Bobby Gill takes home the Win at New Smyrna Speedway for Hooter's ProCup Race
by Jane Smith
Samsula, Fla (March 29, 2003) - Thirty two Hooter ProCup cars made their way to New Smyrna Speedway in hopes of winning the third race in the 2003 Hooter ProCup Series schedule. Mario Gosselin was the first driver to hit the 19.l's with a 19.155 until Mardy Lindley came in with a 19.151. But it was the 19.138 that won the pole for Jason Sarvis.
After driver introductions to the fans, it was Mardy Lindley who took the lead on the green. Mike Laughlin, Jr. had mechanical problems and started the race in the rear and by lap 3, he was off the track and retired for the nights in the pits. On lap 4, Todd Hirschfeld also went into the pits. Short nights for a long distance drive for the crew and drivers.
Tony Amico of Clearwater, Fla. brought out the first caution on lap 17 when he spun on the backstretch. On the restart, it was Lindley, Sarvis, Clay Rogers, Mario Gosselin and Michael Ritch in the top five.
Rogers got a run on lap 24 and took over the second place spot putting Sarvin to third. But only a few laps later, lap 26, there is a pile-up in turns 3 and 4. All cars were able to drive away but Vince Fanell of Lavonia, Ga. who saw the dreaded hook retire his car to the pits for the night. The race was red flagged for track clean-up.
Lap 31 saw the restart with Rogers on the rear of Lindley for the lead. By lap 36, Bobby Gill of Dalton, Ga. who had started back in the middle of the pack, made his presence known by taking over the ninth place position.
On lap 45, Shane Wallace of Mooresville, NC moved into fifth putting Michael Ritch to sixth. Three laps later, lap 48, Korey Ruble of Dotham, AL brought out the yellow. Lap 52 saw the restart with Lindley in the lead but another two laps, lap 54, the yellow comes out again when Steve Christian of Buford, GA. gets turned around in turn 3 contacting the right side of the wall. Christian goes into the pits for some needed crew attention.
Lap 59 goes green with Lindley, Rogers, Sarvis, Gosselin, Wallace, Ritch, Toby Porter, Luke Hill and Gill in the lead. By lap 65 Gill has moved into the seventh place position.
Just as Gill takes seventh, Rogers powers his way to the lead taking over the number one spot from Lindley. Gill now is on the move taking over sixth and putting Ritch to seventh. Lap 72, the yellow is flown for Stacy Puryear of South Boston, VA. and Dan Sattersfield of Spartanburg, SC as they tangle in turns 1 and 2. Both are able to drive away and continue racing.
On the restart on lap 76, Gosselin puts the medal to the pedal and takes over second spot from Sarvis who slides to third followed by Lindley Wallace. By lap 81, it is Rogers, Wallace, Gill, Gosselin, and Sarvis.
Lap 87 Jason York of Reidsville, NC spun at the bottom of turn 4 and the yellow is flown. Restart lap 91 with Rogers still in the lead but only one lap later, lap 92, there is a massive pile-up on the backstretch bringing out the red. Luke Hill has major ride side damage and sway bar damage and retires from the race. David Storer of Tulsa, OK also in involved with hard contact coming off turn 2. Mart Newbitt of Fletcher, NC also is involved. The track is cleared and cleaned and the race goes back to green on lap 97.
Lap 107 Keith Roggen of Winter Haven, FL brings out the yellow as he spun coming off turn 3 and going into 4. During the caution, the lead cars pit but Rogers seems to have problems and comes out way behind the lead cars. The new leader of the race is Billy Mowery of Pinella Park, Fl.
The race goes green on lap 112 with Mowery, Porter, Ritch, Jason York of Reidsville, NC and Andrew Medlin of Largo, Fl in the top five. Mowery, who has the $1000 mid-way purse in his site, sees a caution come out on lap 118 for debris on the track. The track is cleaned and the race goes back green on lap 123, two laps short of the money.
Mowery holds the point and collects the mid-way purse followed by Shane Wallace, Medlin, Gill and Ritch.
Lap 128 the yellow is out once again for a spin in turns 1 and 2 involving a few cars. It is hard to go three wide into the corner without causing some kind of spin. Medlin is involved, he was running third, goes into the pit for his crew's attention but is not able to return to the race. The race restarts on lap 137 with Gill as the new leader followed by David Pletcher of Mooresville, NC, York, Gosselin, and Lindley.
Lap 141, Pletcher finds Gosselin going side-by-side for the second position. By lap 142, Gosselin takes second putting Pletcher third. Rogers has now worked his way back up and moves into fourth followed by York until Chad Mullis of Charlotte, NC takes over fifth putting York sixth.
Rogers has to pit on lap 153 giving up his spot to Mullis who now sees Lindley in the fifth position. Lindley puts the juice on to Mullis and by lap 159, takes over the fourth place spot. Shane Huffman of Hickory, NC puts the muscle to Mullis and takes fifth away putting Mullis to sixth.
Joe Gaita of Yorktown, VA, who is a lap down to the leader, puts the heat on Gill but cannot pass him. Rogers, who has come back strong from his pit stop but is a lap down, passes Gosselin who is running second.
Lap 229, Huffman takes over fourth putting Lindley fifth. Nine laps later,. Huffman and Pletcher, who is in third, touch going into turns 1 and 2 and send Pletcher hard into the turns 1-2 wall ending Pletcher's top five run.
The race is red flagged for track clean-up and the leaders go in for some needed tires and attention for the last few shotout laps of the race.
The race goes green on lap 246 with Gill, Huffman, Gosselin, Lindley and Danny O'Quinn, Jr. of Coeburn, VA in the top five. Gill takes the checkered and wins race number 3 for the Hooter's ProCup Series followed by Huffman, Gosselin, Lindley, and O'Quinn.
Next week, April 5, New Smyrna Speedway will hae all FASCAR divisions racing.
HOOTER'S PRO CUP FINISHING ORDER
1. #5 Bobby Gill 2. #84 Shane Huffman 3. #10 Mario Gosselin 4. #15 Mardy Lindley 5. #02 Danny O'Quinn, Jr. 6. #4 Shane Wallace 7. #06 Joe Gaita 8. #18 Jason York 9. #11 Stacy Puryear 10. #29 Clay Rogers 11. #19 Mike Wieczoreck 12. #94 Keith Roggen 13. #51 David Pletcher 14. #92 Mart Nesbitt 15. #44 Jason Sarvis 16. #9 Chad Mullis 17. #16 Toby Porter 18. #28 Michael Ritch 19. #8 Andrew Medlin 20. #33 Billy Mowery 21. #1 Don Sattersfield 22. #73 Korey Ruble 23. #41 Luke Hill 24. #.25 David Stover 25. #2 Steve Christian 26. #72 Mikie Stafford 27. #24 Mike Williams 28. #31 Vince Fanello 29. #07 Tony Amico 30. #68 Todd Hirschfeld 31. #7 Mike Laughlin Jr. 32. #3 Michael Strother
