2008 ASA Late Model Series Southern Division Season Preview
By Matt Prieur-ASA Late Model Series

After spending the 2007 season in the ASALMS Challenge Division where he finished Third in the final points standings, Colt James will focus his efforts on the 2008 ASALMS Southern Division Championship and the Buda, Texas driver is widely considered one of the favorites for the title! (Chuck Gonzalez Photo)

Lexington, Michigan (03/21/2008): The 2008 ASA Late Model Series Presented by GM Performance Parts Southern Division season opener is upcoming next weekend in the Sunshine State!

The cars and stars of the ASALMS Southern Division are all making final preparations before making the trip to Bronson, Florida as the 2008 ASALMS Southern Division Season gets going on Friday and Saturday, March 28-29, 2008.

The fast 0.333 Mile High-Banked Paved Oval of the Bronson (FL) Motor Speedway, located West of Gainesville in Bronson, Florida serves as hosts for the Bronson 100. Joining the ASALMS Challenge Division in the Sunshine will be Bronson Weekly Divisions of Limited Sportsmen, Super Stocks, Thunder Stocks, and Hornets.

The Bronson 100 Entry Form is available and due at the ASALMS Home Offices in Lexington, Michigan by Monday, March 24. 2008 to avoid the late fees. To download the Bronson 100 Entry Form, click on the link provided at www.asalatemodelsnorth.com.

The Bronson 100 Master Schedule and Time Line is also available and can be viewed by clicking on the link provide at www.asalatemodelssouth.com.

Based on registrations and pre-entries received within the ASALMS Southern Division for the upcoming 2008 Season, the entire campaign is wide open in terms of whose the favorite too win it all and who are the drivers considered the ones to watch for the upcoming season.

Here is a capsule look at some the top contenders as decided on by an expert panel of media, newspaper and trade paper outlets as well as astute observers of the ASALMS located throughout North America;

Colt James: After a full season in the ASALMS Challenge Division in 2007 where he finished Third in the final points standings, the Buda, Texas driver will concentrate solely on the ASALMS Southern Division Championship in 2008. With just in the Southern Division on the horizon, James is widely considered the favorite too win the 2008 title!

Brandon Johnson: The Longwood, Florida driver finished Third in the 2007 ASALMS Southern Division points standings and second in the Rookie chase with One (1) Feature Win. Johnson will give James all he can handle during the 2008 ASALMS Southern Division season, which could very well come down to the last event in Johnson’s home state of Florida.

Travis Wilson: The third year competitor in the ASALMS Southern Division will definitely have something to say about the outcome of the 2008 ASALMS Southern Division title chase. The Bartow, Florida driver came into his own in 2007 and once he gets that first Feature win under his belt, expect him to give Johnson and James fits all season long!

Jimmy Lang: The Bluffton, South Carolina driver is chasing after two titles in 2008 in the Challenge and Southern Divisions. Now partnered up with Performance Concepts and led by Crew Chief, Rusty Shadden, Lang is widely considered a dark horse title contender and like Wilson, once he gets that first taste of victory, there’s no telling how much Lang will accomplish.

Travis Cope: What better place to begin a chase for a Championship than at your home track that your Father, Mike Cope happens to own! The Weeki Wachi, Florida sophomore will make a lot of noise in 2008 and will make the 2008 ASALMS Southern Division title chase a very interesting one all season long.

Sean Bass: The Orlando, Florida driver led the 2007 ASALMS Southern Division Overall and Rookie points standings at various points during the season. A mid-season slump and missing two races are what killed his momentum. Bass will be out for redemption in 2008 and expect the 21-year-old to add Feature Wins to Fast Qualifier Awards!

Brian Blum: The 17-year-old sophomore was perhaps the most improved driver in 2007 from the beginning of the season to the end! The Margate, Florida teenager has all the tools to contend for the 2008 championship, but it’ll come down to whether he can avoid the dreaded sophomore slump, much like a few of his fellow competitors may face!

Rob Partelo: The 2007 Season Opener Feature Winner in the ASALMS Southern Division, Partelo was mired in a slump the rest of the year! He was able to redeem himself late in the season with some Top 10 finishes. If he can start off 2008 like he did in 2007, with a Feature Win and be able to keep up that momentum, he can be another dark horse contender!

Jeremy Gerstner: A fine rookie season for the Wesley Chapel, Florida driver in a very competitive division in 2007. Gerstner could surprise everyone in 2008 with more consistent finishes and perhaps some podium showings to give him the confidence he needs to contend for Feature wins!

