USAR Story

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 

 

 

Tim Southers

USAR Media Relations

770-719-0204

usar@bellsouth.net

 

 

Christian Visits Victory Lane
 

            Montgomery, AL -            After collecting his first career win in the USAR Hooters ProCup Series last November, Steven Christian said he hoped he wouldn't have to wait long for his next win. Christian waited just nine races before outlasting Jay Fogleman to win the Miller Lite 200 presented by Food World Saturday night at Montgomery Motor Speedway.

            "We had a great car all night long," said an ecstatic Christian in victory lane. "Haskell and the guys gave me a great pit stop and that helped us tremendously with track position. The Lucas Oil Ford turned well all night and moved up in the points."

            Christian qualified 10th and remained out front for most of the race, taking the lead from Stacy Puryear under caution on lap 117. 

            Fogleman, who finished in the top-five after a three-race absence, felt his team made some good calls to get the strong finish.

            "We had some damage on the car and the guys did a great job getting the car fixed and keeping me on the lead lap," Fogleman said. "We also went and tested and found some things on the car we needed to work on and it paid off for us tonight."

            A pair of drivers followed Fogleman to score their best-ever career finishes in the Series. 

            Jabe Jones, in his 73rd career-start in the Series, finished third for his first-ever top-five finish. Robertson, who won a Lance Snacks Pole Award at Coastal Plains Raceway earlier this year, also collected his first-ever top-five following Jones for fourth. John Kinder finished fifth for his first top-five finish of the season.

            "I just want to thank everyone who has stood by me," said an emotional Jones after the race. "We have struggled a little this year and no one gave up on us and it paid off tonight. Hopefully we can take this momentum and build on a strong finish in the regular season and onto the championship series."

            Mario Gosselin started from the Lance Snacks Pole and led the first 98 laps before pitting under caution, surrendering the lead to Puryear. Puryear remained out front until he pitted for tires under caution. Puryear led at lap 100 to win the Lucas Oil Products Halfway Leader Award.

            Gosselin finished sixth and Jason Sarvis followed in seventh. Puryear rebounded from a late-race spin with Bobby Gill to finish eighth. Shane Huffman and Mart Nesbitt rounded out the top-10.

            The race was slowed 11 times by caution for 67 laps with a pair of accidents creating a tight points race among the top-five in the standings.

            Hal Goodson was collected in an accident when Lee Tissot and Daniel Johnson got together in turn three. Johnson spun to the inside and the car  moved up the track in front of Goodson, who had committed to go high to try and avoid the spin.

            "We had a good car tonight," said Goodson. "I hate what happened (on the track) because the guys work so hard to give me a good car but that is a part of racing. Sometimes things happen that you can't control."

            Goodson finished 28th allowing Bobby Gill, who finished 11th, to move to within nine points of the lead (1,301-1,292). As a result of his win, Christian now sits in third-place with Huffman and Fogleman completing the top-five. The top five drivers are now separated by just 34 points with four regular season races remaining on the Southern Division schedule.

            Jones collected the W.J. Plemons Investments Hard Charger Award with his strong finish after qualifying 23rd and Robertson won the Miller Lite Rookie of the Race Award.

            The USAR Hooters ProCup Series Southern Division returns to action on July 21st when New River Valley Speedway hosts the Series in the Kroger 250 presented by Pepsi.

 

 

NEWS & NOTES
 

  a.. Bobby Gill and his wife Elaine welcomed a new addition to their family last week. The two-defending USAR Hooters ProCup Series champion is the proud father of a new son, Robby Lane Gill.
  b.. Burt Ingle and John Clagett each made their first starts of the year in the USAR Hooters ProCup Series. Clagett was involved in an accident on lap 94 while Ingle surrendered the car to Jon Kerley after he was overcome by the heat exhaustion.
  c.. Two drivers have signed sponsorship deals for the remainder of the season. Jay Fogleman and Premiere Motorsports have signed Two Minute Warning as primary sponsor and Jimmy McClain has signed Advance Construction Technologies.
 

 

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