “When I asked Geoff if he would like to be part of this event, he said yes right away. Geoff has always been someone who enjoys a challenge and I think he finds this event to be so unique that it really wasn’t a surprise that he wants to participate in it.”

Bodine has been competing in the ASA sanctioned International Sport Compact Auto Racing Series (ISCARS) DASH Touring, driving for car owner Joey Jones where he is currently third in the point standings. Bodine also lends his expertise to mentoring drivers in the Geoff Bodine/ISCARS Driver Development Program which is a new arm of the Drive Tech Racing School.

Drive Tech Racing School is the Official Racing School of the American Speed Association. The school will be open the month of January to train the drivers who will be going to compete in this historical event.

“ASA has a great history of drivers who have made it to the top levels of stock car racing which included guys like Mark Martin, Dick Trickle and Rusty Wallace. I am excited that my involvement with ISCARS and ASA has opened the door for the opportunity to compete against not only the racers from the USA but also South Africa’s finest,” added Bodine.

Huth sees the 1986 Daytona 500 Champion playing a vital role in this event, “Geoff Bodine enjoys helping new drivers learn more about this sport that I think he will enjoy this opportunity to share his expertise with our new friends in South Africa along with the American talent that will be going over to compete as we have had many local drivers express interest in competing in this event. He will be a great ambassador to this sport.”

Phakisa Freeway Circuit is a multi-purpose racing facility featuring a 1.5-mile oval which is where the “Championship Between the Continents” will be contested. This D-shaped oval, located southwest of Johannesburg is reminiscent of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. As an interesting side note, “Phakisa” means “Get Moving” in South Sesotho language, a fitting name for a racetrack.

“When I first received the invitation to go, I viewed photographs of the track on Google. I wasn’t aware that such a track existed there.” says Bodine. “Now to think I will actually be racing there is really a big deal.”

The American drivers invited will not only get a chance to compete on one of the finest racetracks outside of the United States, but will enjoy many off-track opportunities to see the various sights of South Africa; this includes a private tour of “Savannah” the wildlife preserve that holds the distinction of being just one of three accredited worldwide breeders of the Cheetah.

“The ‘Championship Between the Continents’ is designed to foster friendship, competition, and knowledge both on-and-off the racetrack between South Africa and the United States. I have no doubt this will be a life-changing experience for those that attend from both our countries and that this will foster a bond that goes beyond just a motorsports competition,” said Huth.

To learn more about Phakisa Freeway, visit http://www.phakisa.com/GeneralInformation.htm .

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 trademarks of Racing Speed Associates, LLC. ASA International, LLC or Racing Speed Associates, LLC are not related to or affiliated with ASA Late Model Series, LLC.

For more information, contact:

(USA)

American Speed Association

(386) 258-2221

info@asa-racing.com

Or

(South Africa)

Etienne Swanepoel

Jim1@mweb.co.za

+27 82 888 4430

Current prices to JNB from ITA

Thanks to the ITA site it is much easier to pull up fares for South Africa. Currently Delta still has the lowest fare. Iberia did beat them by about $40 if you left two weeks early. I don't think I could be away from Faleena for that long. She is my life.

And Delta still has wide availability for using miles to take the trip for free. Takes 80K for steerage.

Actually not bad at all, either price or miles, but sure would be nice to see it under $1000. I easily spend that much on 3 or 4 roundtrips chasing the NASCAR West Series' races. And this is Africa, the chance of a lifetime.

Question is do I buy now or wait?

DENNIS HUTH ANSWERS THE WHO, WHAT AND WHY OF THE ASA RACE AT PHAKISA IN SOUTH AFRICA

THOUSAND OAKS, California -- Bright and early Monday morning one of those "jaw dropping" press releases arrived in the RacingWest email. ASA Racing was going International. It was sanctioning an event in Welkom, South Africa on the Phakisa Freeway

Circuit 1.5-mile Super Speedway.

The release gave a lot of information on the agreement between the ASA and the Motorsport South Africa (MSA), which is the controlling body of all motorsports in South Africa. We gained a bit of knowledge about the track and we found out about some facts surrounding how it would come together, but still...not all of the "Who, What, Why, Where, When and How's were unanswered. So RacingWest's inquisitive nature led us to asking Dennis Huth, President of ASA Racing, the missing "Who" and "What" questions. We wanted to know who was racing and what they were racing. We also were curious about TV and finally, the "Why" question. Why Africa? Much to our delight he graciously answered all in as much detail as he could provide. But, Huth promised more information in the days to come.

I sort of think of this event as an advent Calendar. Slowly opening up surprises, one by one, until the day arrives. This is one race that anyone that can go, should go. It is history in the making! Now the 3 questions we asked the "History in the Making" maker.

RacingWest: Dennis, we here at RacingWest are very excited about the news of the ASA racing in Africa. This was a definite surprise to all of us. We know where and when you will be racing, but there are a lot of questions remaining. There is a lot of chatter about the event, but there are still a lot of questions that remain unanswered, such as who is going and what type of cars that will be racing. Can you provide us with some additional information?

Dennis Huth: Thanks for asking Janet. We are currently in the finalization stages of the Official Entry Blank for South Africa. We have been in discussions with many competitors who have expressed interest in competing in this event. Since it is an invitational only event we will release each competitor individually upon the official acceptance of the Entry form.

