ASA, Junior Hanley, Scott Fraser, and beyond - New Smyrna’s World Series of Asphalt Racing (Interviews)
Tribute image to #00 Scott Fraser’s 1999 trip to New Smyrna Speedway, Florida, for the World series of Asphalt Racing’s Super Late Model division
February 8th, 2024
Introduction
Since its inception in the late 1960s, the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna Speedway has been a cornerstone event in the world of short track racing. This prestigious series, held annually in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, has evolved into a melting pot of racing talent, bringing together an eclectic mix of up-and-coming stars and seasoned veterans, both locally and from afar. The event, spanning over nine adrenaline-packed nights, has become a celebrated fixture in the racing calendar, acting as both a proving ground for emerging talents and a battleground for established names. It's here that racing legends and aspiring champions alike converge, all vying for supremacy on the high-speed asphalt of one of America's most iconic short tracks.
As the series prepares to roar into action for its 2024 edition, starting on February 9th and culminating on February 17th, it continues to uphold a legacy that has seen it become a bit of a precursor to the highly anticipated NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500.
Name Power
Jeff Choquette, Chase Elliot, Harrison Burton, Raphael Lessard, Bubba Pollard, Stephen Nasse, Casey Roderick, John Hunter Nemechek, Ty Majeski, Eddie MacDonald, Sam Mayer, David Rogers, Dick Trickle, Rich Bickle, Joe Shear, and Mark Martin are just a small number of the seemingly endless prominent names that have been involved in New Smyrna Raceway's World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing over the decades.
Routinely drawing in top drivers (including current NASCAR Stars) from all over Canada & The USA, as well as many of the best drivers from the Florida area, it has many distinguishing characteristics that make it an appealing affair for fans and race teams alike. Located just off of the shores of the scenic 17 mile stretch of New Smyrna Beach's sandy coastline, and less than a 20 minute drive away from Daytona International Speedway, the event takes place over 9 consecutive nights, starting on February 9th, 2024, and ending on February 17th, 2024 - just one day before the infamous NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500, a dozen miles to the North.
Along with the appeal of serving as something of a prelude to the Daytona 500, it provides incentive for people planning to be at Daytona, to come a little bit early to soak it in, or participate in some of the New Smyrna festivities. As well as that appeal, the truth is, for many involved in racing, they start to develop a 'winter itch', and what better than to head to Florida to scratch that racing itch early. For race teams, it also serves as a great way to shake rust off, and get lots of seat time, before heading back home.
It features an extensive list of divisions throughout the week, often ranging from 6-9 different divisions, with a unique format that shuffles things around. The premise is that the top divisions, such as (NASCAR Whelen) Tour-Type Modifieds, Pro Late Models, and Super Late Models have 7 feature races over the span of 9 nights, with different divisions having different nights off. Each feature is 35 laps, with different nights featuring a different highlighted division, which are sometimes given a 100 lap extended length feature. One such extended length race is the Super Late Model Cylde Hart Memorial, which will actually be contested at 200 laps (100 miles on the half-mile New Smyrna asphalt) this year, and double as the first sanctioned points race for the 2024 ASA Stars National Tour. At the end of the final race for each series, a championship is awarded based on points, like a mini-series, or a condensed season championship.
While some drivers may not compete throughout the entire week+ event, many do, and many come for the extended length features, or to run several of the races. Some may also have intentions to run the full series, but attrition takes them out, as 35 lap shootouts with deep fields of fast cars can be a dangerous combination.
The Maritime Connection
While this year, 2024, will see Nicholas Naugle and Cole Butcher present at New Smyrna, over the years, many Nova Scotian drivers have made appearances during this event. None have had more success than Junior Hanley, who also has the most wins of any driver in World Series history, with 50 wins across all divisions. For this article, I will specifically be featuring Pro & Super Late Model competition.
Starting in order of Numbers, we have:
#00 Scott Fraser of Nova Scotia - 1999. His full racing story is for another article, but suffice to say, following his short time with us, tragically dying at the age of 33 in a non-racing related incident in 2004, Fraser was inducted into the Maritime Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2006, the Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2007, and to the Colchester Sports Heritage Hall of Fame in 2010. Fraser is the first stock car racer to be inducted into the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame. Coming off of tremendous racing in the Maritimes & the US Northeast, Scott would join forces with fellow Nova Scotian Rollie MacDonald, to field a car for the 1999 World Series of Asphalt Racing. This was the same year that he was crowned the 1999 Nova Scotia Male Athlete of the Year, among other significant achievements, and a year before he debuted in the ASA National Tour.
