Just back in Charlotte from the official kickoff of our 2008 racing season, at Mobile, Alabama Saturday night. One of our flagship projects starting this year is producing and hosting syndicated television coverage of the new ASA-sanctioned RC Cola/Moon Pie Southeast Asphalt Tour, featuring some of the top young late model stock car drivers in the East and Midwest. The new Tour began as the dream of entrepreneur John Kee, a veteran marketing executive. John lined up some experienced help in Technical/Racing Director Micky Cain, and Promotions Manager Stan Narrison. John approached me and the Rick Benjamin Companies last fall about coming on board to provide a comprehensive TV package for the new series.

After several months of hard work, the new ASA SAT, with its innovative backing from RC Cola and Moon Pies, debuted with the Bayou Classic 100 last Saturday night. A full pit area that included 36 top-flight drivers and teams turned out to kick off the new Tour. Qualifying on the lightning-quick half-mile was very tight, and a strong opening-night crowd turned out in LA (that's Lower Alabama, for those not familiar with Southern stock car racing) to enjoy the show.

Several drivers had shots at the inaugural series victory, and after several skirmishes, youngster Preston Peltier emerged with the lucrative win. I was also impressed with the run by Frank Kimmel's nephew Will, who steered Dad Bill Kimmel's 44 to a fifth-quick qualifying effort and a strong top-5 drive in the first half of the Classic. While Will didn't score the victory, he learned much while battling with the quality field and should be a contender the rest of the season.

We'll begin our TV coverage with Round 2 of the ASA RC Cola/Moon Pie Southeast Asphalt Tour from Watermelon Capitol Speedway in Cordele, GA. The event runs Saturday night April 5, and our coverage will debut in national syndication the weekend of April 20. Scott Sutherland will join me in the broadcast booth as our expert analyst and Mark Allen will report from pit road. Hope you can be with us.

This week, we'll be hosting the Sirius NASCAR Radio "Late Shift" at 8 Eastern Wednesday night, and at 7 Eastern Thursday night, both with Hall of Famer Buddy Baker. We'll also have the Sirius NASCAR "Backstretch" Sunday night at 8 Eastern to break down all that will happen at Martinsville Sunday as the NASCAR Cup Series runs its second straight short track event. The next Wednesday we'll be making our second trek of the year to Atlanta to call Round 2 of the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series in 2008, from Cecil, Georgia, with the coverage to air on Versus the following Monday.

Hope you can be with us throughout the 2008 season, which will be extremely busy for us and I trust exciting for you.