| CARS Pro Cup Series | |
| Category | Stock car racing |
| Area of jurisdiction | United States |
| Formation date | 1997 |
| Headquarters | Concord, North Carolina |
| Official website | |
| www.usarprocup.com | |
CARS Pro Cup Series (formerly known as the USARacing Pro Cup Series & USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series) is a stock car auto racing series in the United States. It is sanctioned by the Championship Auto Racing Series. The series races throughout the United States primarily on short tracks.
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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.[1] 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. USAR officials combined the Northern and Southern divisions in 2009. Hooters dropped its sponsorship of the series the same season, and the series later re-branded itself as USARacing Pro Cup Series.
On August 25, 2011, Series Director and Owner Jack McNelly announced that the series would be operating under the name "Championship Auto Racing Series" (CARS Pro Cup).
The following drivers won the Four Champions playoff series after the series was split into two divisions:
The following are some of the current regular drivers:[3]
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.
| Date | Track | Division | Event Name | Pole Winner | Race Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 15 | USA International Speedway | Southern | Sears Auto Center 200 | Mark McFarland | Benny Gordon | |
| March 29 | South Georgia Motorsports Parks | Southern | BFGoodrichTires.com 250 | Mark McFarland | Michael Ritch | |
| April 19 | South Boston Speedway | Northern | Miller Lite 250 | Benny Gordon | Danny Abold | |
| April 26 | Concord Motorsport Park | Southern | Racing Electronics 250 | Wade Day | Michael Ritch | |
| May 31 | Milwaukee Mile | Combined | Sears Auto Center 150 | Brandon Ward | Mark McFarland | |
| June 14 | Mansfield Motorsports Park | Northern | Greased Lightning 250 | Benny Gordon | Derek Kale | |
| June 21 | Myrtle Beach Speedway | Southern | Greased Lightning 250 | Dange Hanniford | Mark McFarland | |
| June 28 | Salem Speedway | Northern | Lucas Oil 200 | Mike Hampton | Mikey Kile | |
| July 12 | Motor Mile Speedway | Northern | Kmart 250 | Clay Rogers | Benny Gordon | |
| July 19 | Southern National Raceway Park | Southern | Crane Cams 250 | Clay Rogers | Mark McFarland | |
| July 26 | Jennerstown Speedway | Northern | Hooters 250 | Benny Gordon | Benny Gordon | |
| August 2 | Hickory Motor Speedway | Southern | 4 Brothers 250 | Clay Rogers | Hunter Robbins | |
| August 9 | South Boston Speedway | Northern | Miller Lite 250 | Mark McFarland | Benny Gordon | |
| August 20 | Bristol Motor Speedway | Combined | Aaron's 150 | Wade Day | Caleb Holman | |
| August 30 | Mansfield Motorsports Park | Championship | Charlie Campbell Memorial / Sears Auto Centers 250 | Michael Ritch | Benny Gordon | |
| September 20 | Iowa Speedway | Championship | Alan Kulwicki Memorial / Race 2 Recover 225 | Benny Gordon | Benny Gordon | |
| October 18 | Southern National Raceway Park | Championship | Dan Duncan Memorial / Aaron's 250 | Benny Gordon | Jay Fogleman | |
| November 1 | Rockingham Speedway | Championship | Mark Brooks Memorial / American 200 | Woody Howard | Clay Rogers |
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