By Erica Kron, USARacing

Concord, NC (June 18, 2009) – The USARacing Pro Cup Series heads back to its “home track” of Myrtle Beach Speedway for the 20th time in its series history. The Grand Strand 250 presented by Black’s Tire & Auto Service will be the 5th race of the 2009 season with 25 cars set to fire at 7:30pm.

Current series point leader, Clay Rogers, is ready to get back to Myrtle Beach Speedway to try and win three races in a row this season. Rogers has great success at this track with 2 back to back victories in 2006 and currently holds the record pole speed of 20.331 sec / 95.263 mph that was set back in May 2000.

This will be the largest field of the season for the series and will debut a couple new faces with Kyle Fowler and Justin Boston making their first series start. Short track legend, Gary St. Amant will be making his second start of the season with Tatman Motorsports and hopes to find funding for more starts in 2009.

Pro Cup Champ Grabs Second All-American Honor

Myrtle Beach, S.C.-This season, Benny Gordon became just the third driver to win multiple Pro Cup titles. And his stellar season didn’t go unnoticed.

Today, the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association named the 2-time Pro Cup champion Second Team All-American (AARWBA) in the Touring Series category. Gordon received Honorable Mention All-American in 2005.

Gordon finished the season with six wins, 11 top-5s and 12 top-10s. In addition, he led a series-high 898 laps, led 12 of the 13 races in which he competed and finished the season with an average finish of 3.15.

Gordon became the third Pro Cup driver to be named Second Team All-American. Clay Rogers was named to the team in 2006, while Bobby Gill made the Second Team last year. Gordon and Shane Huffman both have received Honorable Mention on the All-American Team in past years.

Pro Cup Champion receives second nomination on ballot

BURBANK, Calif. - Voting has begun among more than 300 members of the motorsports press to select the 2008 Auto Racing All-America team.

Benny Gordon, the overall Hooters Pro Cup Champion, is among the drivers vying for first-team honors in the Tour Series Category. Gordon name Honorable Mention All-American by the AARWBA in 2005.

Gordon won a series-high six times during the 2008 season, but the most impressive stat may be the fact that the DuBois, Pa., driver completed every lap during the season-all 2,789 of them.

In all, Gordon finished the season with six wins, 11 top-5s and 12 top-10s. In addition, he led a series-high 898 laps, led 12 of the 13 races in which he competed and finished the season with an average finish of 3.15.

With his second title in hand, Gordon pushed his career earnings in the Hooters Pro Cup Series to $1,396,100 in 99 starts.

Come on Pro Cup fans, teams, and sponsors - keep on having faith. There's no fat lady singing yet....

By Paul Warner, USAR, Wednesday, October 29, 2008

BFGoodrich Tires Pit Crew Challenge set for Friday

Myrtle Beach, S.C.-With the unparalleled competition in the Hooters Pro Cup Series on the track, pit crews have become an integral part of success for teams that call the Hooters Pro Cup Series home.

With fields separated by less than half a second, passing on pit stops is often easier than making up positions on the track. It’s becoming commonplace to see teams send their drivers back on the track in short order. And while the drivers are usually the centerpiece of Victory Lane, on Halloween, the Pro Cup pit crews will be the stars and have a chance at taking home a $2,000 bonus.

Prior to the running of the season-finale Black’s Tire America 200, the top teams from both the Southern and Northern Divisions during the regular season and the top rookie drivers from both divisions are be eligible to compete in the 2008 BFGoodrich Tires Pit Crew Challenge on Friday, October 31 at 5 p.m.

Kenly, N.C. — After several attempts to dry the track, rains forced the postponement of the Aaron’s 250 at Southern National Raceway Park until Sunday at 1 p.m.

Fans can still purchase tickets at the gate for tomorrow’s event.

Race Day Schedule
11:00am- Front Gates Open
12:40pm- Pre-Race Ceremonies
1:00pm- Command to “Start Your Engines”
To Follow- Dan Duncan Memorial Aaron’s 250
To Follow - Willie P. Richardson

By Paul Warner, USAR

McFarland hoping to sweep Southern National, pull even with Gordon

Myrtle Beach, S.C.-The bad news for Mark McFarland: He trails Benny Gordon by 45 points in the race for the overall Hooters Pro Cup title with just two races remaining. The good news: He’s got two races to catch him-and home-field advantage is in his favor.

Coming into the Dan Duncan Memorial Aaron’s 250 presented by Black’s Tire&Auto Service at Southern National (N.C.) Raceway Park, McFarland has two wins in three starts at the ultra-fast, .4-mile track, including a win earlier this year.

"[Having Southern National on the schedule] is good for us," said McFarland, who has averaged a 1.3 finish at SNRP in three starts. "But it’s still going to be tough. Benny has been on his game. They’ve got a great team, and they’re tough to beat every week. They’ll at least run top-five, so that means we’ve got win the race."

By Paul Warner, USAR

Rockingham, N.C.-You didn’t even have to ask the Hooters Pro Cup drivers testing at Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway what they thought of the historic facility during Saturday’s open test, you could see it in their eyes.

"Everybody in this garage area started driving racecars because they wanted to go fast. When you come to Rockingham, you’re going fast," said Clay Rogers, a two-time Hooters Pro Cup Champion. "That’s why you see everybody’s eyes lit up around here. This place is a different animal than we’re used to."

The Black’s Tire America 200 on Saturday, Nov. 1 will be the third time the Hooters Pro Cup Series has competed on a mile-long track, but the race will be the first time the series has done so at Rockingham Speedway.

"This is a great venue for us," said Rogers, driver of the No. 54s C&C Boiler Chevrolet. "You have to put this in the same category as Iowa, Bristol and Milwaukee. But I don’t know if any of those tracks have the storied history of great finishes coming off Turn 4 on the last lap like Rockingham does."

Rogers was just one of the 20 drivers taking part in the test session, but his sentiments were echoed throughout the garage area.

Lowe Moved, Fund Set Up

Myrtle Beach, S.C.-Mike Lowe's condition has improved over the week, and he has been moved to St. Luke's Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa to begin rehabilitation.

This will be a long, arduous process. In lieu of the expenses, USAR, in conjunction with Women’s Auxuliary, have set up a fund for Lowe at the Conway National Bank in Little River, S.C.

For cards and well-wishes: Mike Lowe St. Luke's Hospital Room 622 1026 A Avenue NE Cedar Rapids, IA 52402-3026

For donations: Mike Lowe Fund Conway National Bank P.O. Box 1129 Little River, S.C. 29566

Atlanta, Ga.-Today, Hooters of America, Inc. and United Speed Alliance Racing (USAR) announced that the current 2008 season will be the last year the popular national restaurant chain will be involved as title sponsor of USAR and its Hooters Pro Cup Series. The Company, which has been involved with USAR since its creation in 1994, cited the poor economy and the need to focus on restaurant related marketing activities as reasons to end the long standing sponsorship relationship.

"We appreciate the role USAR has played in furthering the Hooters Brand for the past 14 years," stated Mike McNeil, Vice President of Marketing for Hooters of America, Inc. "Gene Cox and the staff at USAR have done an admirable job of developing USAR into one of the premier racing organizations in the country. We wish the series and competitors continued success."