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CLAY
ROGERS WINS JENNERSTOWN HOOTERS PROCUP 250
JENNERSTOWN, PA (Oct. 1) … Clay Rogers was the big winner Sunday
afternoon at the half-mile paved Jennerstown Speedway, as the
Mooresville, NC driver drove to victory in the Hooters ProCup Charlie
Campbell Memorial Miller Lite 250 presented by Predator Performance.
In
winning the contest Rogers strengthened his hold on the 2006 Hooters Pro
Cup National Championship chase, as the Jennerstown race marked round
two of the six-event championship series which pits the top drivers from
the United Speed Alliance Racing (USAR) North and South divisions
together for a post-season shoot out.
The
Miller Lite 250 was held over to Sunday after lingering rain showers
stopped the race at 49-laps Saturday evening. Defending USAR champion
Benny Gordon picked-up where he left off Sat. by assuming command on the
restart, and led the contest until Lap-77 when he elected to make his
mandatory pit stop for fuel and tires.
Kirk
Leone inherited the lead at that point, but quickly gave way to
Jennerstown super late model competitor Tim Bainey Jr., who proceeded to
lead the next 37-circuits before Gordon worked his way back to the front
and back into the lead.
Gordon
held the top spot until Rogers managed to slip under him after a
side-by-side battle on the 152nd circuit.. Gordon dogged
Rogers until disaster struck the DuBois driver following a restart on
Lap 167. While attempting to clear the lapped car of Trevor Bayne going
into the first turn, the two cars made contact sending Gordon’s Predator
Performance Ford into the wall and out of the race.
Gordon
was credited with a 33rd place finish, which placed a severe
crimp in his title hopes. The three-time USAR North champion came into
the Jennerstown race third in the point chase.
“”I
really hated to see Benny have trouble,” said Rogers from Victory Lane.
“ I don’t know hat happened, but I really wanted to race him for the win
here. Jennerstown is their best track, and I know the crowd was pulling
for him to win.”
With
Gordon out of the picture Rogers was able to lead the remaining distance
uncontested, although A.J. Frank closed to his rear bumper with 20 laps
remaining, until he ran out of fuel on the back straight.
Rogers
admitted he had some fuel concerns of his own. “We tried to conserve
fuel all day, and I was easy on the throttle during the caution laps,”
he said. “Our team works on fuel mileage, and it paid off today.”
Shelby
Howard, who captured the Spring Jennerstown Hooters ProCup race finished
second, driving for the team owned by NASCAR star Tony Stewart.. “We
were satisfied with a second place finish,” Howard related. “All of the
other teams tested here, and we didn’t. We were also battling with a
voltage regulator problem all day.”
Mart
Nesbitt finished a surprise third followed by Gary St. Amant, and
Michael Ritch. Jack Bailey, Justin Hobgood, Derek Kale, Woody Howard,
who won the opening USAR championship race at the new Iowa Speedway, and
Shane Wallace rounded out the top-10 finishers.
Bainey
was awarded 20th in the final tally after receiving a two-lap
penalty for an illegal pass under a yellow flag situation.
Former
Jennerstown weekly competitor Eric Corbett of Clear Spring, MD was
disqualified Saturday evening when it was determined that lead weight
had fallen out of his car. Corbett was running third in the race before
it was stopped by rain.
Round
three of the Hooters ProCup Championship Series moves to the Mansfield
(Ohio) Speedway on Oct. 14.
Complete Race Results | 
