Joe Gibbs Driven

DAYTONA BEACH, FL (September 11, 2008) – The battle for the Joe Gibbs Driven Oil ASA Member Track National Championship continues to see changes as more ASA Member Tracks reach the plateau of 14 feature events. Adirondack International Speedway in New Bremen, NY will reach that plateau this Saturday night as its Late Model division will compete in triple 25-lap feature events.

Tommy Cloce of Canton, NY sits on top of the point standings with an 87-point lead over Andre Roggie going into its championship night. “I have a lot of things on the line this week,” Cloce recently stated. “There is the track championship, securing the most feature wins of the season, and the possibility of an ASA National Championship. The car is ready, the back up car is ready, and my team is ready.”

Cloce knows what he has to do this Saturday night, “Just need a top ten in one of the feature races and we can wrap up the track championship.”

He also realizes that he is also has a chance winning the ASA Member Track National Championship as well, “We have an outside chance, we just need things to go our way,” Cloce, who will turn 39, on September 16th, stated. “I want to win it the right way and don’t want to wish any bad luck on the others. If it happens that way, we won’t turn it down.”

Click here to see the current ASA/Gibbs Driven Oil national points.

Cloce came into the 2008 season with high expectations and he gives a lot of credit to his father Ed Cloce and his crew chief Doug LaVigne. “I want to win it for my dad, Doug, and the crew,” Cloce said. “We came into this year and we did our homework. We worked on the car all winter, we are prepared.”

In 2007, Cloce finished fifth in points and had one feature win. This year, he already has five feature wins and is closing in on the track championship. When he realized the kind of season that he was having, he wanted to know where he stood nationally so he has been making sure that Adirondack International Speedway has been turning in the results to the American Speed Association offices.

“I want to know where I stand nationally,” Cloce explained. “I talked to Dennis (Huth, American Speed Association President) during the season and discussed where I would stand and he told me that I could be right up there. I talked to the track into submitting our finishes just to see where we are stand and we are close. I thought it would be cool just to be in the top 50, but to be where we are is beyond our grand expectations going into this year.”

Going into this weekend, Cloce has a performance indicator of 3.9010 with 11 events in the books. But that could all change when he officially has 14 events and gets a more solid indicator. Remember in the ASA Member Track National Championship, the performance indicator formula is based on 14 events. Anything below that does not give an accurate performance indicator number. So, it will be interesting to see where Cloce is after this weekend.

When asked about the chance for a tryout with Joe Gibbs Racing, Cloce was realistic, “I turn 39 next week and I know what that means in racing terms,” Cloce said. “But, I feel for myself, I haven’t been driving any better or more in tune with the race car until this year. I feel I am at my best right now and the timing to get this opportunity isn’t any better and I am ready to take that next step.”

Cloce did recall some great drivers who have raced well in their prime such as Harry Gant, Mark Martin, and Dick Trickle. He feels there is still room in the higher level of racing for drivers his age.

Overall in the standings, Jimmy Mullins wrapped up the track championship at Franklin County Speedway this past weekend and still sits at the top in the East Region with a 4.4787. Tony Hicks of Friendship Motor Speedway is in second with 4.1974 and Cloce is in third.

Over in the West Region, Cary Stapp of Thunderhill Raceway is at the top with a 5.1610 with Linny White of Orange Show Speedway in second with a 4.9477.

Again, these standings can substantially change as many ASA Member Tracks are reaching their 14th events, and the drivers will see a more accurate performance indicator. It’s not close from being over.

To view the entire Joe Gibbs Driven Racing Oil ASA Member Track National Championship, please visit: http://www.speednetdirect.com/points.php?track_id=7002&nav_step=results

Joe Gibbs Driven Racing Oil, sponsor of the American Speed Association National Short Track National Championship, is the same oil developed and used by Joe Gibbs Racing. The team sells the oil so racers across the country can have access to the latest technology in racing lubricants.

Joe Gibbs Racing is one of the premier organizations in NASCAR, currently fielding three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams, two NASCAR Nationwide Series teams and a driver development program. Its driver lineup consists of Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch in the Sprint Cup Series; Stewart, Hamlin, and Busch in the Nationwide Series; and Joey Logano and Marc Davis in the NASCAR Camping World Series East. Based in Huntersville, N.C., and owned by Joe Gibbs - a three-time Super Bowl winner as head coach of the Washington Redskins and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame - JGR has competed in NASCAR since 1992, winning three Cup Series championships and more than 80 NASCAR races, including three Brickyard 400s and the 1993 Daytona 500.

The American Speed Association Short Track National Championship is another step by the industry leader in creating new and innovative programs. This follows the recent announcement about extending the insurance coverage for ASA members traveling to, from, and during an ASA-sanctioned event. For updated ASA National Points, just click on the "Points" link at www.asa-racing.com.

The American Speed Association Member Track program is comprised of a network of short tracks around the United States, as well as a variety of regional and national touring series. For more information, call (386) 258-2221 or send an e-mail to info@asa-racing.com. For news and information from all the racetracks and tours involved in the ASA, visit www.ASA-Racing.com.