Event Preview: CARS X-1R Pro Cup MAHLE 250 Kingsport Speedway-Kingsport, TN

Monday, May 13 2013 @ 03:29 PM EDT

Mooresville, NC 5/13/13 – After getting washed out at Anderson Motor Speedway two weeks prior, the drivers and teams of the X-1R Pro Cup Series will turn their attention to the track deemed the “concrete jungle”, Kingsport Speedway in Kingsport, Tennessee. The Friday night event will be the series first of two visits to the 3/8^th mile concrete track throughout the 2013 season. Unlike the first two events of the season, where series regulars battled amongst themselves to decide a race winner, this weekend’s MAHLE 250 will see at least a pair of area regulars make their bid to take home the $10,000 winner’s check. Blake Jones, driving for last year’s winner Wade Day, and Coleman Pressley, son of track owner Robert Pressley, have both filed entries with plans to give series regulars a “run for their money” once the green flag waives.

MAHLE 250 Notes and Quotes

NOTES:

Track/Location: Kingsport Speedway-Kingsport, TN Track Size: .375

Event Name: MAHLE 250 Laps/Distance: 250 Laps/ 94 Miles

Event Schedule: Series Standings: AFR Rookie Standings:

Practice: 1:30-2:30pm, 3-4pm 1) Clay Rogers 340 1) Eric Gerchak 275

Qualifying: 6:30pm 2) J.P. Morgan -60 2) Brady Boswell -38

Autograph Session: 7:15pm 3) Eric Gerchak -65 3) