USAR Race Story

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Tim Southers

USAR, Media Relations

(770) 719-0204

usar@bellsouth.net

www.usarprocup.com

 

 

Gill Grabs Record-Setting Win
 

            Radford, VA -            Sometimes the fastest car doesn't win and sometimes being at the right place at the right time gives a driver opportunities. That was never more evident than Saturday night at New River Valley Speedway when Bobby Gill won the Kroger 250 presented by Pepsi.

            Gill held off a hard-charging Mart Nesbitt for his 16th career win in the USAR Hooters ProCup Series tying him with Mario Gosselin for the all-time win record. Toby Robertson finished third for his second consecutive top-five finish. Steve Christian and Hal Goodson completed the top-five. 

            "We didn't have the best car tonight," said Gill in victory lane. "We had about a third-place car and we were content with that until all the action with Jeff (Agnew) and Jay (Fogleman) happened late in the race."

            The "action" occurred on lap 246 when Agnew was challenging Fogleman for the lead. Both drivers were racing side-by-side throughout the lap and made contact on the backstretch. As they entered turn three, Fogleman and Agnew got together sending Agnew into a spin which gave the lead to Gill. Fogleman was assessed a stop-and-go penalty for rough driving.

            "I knew Mart and those guys were going to give it all they had but we were able to hold them off," added Gill. "Tying the record is nice but we want the championship."

            The win moved Gill back into the lead in the USAR Hooters ProCup Series Southern Division standings.

            Shane Huffman won his second Lance Snacks Pole Award of the season and led the first 63 laps before he suffered mechanical problems to end his night early, giving him a 31st-place finish. Agnew took the lead and remained out front until lap 103, when Fogleman passed to lead lap 104. Agnew regained the lead on lap 105 and remained out front until Christian passed on lap 118.

            Christian led at lap 125 to win the Lucas Oil Halfway Leader Bonus before Mario Gosselin took the lead on lap 126. Gill passed Gosselin on lap 178 and remained there until Fogleman passed him on lap 217.

            The race was slowed nine times by caution with the hardest hit of the night taken by Lee Tissot when he and Adam Clarke got together on the backstretch on lap 122. Tissot hit the outside wall and then spun and hit the inside retaining wall. Clarke was able to continue but Tissot finished 29th. 

Gill collected the W.J. Plemons Investments Hard Charger Award for advancing the most positions and Robertson used his career-best finish to win the Miller Lite Rookie of the Race Award.

            The USAR Hooters ProCup Series Southern Division returns to action on Saturday August 4th when Hickory Motor Speedway hosts its second Hooters ProCup race of the season.

 

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