Hooters ProCup Series Unofficial Results & Post Race Story
Brad Rogers Wins Naturally Fresh 250 By Paul Warner Saturday, July 24, 2004 Kenly, NC-For the fourth time of 2004, a Rogers stood in victory lane at the end of the Hooters ProCup Series race. But for the first time, it was Brad Rogers. Brad Rogers led the final 22 laps of the Naturally Fresh 250 presented by Tucson at Southern National Speedway on Saturday night, picking up his first career ProCup win in just his 10th start. "It kind of feels like winning the lottery," said Rogers, driver of the No. 29 KellyCo Heavy Hauling Ford. "I probably didn't have the best car tonight, but a win is a win." On several different occasions during the race, it looked like the win was up for grabs. Shane Huffman, driver of the No. 84 John Morrell Dinner Bell Ford, swept around pole sitter Clay Rogers and led the first 112 laps of the race. However, Huffman was joined in the lead battle at Lap 105 by Danny O'Quinn Jr. O'Quinn, who started ninth in the 31-car field, tracked down Huffman and took over the point on Lap 113. Many of the lead-lap cars elected to pit on lap 115, leaving O'Quinn Jr., driver of the No. 02 Homesteader Trailers Chevy, as the only top-10 car that didn't come in for service. O'Quinn Jr. finally pitted under caution on Lap 127, but he would restart in 16th position. Joe Gaita, who was pitting off-sequence with the leaders, inherited the lead after O'Quinn pitted, but Gaita's lead would be short-lived. Huffman tracked down Gaita on Lap 138 and made his way around on Lap 139. With O'Quinn mired in heavy traffic, Huffman appeared to be en route to his second win of 2004. That all changed on Lap 179. Coming to a restart, Huffman and Bobby Gill, driver of the No. 5 Ford, made contact. Gill made contact with Huffman and the frontstretch wall, but it was Huffman who suffered the most damage. The contact sent the 2003 Hooters ProCup Series champion to pit road with a flat right-rear tire. "When we took off, we might have had a little trash on my tires, and I got a little sideways," said Huffman. "Bobby [Gill] stuck his nose in the hole and cut my tire down." Gill took his turn out front as Huffman pitted, but O'Quinn had made his way back to third and reeling in Rogers and Gill by Lap 205. After bypassing Brad Rogers for second, O'Quinn went for the lead on Lap 225. Heading into the Turn 1, O'Quinn and Gill made contact. The bump sent Gill spinning and O'Quinn to tail end of the lead lap for rough driving. "I felt like I had a nose under [Gill] and he came down on me," said O'Quinn. "[USAR officials] gave me the black flag, and there was nothing I could do about it. That's just the way it goes." With O'Quinn and Gill at the back of the field for the restart on Lap 232, the race came down to a shootout between Rogers, Michael Ritch, driver of the No. 28 Jackaroo Pontiac, and Jody Lavender. Ritch and Rogers were able to pull away from Lavender, but a late-race caution set up a green-white-checkered finish, allowing the veteran one last shot at the rookie. Rogers never faltered and beat Ritch to the checkered flag by .516 sec to take the first win of his ProCup career. "I was just trying not to spin the tires, but I think I spun them all the way into [Turn 1]," said Rogers, who also picked up $1,000 for being the Miller Lite Rookie of the Race. "We hit our marks perfect on the last few laps. It feels incredible to get a win." While Rogers picked up his first win, Ritch was looking for his first win since 1999. "I couldn't do anything with [Brad Rogers]," said Ritch. "We had some heavy hitters fall out of contention tonight. We weren't a second-place car, but we were a solid top-six car. We just got to get a little bit better." Jody Lavender, driver of the No. 99 H&R Block Ford, picked up his best finish of the season by coming home in third. Billy Bigley Jr., driver of the No. 25 Peerless Woodworking Ford, finished fourth and David Pletcher, driver of the No. 51 RaceFansDating.com Ford, rounded out the top five. Unofficial Results 1. Brad Rogers 2. Michael Ritch 3. Jody Lavender 4. Billy Bigley Jr. 5. David Pletcher 6. Joe Gaita 7. Bobby Gill 8. Mike Herman Jr. 9. Danny O'Quinn Jr. 10. Don Satterfield 11. Mart Nesbitt 12. Daniel Johnson 13. George Brunnhoelzl III 14. Stuart Ricks 15. Matt Carter 16. Shane Huffman 17. Brian Ross 18. Jimmy Spencer Jr. 19. Bill Manful 20. Brandon Collins 21. Mark Whitaker 22. Jay Fogleman 23. Bud Kenny 24. Stacy Puryear 25. Richard Landreth 26. Patrick Sheltra 27. Larry Barrett 28. Randy Humphrey 29. Jason Sarvis 30. Mike Laughlin Jr. DQ. Clay Rogers
