Top Florida driver Jay Middleton plans attack on ASL competition

LAKE CITY, FL-- One of Florida's top young late model stock car drivers has entered the American StockCar League opener Saturday night, April 30 at the I-70 Speedway in Odessa, MO. Jay Middleton of Lake City, FL will be driving the North Florida Medical Sales & Pharmacy Dodge Intrepid in the 150-lap feature on the high banked half-mile paved oval with racing beginning at 7 p.m. ASL practice is planned from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Qualifying begins at 5:30 p.m. One of I-70 Speedway's weekly divisions will also be included in the program.

Middleton's team has a fleet of three ASL cars and two straight rail late models. He holds the ASA National Tour one-lap record at the Kentucky Super Speedway and won both the Florida Pro and Fastcar Sunbelt late model openers in 2004. 'I should of had two more poles last year. We were real fast at Lowe's Motor Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway, but qualifying was rained out," Middleton said. 'I like real fast tracks," Middleton continued. 'I think I'll like I-70. If we do well there, I don't see why we won't run the entire series," he added. 'I love the ASL cars. The sealed motors give a lot of teams an opportunity to win. It's not just four or five cars dominating like some other series," the 20-year-old driver explained. I-70 is considered the fastest weekly operated half-mile in the nation. Middleton finished 18th in the ASA National Tour points last year in spite of missing one event. "We were really fast, but had a rough middle part of the season. It was my first season in this type of car," Middleton continued. "I am really looking forward to getting back at it. Everybody can be competitive in this series," he concluded.