A Deep Dive into the ASCS Series and Potential Changes WRG Could Make

With World Racing Group (WRG) announcing their acquisition of the American Sprint Car Series (ASCS), it will undoubtedly mean that changes are coming for the premier 360 sprint car series. I don’t think we will see any big changes for the 2024 season, as many teams have already established plans to follow the ASCS tour and dates have already been set with tracks. ASCS sanctions multiple regional 360 sprint car series, as well as a national tour. In recent years, the popularity of the ASCS and 360 sprint cars in general has dwindled. The cost of a 360 engine has risen close to that of a 410, leaving many around the sport questioning if investing in one is truly worth it.

While I can’t speak on the engine costs, I do think that 360 sprint car racing is a necessary step in a drivers progression. The jump from a 305 sprint to a 410 sprint is significant and wouldn’t be ideal for most drivers coming through the ranks. The purses in 360 racing have been a topic of discussion, especially more recently with the increased costs for engines and parts. It appeared as if ASCS was losing it’s grip and needed someone like WRG to come in and secure 360 racing.

The acquisition means that the teams and tracks who signed up to compete in and host ASCS races in 2024 will be safe. What lies ahead for 2025 is what is already on everybody’s mind. In a DIRTRAKR livestream, WRG CEO, Brian Carter, stated that they plan on using ASCS to “support 360 racing where it is strong and 410 racing where it is strong.” That statement leads to me to believe that changes are coming and that this is good news for both 360 and 410 teams. ASCS already “supports” a 410 series with the Elite Outlaw 410 races that primarily take place in Texas. That series has a slightly different set of 410 rules compared to the World of Outlaws or High Limit. If the motor fits, it’s legal. I would imagine that either the Elite Outlaw Series separates themselves from WRG/ASCS and continues with this model, or WRG applies the WoO rules to the series and continues to provide support.

The big question is whether or not WRG will use the ASCS name to move into the Ohio region that was left scrambling after High Limit acquired the All Stars. It would be a very popular move, but one that would require extra resources and cooperation from local teams, series and tracks. ASCS currently covers nearly 1/3 of the United States in terms of where they race, but that doesn’t include Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Wisconsin or Michigan. A move like this would mean that some of the regional 360 series might be removed or consolidated in the future.

Take a look at the regions that ASCS covered in 2023 below. It is important to note that ASCS is just the sanctioning body for these regional tours. As far as I know, these series are independently operated with the support of ASCS, and if WRG wants to attempt changes, each series could separate themselves and try to succeed on their own.

ASCS National Tour

States Covered: Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa.

ASCS “Gulf South”

States Covered: Texas (Arkansas and Mississippi)

ASCS “Hurricane”

States Covered: Mississippi and Louisiana

ASCS “Mid South”

States Covered: Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Missouri

ASCS “Northern Plains”

States Covered: Wyoming and South Dakota

ASCS “Frontier”

States Covered: Montana

ASCS “Sooner”

States Covered: Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas

ASCS “Southwest”

States Covered: Arizona

ASCS “Warrior”

States Covered: Missouri

As you can see, there is some crossover with the regions. In theory, the Sooner, Gulf South and Mid South regions could be combined. The issue is that this is 360 racing, and adding extended travel to these races is not really an option. If a 360 team was willing to travel, they would just sign on for the National schedule.

For 2024, the Southwest region is already off of the schedule (sad for someone like me who lives in Arizona). I think it is imperative that WRG continues with the Frontier Region, as we don’t get to see much sprint car racing out of Montana. That series attracts drivers from Canada, Wyoming, and Idaho. It’s not exactly a hotbed for sprint cars, but it’s still important for the big picture of the sport.

The same goes for the Northern Plains region. This region draws teams from Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming and South Dakota. This area of the county is so spread out, that combining these regions with anything else would mean a lot more travel for the teams. The car counts might not be pretty, but something still needs to be in place for the future.

I could see a world where the Gulf South and Sooner region just becomes Texas, Oklahoma and maybe Arkansas. The goal is to limit travel, but also limit the amount of resources WRG is putting into supporting these regions. In order the grow the sport, they need to stabilize 360 racing but also invest in a 410 “feeder” series.

As for the ASCS National Tour, that should stay in place. In 2023, the tour was scheduled to hit nine different states (the series was rained out more than anything I could ever remember). Last season, there were roughly 6-8 drivers who competed in most of the National events. Jason Martin and Matt Covington were the most notable drivers, with Martin coming away with the series title.

There is a place for a 360 national sprint car tour, and if anyone can make it great again, it’s WRG. What comes after that is where WRG has a lot of decisions to make and factors to weigh. If a plan is put in place to mirror the All Star footprint, how does that impact a series like FAST on dirt? The FAST Series has put in endless work to improve purses, points fund and schedule for 2024. All of that work could be immediately overshadowed by WRG announcing a new regional 410 series in the area.

How does WRG improve the regional ASCS 360 series’ when there are nights that car counts are low and attendance isn’t great? Can they do all of this and make everyone happy? Probably not, but it’s inevitable that changes are coming. I can see a world where some ASCS 360 shows are added as a support class for World of Outlaw races. That would certainly get eyes on the 360 teams, but would it truly benefit them when they are racing as the headliner? It all remains to be seen. The 2024 season has just started, and as we saw last season, the sprint car world will never be dull for very long.