Fraser would place 3rd in the Super Late Model points runnings, taking 5 pole positions for setting the fastest qualifying time, and winning 2 features, along with 4 top-5s, and 6 top-10s, in what was then a 9 feature race schedule. Having really gotten a handle on it towards the end, Fraser would place: 1st, 2nd, 2nd, and 1st across the final 4 starts, with only fellow Nova Scotian Junior Hanley able to beat him, in his two 2nd place finishes.
“Big motors and soft tires were the theme that week. You figure out very quickly who loves racing and who doesn’t, nine nights in a row is a slug. Scott definitely had the ability to pull people in, he was very well rounded at the track, he could do the work and drive the car. He had a very loyal group of guys that supported him,” - Craig Langille, crew member for Scott Fraser at the time, and currently a top spotter in Maritime Canada.
“At that time, I believe it was quite significant that Rollie (MacDonald) and Scotty connected. And him being down there with the Dodge, and the Dodge not winning there in a long time, or even running down there. It was pretty big with Scott winning down there. I wouldn't say (the World Series at New Smyrna) put his name on the map (outside of Northeast USA/Maritime Canada), but it probably put his name into places that it otherwise wouldn't have been for sure, absolutely. None if it would have happened if not for Rollie MacDonald. I believe Scott raced Rollie's car several times over the years in MASCAR. (It was Scott & Rollie's passion for working on cars that connected them) that's kind of where the ASA thing came into play. I don't know for sure, but after that, they went ASA racing for a couple of years.
[On reflection of memories] Haha, I know this sounds weird, but a good memory is the day Scotty blew up, and they took the motor out. Scotty took us all out to Daytona, and we all went out there that evening, because that was our only night off out of the whole ordeal. Rollie got the motor re-built, and we only missed one night, and were back racing the next night. [Hah, so you got a bit of a vacation, sort of?] Haha, it wasn't that long, but yeah. We had fun, I remember we all went out. Up in Daytona, USA, they had these drag cars. They were rails, with the motor mounted on the back. There was 4 of you sitting side-by-side, it was $20 a run, we all did it a couple of times. [Funny, there you are at a major event, with a fast Super Late Model, and you have a blast with this - shows a love for anything with wheels and a motor, and the pleasure of leisure] Yeah, we're in these cheap 'ol drag cars behind this restaurant. We had a lot of fun,” - Chris Dingle, crew member for Scott Fraser at the time.
#08 Nicholas Naugle of Nova Scotia. Naugle, a young driver, has been competing at the event going back to 2018, with a hiatus from 2021 through 2022, making both some Pro and Super Late Model starts. His greatest success so far came in 2019, when he won what he has described as his most significant win of his career, his first Late Model victory. Backing up his win in the first feature of the Series, he posted another 3 top-5s and 6 top-10s in the 7 race schedule, and took home 5th place in the Pro Late Model standings.
“Qualifying is going to be more important than ever, because there’s not enough time to make any moves happen. You know coming into it that it can be a rough week, so you just race your hardest, and hope for the best,” - Nicholas Naugle about his mindset going into the 35 lap features against strong fields, where a strong finish is as important as protecting your car for the next night is.
#13 Austin MacDonald of Nova Scotia. Grandchild of previously mentioned Rollie MacDonald, young Austin has a win in both PASS and CARS Tour Pro Late Models under his belt, with a 50+% top-5 rate in PASS, and a 40%+ top-5 rate in CARS Tour. Austin ran the Pro Late Model division for the World Series in 2019, and the Super Late Model division in 2020. His best finish was an impressive 5th place in a Super Late Model, against a field that included: Sammy Smith, Jake Garcia, Derek Griffith, Jesse Love, and local stars and beyond in Floridians Augie Grill, David Rogers, Brad May, and Anthony Sergi.
