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Longs, SC—It’s
the time of year that Hooters ProCup Series fans live
for: The Championship Series.
Fifty-five drivers have qualified for the final
five-race shootout to determine the 2004 Hooters ProCup
Series National Champion. Seedings are based upon
drivers finishes in the final point standings in the
Northern and Southern Divisions. Divisional winners from
the North and South received a 25-point bonus going into
the Championship Series opener, the BFGoodrich Tires
250, at Jennerstown Speedway on Sept. 25.
Drivers
who attempted to qualify for all of their division’s
races were awarded a 10-point bonus. Drivers who
finished inside the top 15 in their divisions will be
eligible for two provisional starting spots during the
Championship Series.
Below is
a listing of the top 10 drivers from the Northern and
Southern Divisions, a regular-season review and a
Jennerstown preview.
No.
1 Seeds
1.
Benny Gordon (No. 66 Predator Performance Ford)
Regular Season Division—North
Championship Series
Points—190
Regular Season Avg. Finish—5.5
Last Five Races Avg.
Finish—2.6
Best Finish in 2004—1st
(Myrtle Beach, Mansfield, Motor Mile, South Boston, and
Adirondack)
Regular Season Review
Benny Gordon is the hottest
driver in the HPC Series right now. Actually, he’s been
the hottest driver since June 26. At Myrtle Beach
Speedway, Gordon became the first Northern Division
driver to win in the Southern Division since the HPC
Series split into two divisions in 2001. Since his win
at MBS, Gordon averaged a 2.5 finish the remainder of
the season. If you take away Illiana, where Gordon ran
out of gas after leading the most laps and finished
ninth, the DuBois, Pa., driver averaged a 1.2 finish in
the other five events.
Jennerstown Preview
While five wins and the
Northern Division title have solidified him as a
championship contender this year, Gordon’s win in the
Championship Series last year at Jennerstown put him on
the ProCup map. If he wins this time around, the rest of
the Championship Series qualifiers could be in trouble.
Why? Gordon has already won at Mansfield, Motor Mile and
Myrtle Beach this season. And they are the next three
tracks on the schedule after Jennerstown.
Best Finish at Jennerstown—1st
(10/4/03)
Avg. Finish at Jennerstown—2.0 (2
starts)
1. Clay Rogers (No. 44
Johnny’s Suzuki/Baird Transport Ford)
Regular Season Division—South
Championship Series
Points—190
Regular Season Avg. Finish—7.6
Last Five Races Avg.
Finish—13.4
Best Finish—1st
(USA Int’l, Ace, and Hickory)
Regular Season Review
If you take away Rogers’ DQ
and accident in his only Northern Division race, he’s
averaging a 3.7 finish for the season. Rogers
accomplished his goal of winning the Southern Division
regular season, now he’s looking towards his second
goal: winning the overall title. Rogers wasn’t as
dominant late in the season as he was at the start of
2004, but he’s learned how to nab top-five finishes on
nights when his car isn’t the best, and that will be
crucial in the Championship Series.
Jennerstown Preview
Rogers needs to get off to a good start at Jennerstown
if he wants to accomplish his final goal. That
shouldn’t be too hard, however. In three starts at
Jennerstown, Rogers has two top-five finishes, a pole
and led 293 laps.
Best Finish at Jennerstown—3rd
(8/3/02)
Avg. Finish at Jennerstown—8.6 (3
starts)
No. 2 Seeds
2.
Bobby Gill (No. 06 USG Sheetrock Brand Ford)
Regular Season Division—South
Championship Series
Points—150
Regular Season Avg. Finish—9.8
Last Five Races Avg.
Finish—15.2
Best Finish in 2004—1st
(Concord, Music City, USA Int’l, and Peach State)
Regular Season Review
After suffering through his
worst ProCup season last year, Gill bounced back with
four wins this year. Gill had a chance to overtake
Rogers in points at Bristol, but the 3-time champion
suffered his third finish of 25th or worse
and finished 82 points behind Rogers at season’s end.
Had Gill started the season with Lamb & Robinson
Motorsports, the regular season may have had a different
outcome.
Jennerstown Preview
Gill
heads into the Championship Series with perhaps the
strongest team he’s had. The Dalton, Ga., driver united
with Lamb & Robinson late in the year and won in his
first start in the No. 06 and was leading Bristol when
crashed in his second start with the team. Gill has
finished in the top 10 in all four of his starts at
Jennerstown and picked up one win.
