The national touring series held until 2004 used late model racecar body styles, where they raced primarily in the Midwest.

During the mid-1980s, it also became one of the first stock car groups to offer a six-cylinder, lower-price alternative to the popular V8 engines, designed for less power but more race-capable for drivers.

In 1991, Gaylord Entertainment (owners of The Nashville Network) and an independent production company, Group Five Sports, signed an agreement where the ASA would add live race broadcasts to their schedule.

"[2][3] The 2003 ASA National Tour season had drastic changes because of the move of television coverage to the lower-rated (but motorsports-focused) Speed Channel.

Car owner Steve Dale, along with a group of investors, purchased the ASA at the end of the 2003 season, and began massive changes for 2004 hoping for further expansion of the series.

Despite these expansion attempts, financial problems developed midway in the 2004 season when the ASA began to cancel National Tour races and television contracts.

In October 2004, during the driver's meeting for the 99-lap Aaron's 99 event (held after NASCAR Nextel Cup qualifying for the UAW-GM Quality 500), they informed competitors they did not have funds to pay teams after the race, and they asked for an extension.

Disappointed by Steve Dale's decision to cancel his trip to the event, the track impounded ASA's vehicles and equipment.

The American Stockcar League (which used the ASA formula cars) was run under the sanctioning of Mid-American Racing in an effort to keep the National Tour active.

After NASCAR announced it was ending its AutoZone Elite divisions, which featured regional late model racing, following the 2006 season, the ASA began sanctioning replacement series around the United States.

In 2008, ASA began sanctioning the ISCARS sport compact series, which had been independent since breaking from NASCAR at the end of the 2003 season.

Also, the ASA Member Track program added a national short-track points championship similar to NASCAR's Whelen All-American Series concept, with the winner receiving a test with Joe Gibbs Racing, which sponsors the program through its Joe Gibbs Driven Racing Oil brand.

Contested using used fourth-generation Cup cars, John Mickel from the United Kingdom passed Toni McCray from California on the last lap to win the 207-lap (500 km) event.

The Free State 500 was planned as part of the ASA Transcontinental Series, a track championship hosted at Phakisa Freeway's oval.

The ASA Late Model Series responded that the lawsuit is frivolous and without merit and counter-sued Huth for damages caused by suit.