#13 Rollie MacDonald of Nova Scotia - 1991. Rollie turned 79 years young yesterday, February 4th, 2024. While this piece is focusing on the World Series, Rollie has had an extensive impact on the racing world both as a driver and a car builder, and his impact continues to this day. From a driving perpective, he took the trip down to Florida for the 1991 Super Late Model division, starting 4 races, and achieving a 3rd place podium finish in one of them, on a night where fellow Nova Scotian Junior Hanley won.
“Rollie told us all a story of how he completely wrecked his car, and didn't even have one to bring home down there, because of the speed. I remember the big thing for Rollie down there, was he had a brand new radar gun at that time. So he'd stand on the back stretch, and radar all the cars, and see who was going the fastest during practice and qualifying all day. He was pretty proud of that radar gun, hah,” - Chris Dingle, crew member for Scott Fraser’s 1999 trip with Rollie MacDonald, on New Smyrna/Rollie.
#23 Lonnie Sommerville of New Brunswick - 2010. Our first New Brunswick driver, and taking us back to victory Lane, Sommerville, winner of multiple Maritime 250 lap races and 2nd place finisher in the 2011 PASS North Championship (among other successes), nabbed a win in the Super Late Model division, and 2 top-5s across his 5 starts.
#44 Wayne Smith of Nova Scotia. Smith has a stellar resume under his belt in the Maritimes, including championships in the Maritime Pro Stock Tour & MASCAR, and marquee wins including the IWK 250. He has gone on to maintain an important role in the racing community post-retirement from Full Time racing, with an ownership role at Petty International Speedway, New Brunswick. Smith appeared on the World Series twice, in 2010 and 2013 in a Pro Late Model. In 2013, he had 4 top-10 finishes across 8 races.
#72 Junior Hanley of Nova Scotia. Hanley, an exceptional wheelman with a deep understanding of how to improve a car, was inducted into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame in 2000, and the Maritime Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2011. As well as his success on Canadian soil, it isn't uncommon to see 'First Canadian to win' before his name, when it comes to the history of marquee races in the USA.
Having competed in the World Series Super Late Model Division from 1978-1984, 1988-1991, and 1999-2004, including 30 Tour-Type Modified races over the course of 5 of those years as well, Hanley has at least 1 win in 16 of his 17 years there, with 50 wins in 122 total Super Late Model races, making him the winningest Super Late Model divsion driver in the Series’ history.
Incredibly, in 1991, despite winning 7 of the 9 feature races, Hanley would not win the Championship, as his finishing places of 20th and 29th in the other 2 races were ultimately enough to put Dick Anderson over the top, who won the other 2 races, and finished 2nd to Hanley in all of the rest, except one race where he finished 3rd.
While his 7 in 9 wasn't quite enough in 1991, the year prior was even more dominant, his most dominant year there, in fact. He would win 7 of 8 feature races, finishing 2nd place only once. 1979 was his first really stand-out showing, winning 4 of the 9 races, sharing wins with the likes of Larry Detjens, Mike Miller (who won 3), and Dick Anderson. Hanley would finish 2nd in 2 of the races he did not win, however his remaining 2 finishes of 20th and 29th were enough to eliminate him from the very competitive championship.
Undeterred, Hanley won his other 2 of 3 championships in the two years to follow, securing the title in 1980, 1981, and 1990. In 1980, his consistency and 1 win were enough for him to best the likes of Gary Balough, Dick Trickle, and Joe Shear. In 1981, he won 3 in a row, took 2nd twice, a 5th place, and a 13th.
Seemingly timeless, while Hanley won 4 features in 1979, he took 8 years off after his 7 win 1991 attempt, to return in 1999 and win 4 of 9. This would not be his highest win total from this point forward, either, as he won 5 of the 8 features in 2002.
#83 Cory Hall of New Brunswick - 2022. Hall made the trek down to Florida after progressively improving in the Maritimes. Although the Super Late Models are often seen as the premiere division, Hall along with #44 Connor Jones and #69 Michael Hinde, supported by guys like Gio Ruggiero, William Sawalich, and Kaden Honeycutt put up a valiant effort to be the most entertaining division all week long. While Derek Griffith and Jesse Love put on a masterclass of racing, battling back and forth for the lead in one of the Super Late races, Jones, Hinde, and Hall were the cars to beat every night in the Pros, constantly battling each other in the process.
