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February 20, 1999 America’s Up and Coming Short Track Series USA International Speedway will host the United Speed Alliance Racing season opener Saturday, March 6 when the Hooters ProCup Series drivers take to the high-banked track for SpeedFest 99 and the Jackaroo Sauces 250 presented by Tampa Bay s Country Leader, 99.5 FM WQYK Radio.
Teams will be arriving at the track on Friday, March 5 when gates open
at 9 a.m. Practice will be conducted between 2:00 and 6:00 p.m. Pit
gates will open at 8:00 a.m. on race day. An early morning practice
session will be followed by the Discount Auto Parts/AC Delco Rapid Fire
Pole Award qualifying time trials beginning at 12:30 p.m. Thirty-four
drivers will make the race on their qualifying speeds. Four will be
taken from qualifying races. Two provisionals will complete the field of
40 cars. Racing is set to begin at 4:00 p.m. If you want to see some real competitive, up close, short track racing, it doesn’t get any better than this. The purses are big, the bonuses are bigger, and you can get close to the drivers who put on the show. And if you think these guys are so-so drivers, Mario Gosselin, 1997 Champion and last year’s runner up started his first Busch race last year and finished 16th against the high financed NASCAR competition.
Jeff Agnew, of Floyd, VA, is the current Series champion and will begin
the defense of the $200,000 title at the 3/4-mile speedplant. Florida drivers Mario Gosselin, Brad May, David Pletcher, Bobby Gill, David Craddock, Doc McKinney, Derrick Kelley, Ronnie Burkett, Derrick Countryman, Brad Barkis and Jeremy Bowser are among the 111 drivers who have registered numbers to compete in the Series. These drivers are expected to compete in the Series opener.
Also expected at USA International are: Justin Labonte, Rick Hendrick,
Jr., Michael Ritch, Scott Wimmer, Steven Christian, David Bonnett, David
Hutto, Jay Fogleman, Jimmy Foster, Mike Laughlin, Jr., Bill Plemons,
Jr., Andy Thurman, Clay Dale, Johnny Rumley, Mart Nesbitt, Randy Porter,
Jerry Glanville, Toby Porter, Bob Schacht, Sammy Potashnick, Lee Tissot,
Chris Diamond, Mardy Lindley, Jabe Jones, Don Satterfield, Ronnie
Davidson and Karen Schulz.
The race will be aired (tape-delayed) on Sunday, March 14 at 8:00 p.m.
on the Speedvision Network. A replay is scheduled at midnight the same
evening and the following Monday at NOON.
Tampa Bay s Country Leader, 99.5 WQYK Radio has been designated the
official radio station for the Speedfest 99 event. The 100,000-watt
station features contemporary country music serving the Tampa/St. Pete
area. WQYK has exclusive commercial radio rights with all facets of
promotion surrounding the event.
The annual SpeedFest celebration ushers in the 1999 season at the state-of-the-art racing facility located just off exit 20 in Lakeland, FL. For information: 1-800-984-7223. MORE HOOTERS PROCUP |
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