Gordon, rest of division ready for invaders this weekend at Jennerstown

by Tim Southers

Longs, SC – When Southern Division regular Clay Rogers won the season-opening Northern Division event at South Boston, it didn’t sit well with defending USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series champion Benny Gordon. Gordon, who finished second to Rogers at SoBo, didn’t like being the “first in division” as he said after the race.

This weekend Gordon might have a chance to extract some revenge on the Southern Division regulars in the Giant Food Stores 250 presented by Predator Performance this Saturday night at Jennerstown Speedway.

“Jennerstown is going to be a championship-type race,” Gordon said about the numerous Southern Division interlopers joining the field. “It might not count for championship points, but it’s going to count for something. We’re going to be ready for them.”

Of the 46-plus drivers already entered for the race this weekend, no less than six Southern Division teams are expected to enter the race, headlined by Shane Huffman and Bobby Gill, who have each recorded previous wins at the track.

Also joining Gill and Huffman from the Southern Division will be Jody Lavender, Andrew Rogers, Michelle Theriault and Brett Butler.

Each year, several teams from each division will often visit tracks out of their division to gain seat time. Most of the time, the tracks are ones that host Championship Series events. But this year, running at those tracks has a little more importance to teams.

In 2006, USAR began a new testing policy which limits how many tests each Hooters Pro Cup Series team can have during the season, making it even more important to get valuable track time, especially at tracks that host Championship Series events. Jennerstown is one of two tracks on the Northern Division regular season schedule that also hosts an event during the season-ending playoff. The Championship Series race at Jennerstown will be held in September.

With no provisionals available for out-of-division competitors, several Southern Division teams missed the event when rain washed out qualifying last spring, leaving the Northern Division drivers to battle amongst themselves for the win.

Gordon, driver of the No. 66 Predator Performance Ford, led a race-high 79 laps en route to the win in the spring event. Joe Gaita completed the Northern Division’s sweep at the Laurel Highlands’ track by winning the Championship Series event, a race that featured the best of both divisions. Gaita, driving the No. 46 Speedco Ford, led to final 40 laps to capture his third career win. With the victory, Gaita gave veteran Northern Division car owner Darin Odle his eighth win as a Pro Cup car owner.

Odle Motorsports should be one of the Northern Division teams looking forward to returning to Jennerstown as his new driver, L W Miller, is coming off his best finish of the season of fourth two weeks ago at Kil-Kare Speedway.

Johnny Rumley, who collected his first career win at Jennerstown Speedway in 2004, enters as one of the hottest drivers in the Northern Division with three straight top-10 finishes, including a win at Kil-Kare two weeks ago. Rumley also finished fourth last fall at Jennerstown in the Championship Series event.

Gordon has won twice at his home track and joins Huffman and Jeff Agnew as the only repeat winners entered this weekend.

“I didn’t like it when a Southern Division car came up to one of our races and won earlier this year,” said Gordon. “We will work hard to show them and that we can defend our division and get a win for Predator Performance at Jennerstown.”

Front gates open at 2 p.m. with qualifying for the Giant Food Stores 250 presented by Predator Performance scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. Fans can meet their favorite drivers during the on-track autograph session at 5:45 p.m. and the green flag will fly at 7 p.m. Advance $15.00 discount general admission tickets are available for purchase through May 25 on-line at www.jennerstown.com, or by calling 1-888-695-0888. Tickets may also be purchased in person at the speedway office (cash transaction only). Gate price the day of the event will be $25.00. Kids 12 and under are free. For more information, please contact Jennerstown Speedway at 814-629-6677.