Hall had misfortune with his car on numerous nights, despite being at the top of the speed charts all week in practice. When setbacks didn’t push him out of the top-20/out of the race, his finishes of 2nd, 3rd, 2nd, and 3rd kept his name relevant all week long. The most exciting moment was when he had to start a 35 lap feature at the very back of a 29 car field, and climbed his way all the way up to first place, with 3 laps to go, ultimately settling for 2nd place.
“It was a great learning experience for me, most don’t realize that despite some early success, I don’t have a lot of seat time. Running all those nights sharpened my skills some - it reminded me a lot of legend racing: just all out for 35 laps. We had great competition all week, which helped as well. It was cool to unload and be top of the charts by the end of first practice. Very fast racetrack to get used to, but enjoyed every moment of it. I certainly look back fondly, but also wishing we could have put it all together for one of the nights, especially the 100. Gave that one away at the end,” - Cory Hall, reflecting on his 2022 Pro Late Model trip.
“That was some of the most fun I think I’ve had in a late model. Very similar idea, just give it all you had and pick good lanes. There were some hairy moments but we were able to navigate it all. I felt that night we were almost as close as we were in the 100. Unfortunately with contact we lost rear downforce with the spoiler, which made it a handful, and lost the lead. Oh so close. Very fond memories with the crew all week. Would love to go back someday for sure,” - Cory Hall, reflecting on the 35 lap feature where he started at the back, and ended up on the podium.
#89 Donald Chisholm of Nova Scotia. While Chisholm has a NASCAR Canada victory under his belt, and a Maritime Pro Stock Tour Championship trophy, perhaps his greatest impact is around his ownership role of Riverside International Speedway, and putting on the annual IWK 250 race there. Chisholm ran some World Series races from 2002-2005, with a 4th place finish in 2003 against a field including the likes of: BJ McLeod, Wayne Anderson, Aric Almirola, David Rogers, Junior Hanley, Scott Hantz, and Louie Mechalides.
#28 Cole Butcher, ready to make his World Series debut, and first start to the 2024 ASA Stars National Tour Series
Your season already started at Speedfest, where Casey, Stephen, and Bubba reminded everyone that they are 3 of the very best. Now you'll be facing guys like Chase, Griffith, Choquette, and Majeski at New Smyrna. It's your first race at both tracks, right? How do you prepare for a first time at a new track?
Yes sir, first race at both tracks. Watch a lot of videos, talk to your fellow team mates and friends, and just attack it; go in with the mindset that you're going to be one of the best.
Have you ever used any simulator stuff or anything? I know it may not be quite as big for this kind of racing.
I have, I've been on iRacing before at New Smyrna, so I guess you could say I have a couple of laps. But other than finding a line, I don't really find anything for me personally. I just go out there and get frustrated, because everyone is wrecking each other, and I want to quit. But I just sold my rig, so I don't have to worry about any of that.
In last year's ASA schedule, I would say that other than Milwaukee, you struggled a bit at the Wisconsin tracks (relatively, compared to how well you did elsewhere). There are so many great local drivers in that region. Do you think the different tire used there last year played a role in that?
They run the (Hoosier) 3035 (left side) 3045 (right side) tires, so that was a little different, we didn't really have a lot of laps with that all year, since we always ran the F45 or F50. But there's just so many great guys in the Wisconsin area, and they just know the race tracks. So we struggled, but we get to go back to a couple this year, and we're looking forward to it.
It's been great seeing you race all over the place recently. Do you see the Rattler 250 or the Slinger Nationals happening on your future?
Maybe, but I know this year we're going to go to the Hickory (Motor Speedway) Easter Bunny 150's (PASS National Event - note: Butcher has won the last 2, and him and William Byron looked like the best cars for the two prior) instead of the Rattler. Due to it making more sense, in the way of being 45 minutes from my house, my families' going to be in town, and we aren't going to be gone for 6 days. Financially it makes more sense, and logistically.
It's probably been quite a while since you've run 35 lap races. Will you just be treating those features like it's go time in the late stages of a longer race?
I'm running just Sunday and Tuesday, that's it. Sunday is a 35 lapper, and Tuesday is the ASA race. If I qualify good, yes, it will just be go as hard as you can. If we don't qualify good, we probably won't even race honestly, because we don't want to wreck our car for Tuesday, so we'll probably just be using it for practice. If we qualify good and/or invert good, we'll be starting, otherwise we'll probably be watching from the stands.
