USAR Hooters Cup Late Model Series: Bobby Bags Big Bucks In Birmingham
27 May 1997
Birmingham, AL - Dalton, GA's Bobby Gill slid under race-long leader
Darrell Brown on the 143rd lap and held the point to the checkers to
grab his fourth career United Speed Alliance Racing, Hooters Cup Late
Model win at Fairgrounds Raceway in Birmingham, AL . Gill took home
$12,000 for the victory in the Naturally Fresh 200.
Gill opted to pit on lap 107 for fresh tires and fuel and then
charged through the field in his Terminal Trucking Chevrolet Monte
Carlo to take the lead in just 36 laps of the 5/8 mile slightly banked
oval. After starting in the 16th spot it was a long battle for Gill to
get to the front, but some early attrition and a fast pit stop were
the keys to the victory.
Brown, from Birmingham, AL, was driving the Frankie Grill
Chevrolet that won last year's edition of this race instead of his own
car, jumped to an early lead from his third place starting spot and
looked to be cruising to the win until Gill came flying through the
pack. Brown would head for the pits following the loss of the lead and
then get caught up in an accident on lap 158 ending his day. John
Wilkinson III of Hueytown, AL set the quick time of 20.265 seconds
around the venerable oval for an average speed of 11.029 mph and
started on the pole, but Brown was able to get inside him as the cars
exited turn two on the first lap and pull away. Wilkinson would
slowly fade backwards to an eventual 14th place finish.
1996 USAR Hooters Cup Champion Billy Bigley Jr. of Naples, FL
finished second in the Budweiser Chevrolet. It was his second
runner-up finish of the year. Third place went to Wildwood, FL's Dick
Anderson in the Castrol GTX/Greenwell Kline Motorsports Chevrolet. The
"King of the Florida Short Tracks" had started eleventh on the grid
and took his time working his way to the front. Fourth place went to
Mooresville, NC pilot Freddie Query, the current point leader and
fifth went to Mario Gosselin.
Mike Garvey, was the sixth place finisher followed by Nevin
Jenkins, Rookie contender Ronnie Burkett, Harold Fair Jr. and David
Jude filled the remaining spots in the top ten. The top 15 cars were
all on the lead lap as the race ended.
Jimmy Cope entered the event riding a three-race winning
streak, but for the third year in a row at Fairgrounds, engine
problems reared their ugly head when his motor suddenly quit on lap
89. Cope would spend half the race in the pits making repairs before
returning to finish in the 27th position. Mardy Lindley, who won last
year's race in the Frankie Grill car, was in his own entry this year
and finished the race in 11th spot, on the lead lap.
Following this weekend's racing action, Fairgrounds Raceway
will be closed until October or November to undergo extensive and much
needed renovations. The next scheduled race on the USAR Hooters Cup
Late Model tour is June 7th at the 1/2 mile high-banked Five Flags
Speedway in Pensacola, FL.
John Kaiser -- The Auto Channel
Fairgrounds Raceway - Provisional results for the
USAR Hooters Cup Late Model Series,
Naturally Fresh 200:
Ps.Ql.No. Driver , Car Laps
-- -- ---- ----------------------------------------------------- -----
1 16 5 Bobby Gill Terminal Trucking Chev 201
2 8 28 Billy Bigley Jr Budweiser Chev 201
3 11 92 Dick Anderson Castrol GTX Chev 201
4 2 8 Freddie Query Query Racing Chev 201