Best Finish at Jennerstown—1st
(8/3/02)
Avg. Finish at Jennerstown—4.25 (4
starts)
2. Johnny Rumley (No. 8
Lucas Oil Pontiac)
Regular Season Division—North
Championship Series
Points—150
Regular Season Avg. Finish—6.7
Last Five Races Avg.
Finish—8.4
Best Finish in 2004—1st
(Jennerstown)
Regular Season Review
If there were a two-lap
dash for cash, Rumley would be the driver everybody
picked. Rumley won eight poles in 12 races, tying the
record set by Shane Huffman in 2003. Rumley still has
five chances to break the record in the Championship
Series, but he would gladly trade a few poles for a few
wins. Rumley did pick up his first ProCup win earlier
this year. But once Gordon got going, Rumley struggled
to keep pace.
Jennerstown Preview
Rumley
is perfect at Jennerstown, winning the pole, the race
and leading the most laps in his only start. If he can
repeat that feat, Rumley will put himself in position to
close the gap on Gill and Rogers.
Best Finish at Jennerstown—1st
(5/29/04)
Avg. Finish at Jennerstown—1.0 (1
starts)
No. 3 Seeds
3. Jeff Agnew (No. 73 NGA
Hooters Golf Tour Chevrolet)
Regular Season Division—North
Championship Series
Points—145
Regular Season Avg. Finish—8.8
Last Five Races Avg.
Finish—9.4
Best Finish in 2004—1st
(Kil-Kare and Illiana)
Regular Season Review
Agnew was the class of the
Northern Division field as many times as Gordon, but
racing luck wasn’t on his side during the regular
season. In past seasons, Agnew’s bad luck has come in
the Championship Series. If that trend reverses this
year, Agnew could make some noise in the final five
races.
Jennerstown Preview
Agnew
knows Jennerstown better than any driver in the Series,
competing in all 10 USAR events held at the track,
logging nine top-10 finishes and leading 373 laps. Agnew
has also picked up two wins at the half-mile oval.
Best Finish at Jennerstown—1st
(6/8/02 & 7/14/01)
Avg. Finish at Jennerstown—7.0 (10
starts)
3. Shane Huffman (No. 84
John Morrell Dinner Bell Ford)
Regular Season Division—South
Championship Series
Points—145
Regular Season Avg. Finish—8.3
Last Five Races Avg.
Finish—10.8
Best Finish in 2004—1st
(New Smyrna & Bristol)
Regular Season Review
The regular season didn’t
go according to plan for Huffman. After winning at New
Smyrna in the second race of the season, Huffman went
nine races before winning his second race of the season.
But his win at Bristol has the defending champion headed
in the right direction at the right time.
Jennerstown Preview
Huffman doesn’t have the
40-point advantage going into Jennerstown like he did
last year, so he doesn’t have the luxury of having a bad
race—or two—like he did in the Championship Series a
year ago. But if he can win three of the five races as
he did last year, the Championship Trophy may spend
another year in Hickory, N.C.
Best Finish at Jennerstown—1st
(9/29/01)
Avg. Finish at Jennerstown—12.75
(4 starts)
No. 4 Seeds
4. Mardy Lindley (No. 16
Hooters Air Ford)
Regular Season Division—North
Championship Series
Points—140
Regular Season Avg. Finish—9.9
Last Five Races Avg.
Finish—11.4
Best Finish in 2004—1st
(South Boston & Indianapolis Raceway Park)
Regular Season Review
Good News: Lindley won two
of the first three races of the year. Bad News: Lindley
averaged a 10.7 finish the remainder of the year.
Lindley finished the season with a second-place run at
Adirondack, but he dropped from second to fourth in
points in the final five races.
Jennerstown Preview
Lindley’s record at Jennerstown bodes well for his
chances to return to his early-season form. In nine
starts, Lindley has racked up two wins and seven top-10
finishes. Not to mention, Lindley is the current leader
in laps led at Jennerstown with 493. In last season’s
championship opener, Lindley led the most laps, 117, and
had a car capable of winning before tangling with Shane
Huffman.
Best Finish at Jennerstown—1st
(4/13/02 & 6/8/02)
Avg. Finish at Jennerstown—5.7 (9
starts)
4. Brad Rogers (No. 29
KellyCo. Heavy Hauling Ford)
Regular Season Division—South
Championship Series
Points—140
Regular Season Avg. Finish—10.3
Last Five Races Avg.
Finish—3.0
Best Finish—1st
(Southern National)
Regular Season Review
The younger Rogers posted
five top-five finishes, including his first win, in the
last five races of the season. During that time, Rogers
went from 13th in points to fourth and locked
up the regular season Miller Lite Rookie of the Year
title for the Southern Division. It was a far cry from
the previous six races when Rogers posted an average
finish of 17.5. If he can avoid such a bad-luck streak
in the Championship Series, two Rogers could be vying
for the title.
Jennerstown Preview
It
will be his first time at Jennerstown. Well, almost. The
Boger Brigade recently went and tested at the track in
preparation for the BFGoodrich Tires 250.
Best Finish at Jennerstown—First
Start at Track
Avg. Finish at Jennerstown—First
Start at Track
No. 5 Seeds
5. Joe Gaita (No. 42 US
Insurance/Speedco Truck Lubes Ford)
Regular Season Division—South
Championship Series
Points—135
Regular Season Avg. Finish—9.5
Last Five Races Avg.
Finish—9.6
Best Finish—1st
(Peach State)
Regular Season Review
When Gaita’s car was
destroyed during his lone win of the year at Peach
State, it was microcosm of his season. Even when things
were good, they were still bad. He stood second in
points after the win at Peach State, but he was
literally standing after Hickory when Gaita parted ways
with Lamb & Robinson Motorsports. Darin Odle, owner of
Odle Motorsports, stepped in and gave Gaita a ride for
the rest of the year. Gaita finished seventh at Bristol
in new ride.
Jennerstown Preview
Giata’s new car owner may be his biggest asset at
Jennerstown. While Gaita only has one top-10 finish in
two starts at the half-mile track, Odle’s cars have
posted an average finish of 5.75 at Jennerstown.
Best Finish at Jennerstown—7th
(10/5/02)
Avg. Finish at Jennerstown—12.0 (2
starts)
5. Gary St. Amant (No. 11
JEGS.com Chevrolet)
Regular Season Division—North
Championship Series
Points—135
Regular Season Avg. Finish—8.4
Last Five Races Avg.
Finish—12.4
Best Finish—1st
(Lake Erie)
Regular Season Review
St. Amant’s goals were to
win the Northern Division Rookie of the Year and finish
in the top five in points. Mission accomplished.
But by winning at Lake Erie, St. Amant raised
expectations on himself. He drives by the motto: To
finish first, you first must finish. It’s probably safe
to say that St. Amant might be the only driver using
that philosophy in the Championship Series.
Jennerstown Preview
St. Amant’s only ProCup
start at Jennerstown is one he’d like to forget. He
started 17th and finished 18th
earlier this season.
Best Finish at Jennerstown—18th
(5/31/03)
Avg. Finish at Jennerstown—18.0 (1
start)
No. 6 Seeds
6. Jay Fogleman (No. 4
Lucas Oil Ford)
Regular Season Division—South
Championship Series
Points—130
Regular Season Avg. Finish—9.4
Last Five Races Avg.
Finish—12.8
Best Finish—2nd
(Ace)
Regular Season Review
Fogleman moved back to the
Southern Division this year, but he didn’t return to the
familiar setting of victory lane. Fogleman posted his
first winless season since 2000, but 2004 wasn’t without
bright spots. Fogleman posted six top-five finishes
during the season. More importantly, Fogleman finished
second at Motor Mile, eighth at Myrtle Beach, sixth at
Mansfield and fifth at USA Int’l. A record like that in
the Championship Series will put Fogleman near the head
of the class.
Jennerstown Preview
Fogleman has posted six top-10 finishes in eight starts
at Jennerstown. Although Fogleman hasn’t won at
Jennerstown, the Durham, N.C., driver has finished
second on two occasions. The Short Track Shark would
undoubtedly be pleased with another second-place finish
this time around.
Best Finish at Jennerstown—2nd
(10/5/02)
Avg. Finish at Jennerstown—7.6 (8
starts)
6. Danny Sammons (No. 97
HeartAttack Inc. Ford)
Regular Season Division—North
Championship Series
Points—130
Regular Season Avg. Finish—11.8
Last Five Races Avg.
