Ace Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tim Southers

USAR Media Relations

770-719-0204

usar@bellsouth.net

GOODSON ACES JACKAROO SAUCES 250

Veteran Driver Collects Third Career USAR Hooters ProCup Win

ALTAMAHAW, NC - What a difference a couple of weeks can make. After suffering a tough finish at the season-opening race in February, Hal Goodson returned to victory lane Friday night. Goodson took the lead on lap 123 from Daniel Johnson and held on the rest of the way to win the Jackaroo Sauces 250 presented by Dave's Discount Furniture Friday night at Ace Speedway in Altamahaw, North Caroline. The win was the first for the veteran short track driver in the USAR Hooters ProCup Series since last October.

"Boy it sure does feel good to be back in victory lane," said Goodson. "After the rough start we had to the season we have worked hard and this team has done a great job getting us here tonight."

Jay Fogleman followed Goodson for second while Stacy Puryear finished third. Daniel Johnson used his fourth-place showing to win Miller Lite Rookie of the Race honors and Lee Tissot completed the top five.

Goodson qualified fourth for the race and remained in the top five throughout the first half of the race that was slowed 14 times by caution for 72 laps.

Fogleman won the Lance Snacks Pole Award but lost the lead on lap 1 when Puryear moved ahead on the start and remained out front for the first 21 laps of the race. Goodson was able to pass Puryear on lap 22 and remain in the top spot until lap 94 when the leaders pitted for fuel and tires after Chad Mullis, Jabe Jones and Jeremy Bowser got together to bring out the caution flag on lap 93.

Johnson assumed the lead after pit stops were completed and used pit strategy to take his Chevrolet to the front on lap 95. Johnson led a total of 27 laps to collect his second top 10 finish in four races.

"I want to thank God for a great day and a safe race for our team," said an ecstatic Johnson. "The team has a great pit stops for us and the car worked good all night long. I am so happy the Happy Hunting Ground sponsored car got to the front. The support everyone has given us, especially B.J. Underdown has been wonderful."

Fogleman and his Premiere Motorsports team enjoyed its third consecutive top three finish and felt a second place finish was about as good as it was going to get at Ace Speedway.

"No excuses, we got outrun tonight," said Fogleman. "We accomplished something by another strong finish and that will help us in the points and that is our main goal. We want to win races but we all know how important it is to stay in the points chase. To have a good shot a driver will need to finish as high as he can in his region and that is what we are focused on as a team."

Puryear collected his second consecutive top 10 finish at Ace Speedway where had enjoyed success during his Late Model Stock driving career.

"It was good to come back here tonight because we like racing here and a lot of our fans made the trip to see our Black's Tire Service Chevrolet run up front," said Puryear. "We had a great car tonight until the end of the race when the car just got too loose. I owe this finish to the team because they gave me a great pit stop tonight. The guys have been working on their pit stops and it paid off tonight and they are just going to keep getting better and better. Jay Fogleman and I raced hard there at the end and I hope we were giving the fans a great show. I will take third after coming back from the spin late in the race."

Bobby Gill rebounded from the contact with Puryear to finish sixth while Brian Vickers followed with Burllington native Keith Woody finishing eighth. Derrick Kelley finished ninth and Shane Huffman overcame a blown motor in practice to complete the top ten.

The Southern Division of the USAR Hooters ProCup Series will return to action on April 28 when the Series makes its first-ever visit to Coastal Plains Raceway for the Hooters ProCup 250 presented by Bryant Heating and Cooling.

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