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Mikey
Kile Takes Lucas Oil 200 Last-lap
bump, pass puts rookie in Salem Speedway Victory Lane Salem, Ind.—How wild was the finish of the Lucas Oil 200 presented by Touchstone Energy at Salem Speedway? Well, consider this, Benny Gordon was running third and figured he was in the right place on a restart with four laps remaining. “I really thought they were going to wreck each other and I was going to get a win,” said Gordon. Gordon was referring to leader Allen Purkhiser and rookie Mikey Kile, who were both searching for their first Hooters Pro Cup wins and leaving nothing on the table. Gordon premonition proved incorrect, but just barely. With two laps to go, Purkhiser carried the lead into Turn 1 before slipping up the track, allowing Kile to close within a car length. On the final lap, Kile closed enough to nudge Purkhiser up the track in Turn 2, slid past and inched away from Purkhiser to win his first Pro Cup event in his fifth start. “There was a lot of give and take, and a lot of good racing between us,” Kile said of his battle with Purkhiser. “I didn’t want to get into him, but I was fighting for the win. I would’ve expected the same out of him.” Though the last lap battle went into overtime as the two bounced off each other the entire cool-down lap, Purkhiser agreed. “That was just hard racing,” said Purkhiser, driver of the No. 68n Bill Ellis Barbeque Ford. “If I was in his position, I would have done the same thing.” Purkhiser actually did the same thing on Lap 174. After catching Kile for the lead, Purkhiser bumped Kile high, moved to the point with 25 laps remaining and began to pull away from the field. But the late-race caution on Lap 194 changed that. “It was good thing for us that we got that last caution, or I wouldn’t have caught him,” said Kile, who took home $11,800 for the win. “I was able to cool the tires off and make run at him. It looked like his car got a little tight on the restart and I was able to get under him, then it was drag race down to Turn 3.” Purkhiser tried to close on Kile in the final turn, but he came up .170 seconds shy of his first Pro Cup win. Benny Gordon, driver of the No. 66n Samuel Metals Ford, held onto finish third. Gary St. Amant and Mike Hampton completed the top five.
Unofficial
Results 1. Mikey Kile 2. Allen Purkhiser 3. Benny Gordon 4. Gary St. Amant 5. Mike Hampton 6. Brandon Ward 7. Travis Miller 8. Tyler Young 9. Tim Bainey Jr. 10. Ray Love Jr. 11. Danny Jackson 12. Michael Kidd 13. Matt Merrell 14. Jeff Agnew 15. A.J. Frank 16. Brett Butler 17. Derek Kale 18. Derrick Kelley 19. Ronnie Souders 20. Tim Kerr 21. Sam Fullone 22. Joe Harrison Jr. 23. Jay Fogleman 24. Jason Sarvis
Stretch
Run Starts at Motor Mile Kmart
250 to separate “Contenders” from “Pretenders”
Myrtle Beach, S.C.—With only 101 points separating the top six in the Sears Auto Center Northern Division standings, the Kmart 250 at Motor Mile (Va.) Speedway on July 12 will be a critical race in determining who will become the divisional champion. With just four races remaining in the regular season, drivers no longer have the option of a mulligan and every position is worth fighting for. “You don’t want to point race, but you have to be smart to win these titles,” said Benny Gordon, who has three Northern Division titles under his belt and currently leads the standings. “You want to win these races, but, if you don’t have the car to do it, you need to come up with a strategy to get the best finish you can. Some guys can’t do that, and that’s why they don’t win titles.” Gordon practiced what he preached at Salem Speedway, taking a 10th-place car and finishing third. But even with his podium finish, Gordon saw rookie Mikey Kile pull to within 35 points in the standings. Kile, who trailed Gordon by 60 points going into Salem, now finds himself not only leading the Miller Lite rookie standings, but close enough to put some real pressure on Gordon down the stretch. “Our goal was to win the rookie championship,” said Kile, driver of the No. 65n VisViva Energy Drink Chevrolet. “But if we can win the Northern Division title, too, that would be a big bonus.” Indeed. If Kile pulled off both, the bonus