Fw: Concord Post Race

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Timmy Hutson 
To: Tim Southers 
Sent: Monday, September 16, 2002 10:21 AM
Subject: Concord Post Race


 

 

 

 

For Immediate Release:

 

Tim Southers

USAR Media Relations

(770) 719-0204

usar@bellsouth.net

www.usarprocup.com

 

Gill Completes the Regular Season with A Win

 

            Midland, NC – While Tropical Storm Hannah was making her way across the eastern United States Saturday night, Bobby Gill once again made his presence felt in the USAR Hooters ProCup Series.  Gill passed Clayton Rogers on lap 202 and held on to win the rain-shortened Jackaroo Sauces 250 presented by Jennie-O Turkey Store at Concord Motorsport Park.  Jason Sarvis followed in third while Hal Goodson and Shane Huffman completed the top-five.

            “We knew the rain was coming and we raced as hard as we could to get to the front,” said Gill.

            Rogers took the Buffalo Nickel Buffalo Burgers Pole Award and remained out front for the first 35 laps before Gill passed for the lead.  Gill remained in front until he pitted under caution for tires and fuel on lap 146 giving the lead to Shane Wallace.  Wallace, will enter the Championship Series as the leading contender for the Miller Lite Rookie of the Year Award from the Southern Division.

            Rogers and Wallace put on a show for the fans who braved the threatening skies to watch the 3,300-lb. machines battle on one of the fastest tracks on the Hooters ProCup Series circuit.  The pair of young guns battled for the lead side-by-side during a stretch between laps 149-165 when Rogers was finally able to pass for the lead on lap 166 where he remained until Gill made his final pass of the night.

            The race was slowed seven times by cautions with the only one multi-car incident during the race on lap 90 when Robbie Ferguson made hard contact with the backstretch wall and collected Daniel Johnson and Mike Williams in the accident that led to a five-minute red flag.  All the drivers involved walked away from the wreckage.

            In addition to collecting his winning prize money, Gill also won the Lucas Oil Products Halfway Leader Award and Southern Pride Lap Leader bonuses.  Larry Wilcox advanced 13 positions in the race to win the W.J. Plemons Investments Hard Charger Award.

            The race also decided the final top-30 qualifiers for the five race Championship Series to determine the 2002 USAR Hooters ProCup Series National Champion.  Mike Laughlin, Jr., who formed a partnership with Premiere Motorsports during the second half of the season, became the final driver to qualify after he passed Calvin Redwine for the 30th and final position in the point standings.

 

            Michael Ritch finished sixth for his best finish of the season since switching to a Dodge during the season.  Mart Nesbitt recorded his second consecutive top-10 finish at CMP while John Kinder leased a car provided by Don Sprouse Motorsports to finish eighth.  Laughlin, Jr., and Steven Christian completed the top 10.

            The 30 drivers from the Southern Division will join the 26 drivers who qualified from the Northern Division next weekend at Winchester Speedway for the first race of the first race of the Championship Series.

 

-30-