Finish—14.2
Best Finish—2nd (Salem)
Regular Season Review
Sammons made great strides
in his driving this season, but the 20-year-old driver
was plagued by engine failures, recording four DNFs. In
the events Sammons was around at the end, he averaged a
fifth-place finish.
Jennerstown Preview
Sammons needs to rid his ride of gremlins before
Jennerstown. A DNF in the Championship opener will kill
his chances of contending for the title. Sammons, Jeff
Agnew and Jason McLellan are the only drivers to have
started 10 races at Jennerstown. Despite his knowledge
of the layout, Sammons has only posted two top-10
finishes at Jennerstown. Sammons, however, posted his
best finish at Jennerstown earlier this season by coming
home sixth.
Best Finish at Jennerstown—6th
(5/29/04)
Avg. Finish at Jennerstown—18.7
(10 starts)
No. 7 Seeds
7. Billy Bigley Jr. (No. 25
Peerless Woodworking Ford)
Regular Season Division—South
Championship Series
Points—130
Regular Season Avg. Finish—8.8
Last Five Races Avg.
Finish—8.8
Best Finish—4th (Music City
and Southern National)
Regular Season Review
It was the tale of two
seasons for Bigley. For most of the year, Bigley
couldn’t qualify, averaging a 20.4-qualifying position.
In the final three races, however, Bigley averaged a
7.3-starting spot. Regardless of where he started,
Bigley was around the front at the end of most events,
finishing in the top 10 eight times.
Jennerstown Preview
Bigley
has never raced at Jennerstown. But as long the track
has corners and a straightaway, he should be just fine.
Best Finish at Jennerstown—First
Start at Track
Avg. Finish at Jennerstown—First
Start at Track
7. Joel Kauffman (No. 44 LA
West Chevrolet)
Regular Season Division—North
Championship Series
Points—126
Regular Season Avg. Finish—10.1
Last Five Races Avg.
Finish—12.0
Best Finish—1st
(Salem)
Regular Season Review
For those who don’t believe
in the sophomore slump, contact Joel Kauffman. With all
the ingredients in place for a banner year, Kauffman has
been unable to move into contender status each week. The
Mooresville, N.C., driver did join Danny O’Quinn Jr. as
the youngest drivers since Brian Vickers to win a ProCup
event when he won at Salem at 19-years-old. But after
his win, Kauffman didn’t finish inside the top five in
the remaining seven races. His struggles started in the
Championship Series last year, so maybe he can right the
ship in the Championship Series this season.
Jennerstown Preview
Kauffman was impressive in his first career start at
Jennerstown in 2003, starting second and finishing
eighth. He qualified for 11th for the
Championship Series race last season, but the
19-year-old driver finished 18th. This year,
Kauffman broke on Lap 118 and finished 20th.
Best Finish at Jennerstown—8th
(4/12/03)
Avg. Finish at Jennerstown—15.3 (3
starts)
No. 8 Seeds
8. Glenn Gault (No. 32
American Title and Trust Chevrolet)
Regular Season Division—North
Championship Series
Points—122
Regular Season Avg. Finish—10.8
Last Five Races Avg.
Finish—13.6
Best Finish—2nd
(Mansfield)
Regular Season Review
Gault blistered through the
middle portion of the season, recording two top-fives
and four top 10s in five races and vaulting him to sixth
in the Northern Division points. Unfortunately for Gault,
he couldn’t maintain the momentum in the final three
races as he dropped to eighth in the final standings by
posting three DNFs in a row.
Jennerstown Preview
Gault
doesn’t have the best record at Jennerstown. In seven
starts, Gault’s best finish is 10th, which
came earlier this year. If he can return to his
midseason form, Gault could better that finish.
Best Finish at Jennerstown—10th
(15/29/04)
Avg. Finish at Jennerstown—19.2 (7
starts)
8. Danny O’Quinn Jr. (No.
02 Homesteader Trailer Chevrolet)
Regular Season Division—South
Championship Series
Points—122
Regular Season Avg. Finish—9.2
Last Five Races Avg.
Finish—9.8
Best Finish—1st
(Lonesome Pine)
Regular Season Review
O’Quinn Jr. had a storybook
race at Lonesome Pine early in the year. In front of his
hometown fans, O’Quinn Jr. picked up his first ever win
in ProCup. Later in the year, O’Quinn put together
dominating runs at Peach State and Southern National,
but the 19-year-old was unable to get win No. 2.