would bring the rookie driver an extra $30,000 at the end of the regular season. But a rookie has never won the Northern Division title, and there are plenty of veterans hoping to make sure it doesn’t happen this season. Gary St. Amant, Derek Kale, Brandon Ward and Jeff Agnew will likely make late-season runs at the title. St. Amant, who won the Northern Division title last season, is only 71 points behind Gordon at the halfway point; Kale lost some ground at Salem, but his team has to be considered championship-caliber; Agnew can beat anybody at anytime with a little luck; and Ward is showing signs of breaking out of his early-season slump and moving back to the top of the Pro Cup lot, where he was after last season’s event at Motor Mile. Ward, as a rookie, pulled out a veteran move to win the Kroger 250 a year ago. After taking the white flag, Ward, who was leading, slowed his No. 93 SupplyOne Ford heading into Turn 1, allowing Jeff Agnew to swing to the high side. As Agnew pulled ahead going down the backstretch, Ward, with the preferred line, bounced off Agnew in Turn 4 and nipped the veteran at the line to take the Kroger 250 presented by Star Country 94.9. The win jumped Ward to second in the standings and made him a legitimate contender. But even drivers like Jay Fogleman, who is 146 points behind Gordon, and Allen Purkhiser, who is 126 points out of lead, can climb back into contention with a win or two. All they need to do is look at their Southern brethren. Mark McFarland went from 21st to first in points in a three-race streak that included two wins and a fourth-place finish. A sense of urgency will be evident when the field takes the green for the Kmart 250, and a clearer picture of who will reign supreme in the Northern Division will come at its conclusion. Fans are encouraged to come out early for a day full of racing action. Front gates will open at 2 p.m. The Motor Mile Late Model stock division will qualify at 3 p.m. and be followed by Hooters Pro Cup Awesome Awnings Pole Qualifying at 4 p.m. The Wraps INK Autograph Session will take place at 5:45 p.m. Pre-race ceremonies start at 6:30 p.m. and the green flag will wave at 7 p.m. Following the Kmart 250, the Late Model Stock division will compete in a 150-lap feature. For more information, visit www.motormilespeedway.com or call (540) 639-1700. Hooters
Pro Cup QUick Facts FOr
the sears Auto center Northern Division WHAT:
Kmart
250
WHERE:
Motor Mile Speedway
.416-mile, high-banked oval WHEN:
Saturday, July 12 DISTANCE:
250 laps/104 miles POSTED
AWARDS:
$127,136 STARTING
FIELD:
32-car
starting field. Top 28 on time,
four provisionals PROMOTER:
Al
Shelor Website
– www.motormilespeedway.com
TELEVISION:
VERSUS NETWORK—Friday, July 18 at 11 p.m. (ET) Regional
Networks: Comcast/Charter
Sports Southeast, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic, Altitude Sports, Comcast
SportsNet New England, SportsTime Ohio, Comcast SportsNet West, Cox Sports,
Lonestar Sports, Mediacom, America One, DirectTV & Dish Network (Check
Local Listings for Regional Airings)
WEEKEND
SCHEDULE: Friday,
July 11, 2008: 5:00
p.m. – 7 p.m.
Early Parking & Registration Saturday,
July 12, 2008: 7:30
a.m.
USAR HPCS officials Meeting 7:50
am
Transporter Parking 8:00
a.m.
USAR HPCS Crew Chief Meeting 8:30
a.m.
Pit Gates Open 9:00
a.m.
USAR HPCS Tech Inspection Begins 9:30
a.m.
USAR HPCS Rookie Meeting 11:00
a.m.
USAR HPCS Practice Begins 1:00
p.m.
USAR HPCS Practice Ends 1:15
p.m.
USAR HPCS Drivers Meeting (Engines Off) 1:30
p.m.
Chapel Service (Engines Off) 1:45
p.m.
Late Model Practice Begins 2:00
p.m.
Front Gates Open 2:30
p.m.
Late Model Practice Ends 3:00
p.m.
Late Model Qualifying
4:00
p.m.
Awesome Awnings Qualifying for the USAR HPCS 4:45
p.m.
Late Model Last Chance Race 5:45
p.m.
Wraps Ink Autograph Session for the USAR HPCS 6:30
p.m.
Pre-Race Ceremonies for the Kmart 250 7:00
p.m.
Start of Kmart 250 To
Follow
Late Model 150-lap race HPCS
Track Qualifying Record at Salem: Driver:
Mark McFarland Date: 7/14/07 - Time: 15.866 sec/94.391 mph Results
from 2007 Motor Mile Event 1.
Brandon Ward 2.
Jeff Agnew 3.
Lonnie Rush Jr. 4.
Benny Gordon 5.
Gary St. Amant 6.
A.J. Frank 7.
Carl Long 8.
Johnny Rumley 9.
Jody Lavender 10.
