"Expansion, Expansion, Expansion"Since the formation of UDTRA, Hav-A-Tampa has grown out of the Southeast and now includes 24 tracks in 17 states for a total of 38 races. Media coverage will play a large part in the future expansion of Hav-A-Tampa racing. Currently, the series has been enjoying exposure through its successful relationship with the cable network Speedvision.
"This was the fourth season that Hav-A-Tampa was on Speedvision," Helm recalls. "We had 10 races in 1999, which is up from eight in 1998. Speedvision says they are excited about having the series because they say of all the different motorsports events they air, they get the best response from the viewers of the Hav-A-Tampa series. So they understand the popularity of the series."
By the end of the '99 season, Hav-A-Tampa drivers will have competed for more than 3 million dollars in prize, point fund, and contingency money, and that figure will balloon in the years to come.
"We are looking to put together something for the West Coast," ponders Helm. "We would like to start out running Speed Weeks in Florida and then go out West to places like Arizona, Las Vegas, and Southern California. We have had some interest from promoters in those areas plus in Colorado and the Dakotas. There is a high probability that we will be going to Knoxville, Iowa, next year for the first time. Also, there are a lot of high-profile tracks that are really interested in bringing Hav-A-Tampa to their facilities, including Bruton Smith and the new dirt tracks he is building in Charlotte, Texas, and, of course, the track at Las Vegas. The growth potential of this series is very healthy, and I don't think we have even hit our peak yet."