News

Canadian ASA Driving Ace Says Confidence is the Key (09/19/00)
CLERMONT, Ind. -    Scott Fraser, the Canadian racing star who has taken the American Speed Association by surprise with two top-five and four top-10 finishes in only four starts, says he feels more confident than ever about the ASA 200 at Indianapolis Raceway Park on Saturday.

   "Every race we've gone to, we see our entire team getting better," said Fraser, driver of the No. 00 King Freight Lines Monte Carlo. "There have been weak spots but we feel like we've identified and repaired them. There have been fewer weak spots each event and we feel like we have a good handle on this race."

   That would be bad news for the competition. Not only have Fraser's finishes been impressive but the 29-year-old driver has led more than 13 per cent of the total laps in his four ASA AC-Delco Series starts (Chicago, Toledo, Jennerstown and Milwaukee). Fraser is the only driver to have led laps in all four of those events. He's qualified well – with two outside poles – but also had to race his way from the back. Qualifying was washed out at Toledo, placing Fraser 37th on the grid, but he was leading by lap 142.

   "It's been little things keeping us from grabbing that first ASA win," said Fraser, from Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia. "After the first race, I knew I needed to get into better shape, so I started a daily workout routine. Then we struggled with learning the radial tires, but we felt pretty good about that at Milwaukee. The obvious weak spot in the last race was our pit stops. We've had several practice pit stop sessions since, and the team is consistently quick now."

   The same crew that has practiced will be at Indianapolis. This may not seem like a big accomplishment to most, but for a team based in Nova Scotia it is indeed a big deal. When the team returns home after Indianapolis, they will have logged over 14,000 miles for five races.

   "Perhaps the most complicated aspect of running in ASA has been the logistics of getting everybody to the track," said Fraser. "All our guys have full-time jobs, so most of them take personal vacation days in order to go. That's a tremendous commitment on their part."

   Roland MacDonald, owner of the King Freight Lines/ King Racing effort, agrees with Fraser.

   "We are so proud of this entire team," said MacDonald. "When we were driving into Chicago for our first race, we agreed we'd be satisfied if we just qualified. When we were second quick, it felt like a dream. We're really overwhelmed with how well things have been going."

   MacDonald is quick to point out that Fraser needs to take more credit for the team's success.

   "Scott is pretty humble," said MacDonald. "He really is the team leader both on and off the track. He builds race cars, so he knows them. But he is also smooth and smart behind the wheel. He's gained a tremendous amount of respect from the other drivers on this circuit in a short amount of time."

   With two eighths, a fifth and a third-place finish and the acknowledgment that the Fraser team is only just building their momentum and their confidence, the competition has become very aware.