Tyler Townsend: Perhaps the biggest dark horse contender of them all! The 15-year-old from Longview, Texas is aiming for the 2008 ASALMS Southern Division Championship. After a learning year in 2007, Townsend is hoping to shake off a “lack of confidence” and contend in 2008. If Townsend can shake off the confidence issues, he’ll be the one to watch!

There is an overflow of contenders and wildcards who will play a significant role in the outcome of the 2008 ASALMS Southern Division Championship title chase all season long! They include a wide variety of drivers with a wide variety of backgrounds.

The overabundance of contenders and wildcard drivers in the ASALMS Challenge Division are led by 2007 ASALMS Southern Division Champion and Rookie of the Year, Jeff Choquette who will run primarily high-dollar Super Late Model events in 2008!

The Loxahatchee, Florida driver is planning on coming back to the ASALMS Southern Division at least on a part-time basis and will be a top contender whenever the Choquette Motorsports hauler pulls into the pit area.

One more driver that is part of a very intriguing group of drivers that are registered is 2007 ASALMS Southern Division runner-up, Beau Slocumb, who will run for the Rookie of the Year title in the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series Northern Division.

When the Macon, Georgia driver isn’t running Pro Cup, expect him to make the occasional ASALMS South appearance primarily in his home state of Georgia. In addition to Choquette and Slocumb, expect a wide variety of talented teams have registered for the Southern Division, but may not run the entire 2008 campaign.

In addition to Choquette and Slocumb as well as Slocumb’s Brothers Racing Team teammate, John Wes Townley, who’s moved onto the ARCA RE/MAX Series, those other noteworthy contenders and wildcards include; Chris Fontaine, Kevin Macy, Bo Miller, Wayne Morris, David Odell, Dillon Oliver, Brent Seeley, and Michael Seeright, .

As for the 2008 ASALMS Southern Division Rookie of the Year title contenders, this crop of freshman is even more wide open than the contenders for the overall title! Nevertheless, they will once again be plentiful as a slew of rookie pilots will be vying for the coveted Rookie title given to the series top finishing rookie at the conclusion of the 2008 Championship title chase.

There’s plenty of Rookie of the Year title contenders that will be threats for not only the freshman crown, but the overall championship as well and are definitely drivers to watch all season long. They include;

Justin Larson: Perhaps the one rookie contender with the best credentials in 2008, the Clearwater, Florida driver comes to the ASALMS Southern Division from the Goodyear Challenge Series and is no stranger to the traveling circuit. If he adapts quickly to the ASALMS and all indications are that he will, Larson should end 2008 with the Rookie title!

Drew Brannon: The Limited Late Model graduate from Miami, Florida has a lot of potential and has a lot of media on his side as he begins his quest for the 2008 ASALMS Southern Division Rookie of the Year title. The 15-year-old will do well in his freshman campaign in the ASALMS South and is expected to challenge Larson for the rookie crown.

Patrick Staropoli: The 18-year-old from Plantation, Florida could very well surprise everyone in 2008 with a strong run for the 2008 ASALMS Southern Division Rookie of the Year title. The Fastkids and Fast Truck Series graduate also got some seat time earlier in 2008 at both Speedfest and during Speedweeks. Look for big things out of Staropoli in 2008.

Cody Pitts: Got some valuable seat time during 2008 Florida Speedway at the New Smyrna (FL) Speedway in February. Also made One (1) appearance in 2007 in the ASALMS Southern Division to get a taste of what’s in store for him in 2008. Expect the Auburndale, Florida driver to show his talent all season long beginning in Bronson, Florida.

Blake Lehr: Another rookie contender from Clearwater, Florida with excellent credentials. The 17-year-old will surely make a lot of noise in 2008 vying for the ASALMS Southern Division Rookie of the Year title. A fast start in the 2008 Season Opener can surely pave the way toward freshman title contention all season long.

The rest of the talented crop of rookie pilots includes; Dustin Dunn, A.J. Fulgenzi, Max Gresham, Will Hannah, Austin Kirkpatruck, Jody Knowles, Chad Pierce, Logan Ruffin, Spencer Taylor, and David Wilson.

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For more information about the 2008 seasons within all four divisions of the ASALMS, you can call the ASALMS home offices during normal business hours Monday through Friday 9:00am-5:00pm (EST) at: 1 (800) 385-2503.

You can also log onto any of the three websites; For the Challenge Division, go to www.asalatemodels.com. For the Northern Division and USPRO Cup Series, log in at www.asalatemodelsnorth.com, and finally for the Southern Division click on www.asalatemodelssouth.com.