Ben Stancill Awesome Awnings Pole Award-
$1000- Mark McFarland- 15.866/94.391MPH New track record Lucas Oil Products 1/2 Way
Leader-$1000-Brandon Ward Miller Lite Rookie of the
Race -$1000- Brandon Ward Aarons Do The Math Hard
Charger -$500- Jeff Agnew Greased Lightning Clean
Team - $500-Benny Gordon Number of caution flags-4 1
Red Flag- 12min Total laps under caution- 26 iCard Time of Race- 1:24:34
Green Flag Average Speed- 90.771 MPH Margin of Win- .271 sec Lap Leaders- 1-38 Eric
Corbett(38); 39-66 Mark McFarland(47); 67-72 Gary St Amant(6); 73-83 Benny
Gordon(64); 84-167 Brandon Ward(98); 168 Benny Gordon; 169-171 Brandon Ward;
172-223 Benny Gordon; 234-242 Mark McFarland; 243-253 Brandon Ward Past
Winners at Motor Mile Year
Race Winner
Pole Winner 2007
Brandon Ward
Mark McFarland 2006
Benny Gordon
Benny Gordon 2005
Shane Huffman
Shane Huffman 2005
Benny Gordon
Mark McFarland 2004
Clay Rogers
Jeff Agnew 2004
Benny Gordon
Johnny Rumley 2003
Jay Fogleman
Jeff Agnew 2002
Bobby Gill
Robbie Ferguson 2001
Bobby Gill
Shane Huffman 2000
Bobby Gill
Jon Wood 1999
Mario Gosselin
Michael Ritch 1998
Jay Fogleman
Jeff Agnew
2008
HPCS Winners Date
Event
Race Winner
Pole Winner March
15
Sears Auto Center 200, USA Int’l Speedway
Benny Gordon
Mark McFarland March
29
BFGoodrichTires.com 250, South Georgia Michael
Ritch
Mark McFarland April
19
Miller Lite 250, South Boston
Dan Abold
Benny Gordon April
26
Racing Electronics 250, Concord
Michael Ritch
Wade Day May
31
Sears Auto Center 150, Milwaukee Mark
McFarland
Matt Carter June
14
Greased Lightning 250, Mansfield
Derek Kale
Benny Gordon June
21
Greased Lightning 250, Myrtle Beach
Mark McFarland Dange
Hanniford Jun
28
Lucas Oil 200, Salem Speedway
Mikey Kile
Mike Hampton Kmart
250 Fast Facts ·
The Kmart 250 will start the second half of the season for the Sears Auto
Center Northern Division. ·
Jay Fogleman and Benny Gordon are the only drivers pre-entered that have
visited Victory Lane on multiple occasions at Motor Mile. ·
Benny Gordon and Bobby Gill are tied for the most wins (3) at Motor Mile
Speedway. Gill won his races in a row, while Gordon has won on an
every-other-race basis since 2004. ·
Last year, after a caution period on Lap 105, the event at Motor Mile
went 137 laps without a caution. ·
Only three times in 12 races has the race winner come from outside the
top-six starting positions. However, on those three occasions, Bobby Gill, who
won all three, averaged a starting spot of 26th. ·
Through four regular season races in the Northern Division, three of the
winners have been first-time winners. If you throw in the fact that Ray Love Jr.
was best-in-class at Milwaukee, the perennial powerhouses of the division have
been shutout. ·
Benny Gordon holds the record for least amount of laps led by a winner.
Gordon led just 42 circuits in his 2004 win at Motor Mile. Gordon also holds the
record for most laps led by a race winner. In 2006, Gordon led 172 laps en route
to victory. ·
On average, the winner at Motor Mile Speedway leads at least 100 laps. ·
Brandon Ward became the only rookie to ever win at Motor Mile when he
went to Victory Lane there last season. ·
There have been seven different winners at Motor Mile in 12 races and
five of those drivers have at least one Hooters Pro Cup title to their credit.
