Although the 2023 ASA STARS National Tour’s inaugural season has just concluded, series officials have announced the season-opening event for 2024 will be held during Speedweeks in Florida.
The second ASA STARS National Tour season will open up on Tuesday, February 13th for the Clyde Hart Memorial 200 at New Smyrna Speedway as part of the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing.
The race, honoring track founder Clyde Hart, will once again be the premier Super Late Model race of the nine-night event during Florida Speedweeks at the famous half-mile leading up to the Daytona 500. The 200-lap event will be tri-sanctioned along with the ASA Southern Super Series and the Sunbelt David Rogers Super Late Models as part of the World Series of Asphalt points championship.
The Clyde Hart Memorial will pay $15,000 to win and $1,500 to start, and is part of the richest Super Late Model purse in New Smyrna Speedway history.
“The opportunity to open the ASA STARS National Tour season as part of Speedweeks will help us jump-start 2024 on a high note,” commented Bob Sargent, President of Track Enterprises and founder of the ASA STARS National Tour. “We are proud to be a part of the richest Super Late Model purse in track history.”
The 2024 Clyde Hart Memorial will take place prior to any on-track activity at Daytona International Speedway, providing any number of current NASCAR drivers the opportunity to participate. William Byron competed in last year’s Southern Super Series event, while several NASCAR Cup, Xfinity and Truck Series drivers competed in ASA STARS events, including ASA STARS champion Ty Majeski, Carson Hocevar, Grant Enfinger, Erik Jones, Chase Elliott and Daniel Suarez.
After traditionally being contested during the summer since its inception in 1999, the Clyde Hart Memorial was moved to February during the World Series in 2021 as the first of two 100-lap Super Late Model races during the week. For the first time, last year’s race opened the 2022 Southern Super Series points season.
“Last year showed us that a big, mid-week super-late model race could work,” commented New Smyrna Speedway track owner Jane Hart. “We’re ready to take that next step with the ASA STARS National Tour and bring the fans a truly special event in honor of Clyde Hart.”
Florida legend and former NASCAR Weekly Racing Series national champion David Rogers won the inaugural Clyde Hart Memorial in 1999, a 125-lap event as part of the FASCAR Sunbelt Super Late Model Series. Former NASCAR Slim Jim All-Pro Series champion Wayne Anderson is the winningest driver in the race’s history, with five victories to his credit. NASCAR Cup Series star William Byron has won the Clyde Hart Memorial the last two years.
For more information on the ASA Southern Super Series, please visit the series website at southernsuperseries.com. Follow the series on Facebook at Southern Super Series, on Twitter at @SoSuperSeries, and on Instagram at @officialsouthernsuperseries.
For more information on the ASA STARS National Tour, please visit the series website at starsnationaltour.com, or be sure to follow the series on social media (Facebook: ASA STARS National Tour | Twitter: @racewithstars | IG: @starsnational).
ASA STARS National Tour
The ASA STARS National Tour debuted in March 2023 for Super Late Model racing in America. Announced in October 2022, many of the best drivers in America will compete in the ten-race national tour with a minimum $100,000 point fund. The championship team will be guaranteed $25,000.
The ASA STARS National Tour is made up of three races from each of the regional pavement Super Late Model Series under the Track Enterprises banner – the ASA/CRA Super Series, the ASA Midwest Tour and the ASA Southern Super Series.
The Team Construction Winner’s Circle program has been announced as a part of the ASA STARS National Tour for licensed drivers/teams with perfect attendance. The program provides additional financial incentives to those teams who support the series.
Track Enterprises, a racing promotions company based in Illinois, will operate the ASA STARS National Tour. It announced the acquisition of Champion Racing Association (CRA) in January 2022 and followed that up with the purchase of the Midwest Tour in July. In October, Track Enterprises President Bob Sargent announced a partnership with the Southern Super Series, which set the table for the formation of the ASA STARS National Tour.