"The folks building the engines are the real heart of a series like this," Haun says. "The success of a crate engine class lies in the honesty and integrity of the engine builders. We know there are things they can do to 'cheat up' a crate motor, but if they start building cheater motors, they'll kill racing's future."Tomlinson says he finished 2005 with the same engine he put in the car at the beginning of 2003."We got two full seasons from the motor before we freshened it," he says. "We took good care of it. The engine was getting a little tired, but it was really in good shape."The cost of the rebuild was about $2,000, he says.There are very few gray areas in the rule book, available on the ASA Late Model Web site, along with Haun's phone number. No one can say they can't get an answer to a technical question."And as interest grows, the phone rings all the time," Haun says.This year the ASA Late Models will compete in three divisions."We really weren't looking to expand so much, as we had tracks contact us about moving into their areas," Haun says.The geography of the 13-race Challenge Series-the original series-ranges from San Antonio Speedway in Texas to Oswego Speedway in upstate New York. It includes stops at such tracks as the legendary Milwaukee Mile and the I-70 Speedway in Odessa, Missouri.The new Late Model North series includes stops in eight states, with tracks as far-ranging as Erie, Pennsylvania, to Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The series also includes visits to tracks such as Lake Geneva Speedway in Wisconsin, Jennerstown Speedway in Pennsylvania, and Michigan's Berlin Speedway.Drivers in the Southern series get a crack at some of the tracks that nurtured stock car racing in its early days. The schedule includes races at legendary North Carolina tracks in Hickory and North Wilkesboro, along with tracks as far south as Bronson and Pensacola, Florida, and as far north as Bowling Green, Kentucky.While the cars in all three divisions are siblings, the rules are just a bit different.The Northern and Southern Divisions will use a bias-ply tire and races will be shorter. The Challenge Division will use a radial tire and run longer events, with a competition yellow at the mid-point. During the yellow, teams can do just about anything but change tires."With the crate engine, no fuel stops, and a limit built into what you can do to the car, a driver can take two friends and go racing," Haun says. "You don't need an extensive pit crew. The only position we require is a spotter."Haun says the cars in all divisions will be allowed to camber the rear axles up to 1.5 degrees."So a driver could take a Southern Division car and run the Challenge Division by just towing north and slapping a set of radials on it," he says.An extra appeal of the Challenge Division is that 10 of its races will be televised on the Outdoor Channel."It's a pretty good package for a series as new as this one," he says.Because the Challenge Series uses radials, "our brothers down South can look at this as a development series for youngsters who may want to move up" into NASCAR.Stephen Leicht, the 2005 ASA Late Model champion, is a good example.After winning five races and the season title for WalTom Racing, the 18-year-old Leicht was tapped by Robert Yates to be one of two development drivers in the RYR Busch program this year.The youngster's success is an inspiration to guys like Tomlinson."I think everyone who ever gets in a race car dreams of moving up into a Cup car," Tomlinson says. "Sure, I'd like to do that, too. I'd like to quit my day job and drive full time. But if it never happens, I'm perfectly satisfied running in the Late Model Series."The organizers and the other drivers all take care of one another," he says. "The Varneys have always kept their word. The competitors turn out to help if a driver is in trouble and needs a hand."It's like family."