|
|
|
| Florida Drivers Come Out for Hooter's Pro Cup | By Jane Smith
-KARNAC.com
Luke Hill (41) holding the bottom at USA International Speedway
Lakeland, Fla (February 28, 2004) It was a typical Florida winter day as the day was warm and the night was cold when the Hooter's Pro Cup welcomed in their 2004 season at USA International in Lakeland.
In the thirty nine cars that came for the first race, seven drivers were from Florida. Luke Hill (#41) of Safety Harbor has run the Hooter's Pro Cup for a few seasons now. Hill, who has a smile that never ends, qualified 21st and was the highest finisher of the Florida boys finishing tenth.
Billy Bigley Jr. (#25) of Naples has been a fan favorite for some time. Bigley, who has run some Sunbelt and All American Challenge Series races in 2003 and won the 1998 Governor's Cup at New Smyrna Speedway qualified 23rd and finished 14th.
D.J. Hoelzle (#9) of Dunedin is known for his No. 8 black Open Wheel Modified. But Hoelzle sold all his modifieds and set his eyes on Hooter's Pro Cup. Hoelzle qualified 19th and finished right behind Bigley in 15th.
Chris Fontaine (#47) of Lakeland recently won the Icebreaker 125 at Desoto Super Speedway. Fontaine, who started out racing go-karts and has worked his way from Late Models to Super Late Models, plans to run a few of the Pro Cup races this year and also the All American Challenge Series and FASCAR Sunbelt Super Late Model Series.
Fontaine qualified 32nd but raced his way to a 16th place finish in spite of dusting the wall and fighting a push towards the end of the race.
Derrick Kelley (#00) of Auburndale is well known in the Hooter Pro Cup family. Kelley, who will wheel a Craftsman Truck in 2004, qualified 15th in the #00 Pro Cup Car.
But mechanical problems caused Kelley to retire from the race finishing 26th.
Joe Federico (#14) of Lakeland is another Florida driver who comes out of Open Wheel Modifieds. Federico qualified 31st and finished 29th. Although he was laps down, Federico crossed the finished line along with Hoelzle and Fontaine.
Dave Snodgrass (#21) of Melbourne qualified 35th and finished 35th. Snodgrass, who sold all his racing equipment to race Hooter's Pro Cup, was just getting his car dialed in when he dusted the wall Friday night in the last 5 minutes of open practice.
Snodgrass had planned to run 6 races this year but will regroup and come back later in the year.
Steve Redditt of Orlando had his #05 Hooter Pro Cup car at Lakeland but failed to race. Redditt plans to run the March 20th race at New Smyrna Speedway.
Florida races proved last Saturday night that they can run with the best. Congratulations to each and every one of them and the re-play will be March 11 on SPEED Channel. Be sure to watch for our Florida guys.
And rember to visit the KARNAC ProCup Weekly Report for the most indepth ProCup news.
Have an opinion on this story? Post a message on our Message Board!
<news@karnac.org>or send a letter to the editor!
|
|
|
|
