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USAR: Hooters ProCup Series Begins 2000 Season

29 February 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

Veteran Competitor Collects First Career ProCup Win

LAKELAND, FL -- It was bound to happen.

After 36 previous attempts to gain a win in the Hooters ProCup Series, Andy Thurman brought his Naturally Fresh Mountain Spring Water Ford Taurus to victory lane in the season-opening Hooters 250 presented by Johnsonville Bratwurst Saturday night at USA International Speedway in Lakeland, Florida.

"What a great feeling," added Thurman in victory lane. "This entire team has worked so hard to get us here and I want to thank everyone of them."

Thurman, who started the race fourth, was able to take the lead with 10 laps remaining in the race when Bill Plemons, Jr. spun in turn one. Thurman held off Miller Lite Rookie of the Year candidate Jon Wood to collect the win. Stacy Puryear, Charlie Ford and Mario Gosselin completed the top five.

Ford's third-place finish was the best finish of his career in Hooters ProCup competition and first top-five finish since 1997.

David Pletcher followed in sixth with Jay Fogleman, Jeff Agnew, John Kinder and Dexter Canipe completing the top ten.

Wood, Puryear, Pletcher and Canipe were the only rookie candidates to finish in the top ten.

"This is a great series," added an ecstatic Wood. "The cars are fast, the drivers are all competitive and this was the most fun I have ever had at a race. We are obviously happy with a second-place finish."

Puryear won the Discount Auto Parts Pole Award for posting a qualifying time of 21.852 sec. (116.886 mph) to win the pole. Puryear, a veteran driver from Virginia almost didn't make it to Florida for his first career start.

"We are very happy with this finish," said Puryear. "I was in the hospital until 10 a.m. yesterday morning with flu-like symptoms and we were just hoping to make the race and finish it, this is great."

The race was slowed 16 times for caution for a total of 107 laps which cost several competitors opportunities for the win.

Marty Ward was leading the race when a break line broke and made contact with the turn one wall on lap 90, while accidents also kept Mart Nesbitt and Clayton Rogers from victory lane.

1999 Hooters ProCup Series champion Bobby Gill reached as high as second-place before he suffered mechanical problems which ended his run after 211 laps.

Chris Diamond won the State Fair Brand Corn Dogs Hard Charger Award for his improvement from 40th to 11th, while Thurman also collected the Lucas Oil Products Halfway leader bonus.

The race began with Steven Christian passing Puryear on the first lap to take the early lead while Thurman quickly moved into second-place behind Christian for the first 42 laps of the race until he passed Christian for the lead on lap 43. Thurman held the lead until Christian passed for the lead on lap 61. Naturally Fresh Foods 250
presented by Johnsonville Bratwurst
USA International Speedway-February 26, 2000