Brandon Ward and Jay Fogleman are the only drivers to win at Motor Mile that
have not yet won a Hooters Pro Cup title. ·
Despite winning multiple Late Model titles at Motor Mile, Jeff Agnew is
still waiting for his first Hooters Pro Cup win at his home track. In 12 starts,
Agnew is averaging a 9.7 finish. ·
Benny Gordon has the best average finish among drivers with more than
five starts at Motor Mile. Gordon’s average finish in six starts is 2.8. Participating
Special Award Sponsors: Official
Series Sponsors Participating
Contingency Award Sponsors: Premiere, Purkhiser Put on Show at Salem Second-place
run boosts team, driver Cary, N.C.—It would have been easy for the Premiere Motorsports team and their driver, Allen Purkhiser, to hang their heads after the way they lost the Lucas Oil 200 at Salem Speedway. But that’s not in the character for a team that knows the ups and downs of racing all too well. “It’s unfortunate, but sometimes things like that happen,” said team owner Steve Husketh. “I think in 2003 we had the same thing happen. Kertus [Davis] was leading on the last lap and we lost. I’ve been on both sides of something like; it’s just one of those things.” Even without the win, Purkhiser’s second-place finish was a career-best in the Hooters Pro Cup Series and moved him into 10th in the Sears Auto Center Northern Division standings, giving the team some much-needed momentum heading into the home stretch. “This means a lot, especially for Steve and Radar [Parker],” said Purkhiser, who led a race-high 87 laps. “This team really wanted to start running better this season, and this picks us up.” If nothing else, the second-place finish at least brings them back to where they were a few years ago when Premiere Motorsports was a premier team in the Hooters Pro Cup Series, contending for wins and titles with drivers like Jay Fogleman and Kertus Davis. “We’re working hard to get back to where we were,” said Husketh. “[After Kertus], we started running some rookie drivers, and the learning curve was just too much for them. Our team wasn’t bad, but the drivers didn’t know what it takes to run at this level. I think we have all the pieces together now. All the guys that work on this team are doing a great job and Bill Ellis Barbeque has come on board as a sponsor. We couldn’t do this without them.” Though the puzzle seems to be coming together nicely, some might have questioned Purkhiser’s ability to become the final piece. But not Husketh. “I wanted to put somebody in the car that was appreciative of what they have,” said Husketh. “He’s just a good person. He’s a good driver; he’s not a great one, but he’s going to get better with experience. I hired him because of the kind of person he was. And he understands what it takes to get it done at this level.” Purkhiser’s knowledge is mainly due to his understanding of what a car needs. Unable to find rides early in his career, Purkhiser’s occupation was a full-time mechanic and a part-time racer. The Moore, S.C., driver worked on cars for Mike Laughlin Jr. for many years before joining Premiere Motorsports in 2005 as a mechanic/driver. After three years of part-time driving status, Purkhiser appears to be making seamless transition into his driver position after his breakout run at Salem. But, in true selfless fashion, Purkhiser doesn’t see himself as the reason for Premiere’s resurgence.
Southern Division Schedule DATE DAY TRACK SIZE LOCATION 1. Mar. 15 Sat. USA Int’l Speedway 0.75 Lakeland, FL 2. Mar. 29 Sat. South Georgia Motorsports Park 0.5 Cecil, GA 3. Apr. 26 Sat. Concord Motorsport Park 0.5 Concord, NC 4. May 31 Sat. Milwaukee Mile 1.0 West Allis, WI 5. June 21 Sat. Myrtle Beach Speedway 0.538 Myrtle Beach, SC 6. July 19 Sat. Southern Nat’l Raceway Park 0.4 Kenly, NC 7. Aug. 2 Sat. Hickory Motor Speedway 0.363 Hickory, NC 8. Aug. 20 Wed. Bristol Motor Speedway 0.533 Bristol, TN Northern Division Schedule DATE DAY TRACK SIZE LOCATION 1. Apr. 19 Sat. South Boston Speedway 0.4 South Boston, VA 2. May 31 Sat. Milwaukee Mile 1.0 West Allis, WI 3. June 14 Sat. Mansfield Motorsports Park 0.5 Mansfield, OH 4. June 28 Sat. Salem Speedway 0.555 Salem, IN 5. July 12 Sat. Motor Mile Speedway 0.416 Radford, VA 6. July 26 Sat. Jennerstown Speedway 0.522 Jennerstown, PA 7. Aug. 9 Sat. South Boston Speedway 0.4 South Boston, VA 8. Aug. 20 Wed. Bristol Motor Speedway 0.533 Bristol, TN Championship Series DATE DAY TRACK SIZE LOCATION 1. Aug. 30 Sat. Mansfield Motorsports Park 0.5 Mansfield, OH 2. Sept. 20 Sat. Iowa Speedway 0.875 Newton, IA 3. Oct. 18 Sat. USA Int’l Speedway 0.75 Lakeland, FL 4. Nov. 1 Sat. Rockingham Speedway 1.0 Rockingham, NC
Four Champions Playoff Champions2007 Bobby Gill 2006 Clay Rogers 2005 Benny Gordon 2004 Clay Rogers 2003 Shane Huffman 2002 Jason Sarvis 2001 Bobby Gill Series Champions2000 Bobby Gill1999 Bobby Gill 1998 Jeff Agnew 1997 Mario Gosselin NOTE: Since 2001, the winner has been determined by a playoff system. Rookies of the Year 2007 Richard Boswell2006 Derek Kale 2005 Woody Howard 2004 Matt Carter 2003 Benny Gordon 2002 Brian Ross 2001 Toby Robertson 2000 Brian Vickers 1999 Steven Christian 1998 Jeff Agnew 1997 Brad May
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