I can tell you that this event has garnered more attention than I had anticipated from the competitor side. We are bound by contract to have a minimum of 24 cars on site, but we are seeing many more competitors than that interested in going. I mean, who wouldn’t want to go? South Africa is a beautiful country and the track is truly “First Class”.

Many people are staying longer or arriving early for a vacation, of sorts.

The cars are based around previously run Cup - Busch / Nationwide cars. Our technical staff is working diligently to make everything a level playing field when it comes to rules and as cost effective as humanly possible.

You see, we are looking at this event as a fun event. It is an opportunity to give back to teams by taking in a different county, with most expense paid for by ASA or the Free State government. There are no points awarded – it is by invitation only – a chance to help an emerging motorsports market and competitors in South Africa – prize money – an opportunity to help the future of the series by selling equipment, to state it simply, “It has it all.”

The concept of this is really based upon a couple of factors – but the most important was to get back to basics and have some fun with an event.

We’ve told the teams that if they are looking for a hassle, a non-friendly attitude, pressure , never-ending costs, rules upon rules, - then we don’t want them to go. Our mantra here is to get back to the basics of the foundation of what this sport was built upon.

The South African Free State Government is welcoming us with open arms and I truly believe that is why we have received so much interest.

RW: With an event of this magnitude, will there be TV coverage?

DH: Yes…ASA has exclusive rights of worldwide TV, except South Africa.; More exciting news on that to follow.

RW: What led to your decision for an ASA Sanctioned race in South Africa? Why not something closer such as Canada or Mexico, or if was going to be overseas, why not a country such as Japan or Australia where you already have experience?

DH: When we were approached regarding this project, I asked the same question. But, when I saw the race track – which is first class – I realized that we were on the ‘cutting edge’ of something. My background with the formation of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series afforded me the opportunity to be involved in ‘upstart’ ventures. This has all of the factors involved. We are able to help craft a future in motorsports in South Africa – with the help of the surrounding local race tracks and the MSA (Motorsport South Africa), who are solidly behind this project,

The track is Las Vegas in every respect.

The people are willing to do what needs to be done to build – from scratch – a major series.

The country is fascinating; and a vacation Mecca.

There is tons of interest by local competitors to compete and buy American V-8 equipment.

The Drivetech driving school is going to be on site to train the local competitors that are so well versed in road course racing.

We have been thru the ‘movement of cars and people’ with our Japan races experience.

I can go on and on, but the bottom line is – so I ask, - “What was there not to like about this project?”

Information will be released on this project for months to come- you are not getting it all today!! We are thoroughly enjoying everything. This is an exciting project that is so much more than just a race; it’s a human experience and forging a future.

After all, we can’t ‘tell all’ today,

Welkom, South Africa

I had to laugh. In looking up information on Welkom, where Phakisa Freeway Circuit is. So from what I understand so far, the racetrack is as popular as the much loved rum and coke. There are plenty of cheap pubs and it is located in the middle of gold-mining territory. I guess you can actually visit a gold mining museum there as well as tour the mines.

Sort of a cool thing...but I really want to see the race and some animals more than that.

Currently Delta still has the lowest airfare.

If you have frequent flyer miles with Delta it is 80k miles to get there for free.

Phakisa Freeway almost identical to Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Here is a comparison of Phakisa Freeway Circuit (right) and Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Both tracks are 1.5-mile.

Question is what cars will race on the track at South Africa? Is it safe to have the ASA Tour cars on there? I sort of doubt it.  So does that mean they will race NASCAR West cars there?  That would be fun.

No stop lights in Welkom? Is that true?

I just read there are no traffic lights in Welkom where Phakisa Freeway Circuit is. They have something called traffic circles. I wonder how that works.

ASA Going International

On an oh so no normal, very routine morning, a surprising release appeared in my email.

The ASA Racing was going International…and not just Internationa…but International to Africa.
Africa? WOW!

Africa is a place I have always wanted to go to. In 2003 or so I was on a Delta flight leaving Dallas and they were just about to shut the boarding door . I was thrilled there was no one sitting next to me so I would be able to spread out my laptop and stuff in the next seast.
But at the last minute this scruffy guy with a beat up wallet plops down beside me and starts ordering Bloody Marys...and not just for him, he was good enough to get me a few as well. Turns out it was Grizzly Adams (Dan Haggerty.

He asked what I was doing and I told him traveling from Texas to California to place a rescue dog in a home. And he told me anyone that likes animals like that should go to Africa. I guess he is involved with a reserve there as well as a couple youth programs here in the states.
Anyway I was captive to listening to him and his tales of animals and Africa. He gave me a card and told me to call some Reverend someone or other to get hooked up. I never called. But the pictures he painted of Africa have always remained vivid. And he left me with the dream of someday…someday going to Africa.

Sometimes dreams get pushed back, when one is dealing with reality.

But when that ASA release came, I knew for sure I was going to go to Phakisa, and to the Africa I dreamed of. It was the opportunity of a lifetime.

And so I am now in the planning stages, watching airfares, taking moments here and there to read about the track, the surrounding area.