| Southern ProCup Rookie of the Year Looking for Overall Rookie Title | By Scott McAllister
Lapped Traffic Destroys Michael Faulk’s Run for Championship
 With only three stops remaining on the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Championship Series, Michael Faulk and the MB3 Motorsports Team had placed themselves in a good spot to challenge for the title.
Even though a blown tire at the previous race in Mansfield, Oh was a setback for the team, Faulk was still optimistic about his situation. “We have been very competitive in the last 7 or 8 races, and that’s really all I can ask for,” said Faulk. “We can’t worry about points at this time. We just have to run as hard as we can at every race from here on out.”
Qualifying went as expected after Faulk placed the Lift-Off Energy Drink Ford Taurus 5th on the starting grid, but unfortunately, that would be the highlight of the evening. A long green flag run at the beginning of the race prohibited Faulk from bringing the #53 Lift-Off Ford Taurus into the pits for adjustments before going a lap down to the leaders. “Our car was extremely loose on the 1st set of tires,” Faulk said. “I felt like I was going to put the car in the wall on every lap.” Finally, on lap 82, Faulk was able to bring the car to the pits under caution for tires and adjustments from Crew Chief Mario Gosselin, which obviously made a big improvement.
Faulk began his march to the front, passing at least one car per lap. “The car was a rocket on the 2nd set of tires,” said Faulk. “I could see the leaders just in front of me and was running them down.” Just as Faulk was looking to get a run on the leaders to get back on the lead lap, another untimely caution would keep the Lift-Off Ford Taurus a lap down. “Cautions just didn’t fall our way,” said Gosselin. “We couldn’t get a caution when we needed one, and then, we got them when we needed long green flag runs.”
Despite being mired in slower traffic, Faulk maneuvered his way to the 11th position until a slow car several laps down squeezed him into the wall on lap 224, damaging the radiator and ending the night for the Lift-Off Racing Team. “This is so disappointing for me and the team,” Faulk said. “Everyone worked so hard, and to be taken out that way that far into the race is difficult to overcome.” The accident would cause Faulk to finish 28th and drop him back to 18th in overall points and 2nd in rookie points with two stops remaining on the 2005 USAR Hooters Pro Cup Championship Series.
The Mark Brooks Memorial Bi-Lo 250 presented by Black's Tire Service from Myrtle Beach Speedway will be aired nationally on the SPEED Channel Saturday, October 29th at 10:00 pm and again Friday, November 4th at 12:00 pm.
The next race is scheduled for Saturday, November 5th at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Virginia for the Dan Duncan Memorial Kroger 250.
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