Huffaker/Qvale and Tommy Bahama looking forward to Trois-Rivieres
31 July 1999
TROIS-RIVIERES, Quebec, CAN (July 31, 1999) — Huffaker/Qvale Motorsports returns to Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, looking to repeat their podium finish of 1998 at Le Grand Prix Player's de Trois-Rivieres. Coming fresh off a victory at the BFGoodrich Tires Trans-Am Series race at Road Atlanta last weekend with 1999 driver Chris Neville and new sponsor Tommy Bahama, momentum appears to be in their favor. "We've been working hard to develop this car all year," says Huffaker/Qvale principal, Joe Huffaker, who designed the chassis, one of the few from-the-ground-up new designs in the Trans-Am series this year. "Chris has developed into a really good test driver, and we knew we had a front-running car. To finally put the car in winner's circle last week was just what we needed to justify all the late nights and hard work we've been putting in." "We also couldn't have picked a better way to welcome Tommy Bahama as the new sponsor of the #88 car," added Bruce Qvale, co-principal in Huffaker/Qvale Motorsports. "We are very pleased that they will be joining Huffaker/Qvale Motorsports, and we hope our association continues the way it began." Qvale was the driver last year for Huffaker/Qvale Motorsports, scoring a runner-up finish here at the historic and picturesque 1.6-mile, 10-turn street. It was the second of two consecutive runner-up finishes he scored last year, and the second of three podiums he garnered in his rookie year in the series. Narrowly beating Qvale out for Rookie of the Year honors last season was Chris Neville, this year's Huffaker/Qvale driver. Neville scored his first Trans-Am win, and the first for the team, last weekend at the Automationdirect.com Trans-Am 100 at Road Atlanta. It was the fourth straight podium finish for Neville, who comes into Trois-Rivieres sitting second in Trans-Am season points. The 55-lap, 82.83-mile race will be televised on the Speedvision Network on a same-day delay basis. The race takes the green flag at 3:15 pm (EDT) on Sunday, August 1. The telecast begins at 4:00 pm (EDT) on Sunday. Rebroadcast of the event will be on The Nashville Network (TNN), with the telecast beginning at 12:30 pm (EDT) on Sunday, August 8.