USAR Hooters Procup Series

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United Speed Alliance Racing
Sport governing body

Where Real Racing Lives!
Where Real Racing Lives!
Category Stock car racing
Area of jurisdiction Flag of the United States United States
Formation date 1997
Headquarters Longs, South Carolina
President Gene Cox
Website usarprocup.com

The USAR Hooter Pro Cup Series is a stock car auto racing series in the United States. It is sanctioned by the United Speed Alliance Racing. The series races throughout the United States primarily on short tracks. The series title sponsor is Hooters, an international chain of restaurants. Local and national companies sponsor most races.

Contents

[edit] History

The sanctioning body was formed by Hooters owner Robert Brooks. Brooks created the body to honor the memories of four people who died in an April 1, 1993 airplane crash: Brooks' son Mark Brooks, reigning NASCAR champion Alan Kulwicki, Dan Duncan, and pilot Charlie Campbell.[1] The sanctioning body started a late model series. Brooks decided to stop sanctioning the late model series in favor of the Pro Cup series while at the September 1997 race at the Milwaukee Mile. Brooks wanted to move to steel-bodied racecars. There were eleven races in 1997.[2] The series was expanded to twenty races in 1998.

In 2001, the series devised a "northern division" and a "southern division" that race separately. After the regular season, the top drivers from each division participate in a five race playoff series called the Four Champions Challenge. Winners of the respective division are awarded a 25-point bonus for the playoff and a cash bonus as regular season champions. The driver who gets the most points in the Four Champions races, and the seeding points, (four races in 2001, five races from 2002 until 2005, six in 2006, 5 races in 2007) is declared the USAR champion.

At the end of the season, each of the top 30 teams that competes in at least half of the series' regular season races in their division is given entry points based on the number of points one competitor can earn for finishing in that respective position in a race. Beginning in 2006, the top 15 in each division automatically qualified. Each driver collects points for each race they participate in during the Championship Series, adding to their entry points collected from their regular season finish. A ten-point bonus is awarded for every driver who attempts to qualify at every race, although driver must race three of the six races to qualify for postseason bonus prizes. Cash bonuses are available for winning four, five, or all six postseason races. In 2003, Shane Huffman won a bonus for winning three of the five races. The success of this series which led to NASCAR devising its own playoff system in 2004.

[edit] Media

All thirty races in 2006 were televised on the SPEED Channel, Altitude Sports, CSN West, CL Midwest, and America One.

[edit] Drivers

[edit] Four Champions Playoff Champions

The following drivers won the Four Champions playoff series after the series was split into two divisions:

[edit] Series Champions

[edit] Rookies of the Year

  • 2007 Brandon Ward
  • 2006 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

[edit] Other notable alumni

[edit] Current drivers

The following are current regular drivers:[4]

[edit] Seasons

[edit] 2008 USAR Hooters ProCup Schedule

[edit] Southern Division Schedule

  1. March 15 USA International Speedway Lakeland, FL
  2. March 29 South Georgia Motorsports Park Cecil, GA
  3. April 26 Concord Motorsport Park Concord, NC
  4. June 21 Myrtle Beach Speedway Myrtle Beach, SC
  5. July 19 Southern National Raceway Park Kenly, NC
  6. August 2 Hickory Motor Speedway Hickory, NC

[edit] Northern Division Schedule

  1. April 19 South Boston Speedway South Boston, VA
  2. June 14 Mansfield Motorsports Park Mansfield, OH
  3. June 28 Salem Speedway Salem, IN
  4. July 12 Motor Mile Speedway Radford, VA
  5. July 26 Jennerstown Speedway Jennerstown, PA
  6. August 9 South Boston Speedway South Boston, VA

[edit] Combination Races

  1. May 31 Milwaukee Mile West Allis, WI (with the IndyCar Series)
  2. August 20 Bristol Motor Speedway Bristol, TN (with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series)

NOTE: Four Hooters ProCup drivers were removed from their cars and replaced by substitute drivers for the Milwaukee Mile race for being under 18. Under the Master Settlement Agreement, all drivers participating in the ABC Supply Company A. J. Foyt 225 weekend races (IndyCar, Indy Light, Hooters ProCup) must be 18 as Marlboro is sponsoring an IndyCar team.

[edit] Championship Series

  1. August 30 Mansfield Motorsports Park Mansfield, OH
  2. September 20 Iowa Speedway Newton, IA
  3. October 18 USA International Speedway Lakeland, FL
  4. November 1 Rockingham Speedway Rockingham, NC

[edit] 2007 Schedule

Note: Races in bold are part of the Four Champions playoff series.

Date Track Division Event Name Pole Winner Race Winner
March 10 USA International Speedway Southern Sears Auto Center 200 Mike Garvey Matt Hawkins
March 31 South Georgia Motorsports Parks Southern Glover Foods 250 Woody Howard Woody Howard
April 14 South Boston Speedway Northern Farmer's Foods 250 Frank Deiny Jr. Bobby Gill
April 28 Concord Motorsport Park Southern Naturally Fresh 250 Michael Ritch Chase Pistone
May 3 Shenandoah Speedway Northern Farmer's Foods 250 Clay Rogers Mark McFarland
May 26 Madison International Speedway Northern Sears Auto Center 200 Rained out Benny Gordon
June 3 Peachstate Speedway Southern Aaron's 199 Dusty Williams Clay Rogers
June 9 Mansfield Motorsports Park Northern Greased Lightning 250 Benny Gordon Mark McFarland
June 23 Myrtle Beach Speedway Southern Greased Lightning 200 Caleb Holman Michael Ritch
June 30 Salem Speedway Northern Lucas Oil 200 Matt Carter Gary St Amant
July 14 Motor Mile Speedway Northern Kroger 250 Mark McFarland Brandon Ward
July 21 Southern National Raceway Park Southern Naturally Fresh 250 Woody Howard Michael Ritch
July 28 Lake Erie Speedway Northern BFGoodrichTires.com 250 Brandon Ward Benny Gordon
August 4 Hickory Motor Speedway Southern Aaron's 250 Caleb Holman Trevor Bayne
August 11 South Boston Speedway Northern Miller Lite 250 Johnny Rumley Jeff Agnew
August 22 Bristol Motor Speedway Southern Food City 150 Michael Ritch Benny Gordon
September 1 Mansfield Motorsports Park Championship Charlie Campbell Memorial Sears Auto Center 250 Michael Ritch Bobby Gill
September 22 Iowa Speedway Championship Soy Biodiesel 225 Mike Garvey Matt Carter
October 6 Myrtle Beach Speedway Championship Mark Brooks Memorial Bi-Lo 250 Richard Boswell Trevor Bayne
October 20 South Georgia Motorsports Park Championship Dan Duncan Memorial Aaron's 250 Mark McFarland Matt Hawkins
November 3 USA International Speedway Championship Robert H. Brooks Memorial Aaron's 250 Matt Carter Bobby Gill

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.tricklefan.com/shots/usar.html
  2. ^ http://www.tricklefan.com/shots/usar.html
  3. ^ Matt Kenseth Biography at his official website; 2008; Retrieved April 30, 2008
  4. ^ [1]

[edit] External links

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