5 12 10 Mario Gosselin Jackaroo Chev 201
6 5 40 Mike Garvey Coors Light Chev 201
7 14 3 Nevin Jenkins Futronix Chev 201
8 24 31 Ronnie Burkett Boyd Racing Engines(R) Chev 201
9 15 71 Harold Fair Jr Perfect Circle/FleetTuf(R) Chev 201
10 17 2 David Jude CC Racing Chev 201
11 9 116 Mardy Lindley Kirby Vacuum Cleaners Chev 201
12 22 61 Tim Fryar Bobby Fryar Trucking Chev 201
13 29 39 Mike Hovis Castrol GTX Chev 201
14 1 59 John Wilkinson III Jeff Hamner/Discount Auto PrtsChev 201
15 35 171 Johnny Brazier Moody Monday's Ford 201
16 13 15 Bill Plemons Jr Carpet Transport Inc(R) Chev 200
17 28 73 Chad Dokken Nu Image Tile(R) Pont 200
18 25 42g Butch Gafnea Alabama Amusement Chev 200
19 31 78w Brad Webb Midland Trucking/PRC Trucking Chev 199
20 18 6 Derrick Kelley Greased Lightning/D.A.P.S Chev 199
21 20 08s Larry Speakman Natn'l Employer Solutions Chev 197
22 26 02 Jamie James Cajun Mountain Motorsports(R) Ford 194
23 27 25 Scott Wimmer McDonalds(R) Chev 192
24 34 90 Homer Heflin Heflin Racing Olds 177
25 21 70 Dwayne Dempsey C.D. Romas Italian Restaurant Chev 176
26 19 18 Ronnie Sanders Cecil Mcnealy/American Door Chev 171
27 6 1 Jimmy Cope Miller Lite Chev 162
28 3 86 Darrell Brown Frankie Grill Racing Chev 157
29 4 11m Dave Mader III Bob Ray Jones/Pennzoil/Jeff HamnerChev 132
30 7 44 Dan Beddingfield Wick Taylor/Taylor Farms Chev 118
31 30 47 Jimmy Kitchens Kitchens Motorsports Chev 51
32 10 81 Tony Walls Walls Accessories Chev 47
33 23 99 Wayne Niedeken Jr Everwood Treatment/Unifirst Chev 36
34 32 7h Eddie Hanks ESR Inc/Coler's Body Shop Chev 7
35 33 131 Curtis Gattis Turbo Blue Racing Gasoline Ford 5
Halfway Leader $1,000 - Darrell Brown
Top Rookie $1,000 - Ronnie Burkett
Hard Charger $500 - Mike Hovis/Ronnie Burkett
Lap Leaders : Darrell Brown - 142; Bobby Gill - 59
Track Length : 0.6250 Miles
Fairgrounds Raceway
USAR Hooters Cup Late Model Series,
Driver's Season Point Standings:
Ps.No. Driver , Car Points
-- ---- ----------------------------------------------------- --------
1 8 Freddie Query Query Racing Chev 1154
2 28 Billy Bigley Jr Royal Purple Lubricants Chev 1093
3 1 Jimmy Cope Miller Lite Chev 1087
4 5 Bobby Gill Terminal Trucking Chev 1082
5 10 Mario Gosselin Jackaroo Chev 961
6 92 Dick Anderson Castrol GTX Chev 959
7 40 Mike Garvey Coors Light Chev 956
8 25 Scott Wimmer McDonalds(R) Chev 921
9 81 Tony Walls Walls Accessories Chev 874
10 31 Ronnie Burkett Boyd Racing Engines(R) Chev 874
11 70 Dwayne Dempsey C.D. Romas Italian Restaurant Chev 850
12 6 Derrick Kelley Greased Lightning/D.A.P.S Chev 816
13 15 Bill Plemons Jr Carpet Transport Inc(R) Chev 764
14 02 Jamie James Cajun Mountain Motorsports(R) Ford 759
15 18 Ronnie Sanders Cecil Mcnealy/American Door Chev 749
16 39 Mike Hovis Castrol GTX Chev 684
17 3 Nevin Jenkins Futronix Chev 684
18 116 Mardy Lindley Kirby Vacuum Cleaners Chev 660
19 71 Harold Fair Jr Perfect Circle/FleetTuf(R) Chev 660
20 96 Jack Cook Bob's Speed Racers Chev 644
21 2 David Jude CC Racing Chev 585
22 58 Darell Brown Brown Motorsports Chev 525
23 72 Brian Ross R&R Fabrication/Liberty Sound Chev 483
24 73 Chad Dokken Nu Image Tile(R) Pont 469
25 79 Tim Olson Olson Motorsports Chev 400
26 67 Lee Raymond Adams Harris Racing Chev 384
27 11 Tim Felver Tri-Mer Corp Chev 367
28 99 Wayne Niedeken Jr Everwood Treatment/Unifirst Chev 328
29 68 Matt Kenseth Wisconsin Aviation/AFCO Chev 293
30 52 Roger Black Black Motorsports Chev 256