Although O’Quinn Jr. didn’t get his second win, he
showed that he can run with— and sometimes outrun— the
best in the Southern Division.
Jennerstown Preview
After
picking up his first pole, O’Quinn Jr. looked to be en
route to his first win last year at Jennerstown in the
Championship Series opener. But O’Quinn ran out of fuel
and was swept up in an accident late in the race.
Best Finish at Jennerstown—36th
(5/29/04)
Avg. Finish at Jennerstown—36.0 (1
start)
No. 9 Seeds
9. David Pletcher (No. 51
RaceFansDating.com Ford)
Regular Season Division—South
Championship Series
Points—118
Regular Season Avg. Finish—14.8
Last Five Races Avg.
Finish—13.8
Best Finish—2nd (Peach
State)
Regular Season Review
Pletcher’s season was a bit
of a rollercoaster. He finished inside the top five more
times this season than he did in the previous five
seasons. But despite picking up five top-five finishes,
Pletcher finished 29th or worse on four
occasions during the regular season. If he can eliminate
the problems, Pletcher can be a frontrunner at any
track.
Jennerstown Preview
Pletcher won’t have much to draw from at Jennerstown.
He’s made one start and finished last after making just
46 laps.
Best Finish at
Jennerstown—40th (5/31/03)
Avg. Finish at Jennerstown—40.0 (1
start)
9. Brian Ross (No. 68 Nergy
Drink Ford)
Regular Season Division—North
Championship Series
Points—108
Regular Season Avg. Finish—12.4
Last Five Races Avg.
Finish—15.0
Best Finish—3rd
(Lonesome Pine)
Regular Season Review
Before leaving Odle, Ross
posted three top-five finishes. After leaving Odle,
Ross’ best finish was a sixth at Illiana. The paring
with Premiere Motorsports has potential, but don’t
expect the other drivers to wait for the potential to
bud in the Championship Series.
Jennerstown Preview
Ross’
best chance at a win will be at Jennerstown. In seven
starts, Ross has a win, six top-10 finishes and a pole.
Best Finish at Jennerstown—1st
(4/12/03)
Avg. Finish at Jennerstown—5.75 (7
starts)
No. 10 Seeds
10. Matt Carter (No. 22
HeavyTruckDealers.com Ford)
Regular Season Division—South
Championship Series
Points—114
Regular Season Avg. Finish—11.8
Last Five Races Avg.
Finish—12.8
Best Finish—4th
(Bristol and Peach State)
Regular Season Review
Carter didn’t have a bad
rookie season, but he was caught by Brad Rogers late in
the season. After posting three finishes outside the top
15, Carter dropped from eighth to 11th in the
points. Carter still can win the overall ROTY title, but
he needs to knock out some top-five finishes in the
Championship Series to do so.
Jennerstown Preview
Carter
doesn’t have any seat time under race conditions, but
his team does. RBR won the first USAR race held at
Jennerstown with Stacy Puryear behind the wheel. RBR
tested at Jennerstown with Carter, and they will be
ready to race.
Best Finish at Jennerstown—First
Start at Track
Avg. Finish at Jennerstown—First Start at Track
10. Joe Harrison Jr. (No.
57 KARNAC.com Chevrolet)
Regular Season Division—North
Championship Series
Points—114
Regular Season Avg. Finish—16.5
Last Five Races Avg.
Finish—19.4
Best Finish—7th
(Salem)
Regular Season Review
Harrison Jr. does the most
with the least out of any team in the HPC Series. He
travels light and tight, but he makes it to all the
races. The $300 per race bonus money next season for
finishing in the top 10 in points will go a long way to
helping Harrison Jr. keep going.
Jennerstown Preview
Harrison Jr. is going to
have to pick up the pace in the Championship Series. He
averaged a 17.5 starting position in the regular season,
but that may not cut it in the final five races. With 55
cars qualified for the Championship Series, a poor
qualifying effort will put him in provisional land.
However, by virtue of his top-10 standing in the regular
season, Harrison Jr. will have the benefit of two
provisionals in the Championship Series.
Best Finish at
Jennerstown—13th (5/29/04)
Avg. Finish at Jennerstown—13.0 (1
start)
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