Fin Start Car Driver Hometown Sponsor Car Run Led

1 (4) 47 Andy Thurman Concord, NC Naturally Fresh Mountain Spring Water Ford 250 65
2 (10) 116 Jon Wood Stuart, VA goracing.com Ford 250 0
3 (1) 92 Stacy Puryear Cerro Gordo, NC RBR Enterprises Chevrolet 250 0
4 (18) 14 Charlie Ford Charles City, VA Sun Graphics Chevrolet 250 0
5 (11) 16 Mario Gosselin Lake Wales, FL IRMO Grading/Addy Dodge Chevrolet 250 0
6 (22) 51 David Pletcher Pinellas Park, FL Big Daddy's BBQ Sauce Chevrolet 250 0
7 (14) 4 Jay Fogleman Durham, NC JFCO Motorsports Ford 250 0
8 (6) 73 Jeff Agnew Copper Hill, VA Twin City Motor Exchange Chevrolet 250 0
9 (26) 08 John Kinder Greenville, SC dailydrill.com/Multimedia Graphics Chevrolet 250 0
10 (2) 55 Dexter Canipe Claremont, NC Cars Plus Chevrolet 250 0
11 (40) 99 Chris Diamond Hickory, NC Lake Electric Chevrolet 250 0
12 (3) 11 Kevin Barrett Cleveland, GA Harton Automotive Group Chevrolet 250 0
13 (21) 45 Darryl Hayes King, NC Taylor Motorsports Chevrolet 250 0
14 (37) 1 Don Satterfield Spartanburg, SC Hawk Saw Blades Chevrolet 250 0
15 (9) 52 Jason Bowser Clearwater, FL Bowser Motorsports Chevrolet 250 0
16 (16) 18 Chuck Walls Flat Rock, NC Laughlin Racing Products Chevrolet 250 5
17 (5) 15 Bill Plemons Jr. Locust Grove,GA Hooters Restaurants Chevrolet 250 107
18 (34) 37 Mardy Lindley Taylors, SC Aloe Lu-Ya/Red Nexx Beef Jerky Ford 250 0
19 (2) 0 Steve Christian Buford, GA Lucas Oil Products Chevrolet 250 72
20 (8) 27 Johnny Rumley Summerfield,NC Coors Light Chevrolet 250 0
21 (30) 89 Karen Schulz Statesville, NC Naturally Fresh Dressings & Dips Pontiac 249 0
22 (35) 32 Trent Owens Harrisburg, NC Richard Petty Driving Experience Pontiac 249 0
23 (7) 36 Sean Studer Concord, NC Yoo-Hoo Chocolate Drink Chevrolet 247 0
24 (38) 57 Joe Harrison, Jr. Renick, WV Harrison's Automotive Chevrolet 245 0
25 (25) 79 David Craddock Palm Beach Gardens, FL Pipeline Utilities/Semsco Ford 240 0
26 (32) 21 Derrick Kelley Auburndale, FL Discount Auto Parts/ROL Gaskets Chevrolet 234 0
27 (13) 2 Clayton Rogers Mooresville, NC Fire Protection Services Co. Ford 225 0
28 (20) 42 Brian Vickers Thomasville, NC CV Products Chevrolet 222 0
29 (12) 5 Bobby Gill Dalton, GA PGT Industries/Carrera Shocks Ford 211 0
30 (28) 59 Robert Elliott Hampton, SC Elliott Sawmilling Co. Chevrolet 205 0
31 (36) 09 Jabe Jones Toccoa, GA Jackaroo Sauces Chevrolet 193 0
32 (29) 30 Mart Nesbitt Asheville, NC State Fair Brand Corn Dogs/Ingles Chevrolet 169 0
33 (33) 00 Kertus Davis Blacksburg, SC Davis Motorsports Chevrolet 145 0
34 (15) 58 Jeremy Bowser Pinellas Park, FL Bowser Motorsports Ford 144 0
35 (27) 84 Shane Huffman Claremont, NC Johnsonville Bratwurst/Jennie-O Ford 104 0
36 (31) 07 Tim Clayton Inman, SC Santa Fe Logistics/Budweiser Chevrolet 101 0
37 (19) 97 Marty Ward Marietta, SC Harrison's Work Wear/WORX Chevrolet 90 1
38 (23) 28 Regan Smith Mooresville, NC Lakeside Motorsports Unlimited Chevrolet 71 0
39 (39) 6 Ronnie Davidson Lenoir, NC C&T Classics Chevrolet 33 0
40 (24) 76 David Hyder Trinity, NC Northgate Muffler Dist., Inc./IMCO Ford 31 0

# of cautions - 16 total, Laps under caution - 107
Lap Leaders - 1-42 S. Christian, 43-60 A. Thurman, 61-90 S. Christian, 91 M. Ward,
92-127 A. Thurman, 128-132 C. Walls, 133-239 B. Plemons Jr., 240-250 A. Thurman

Discount Auto Parts Pole - $1,000 - Stacy Puryear
Lucas Oil Products Halfway Leader - $1,000 - Andy Thurman
W.J. Plemons Hard Charger - $500 - Chris Diamond
Miller Lite Rookie of the Race - $1,000 - Jon Wood

Text provided by Gene Crane

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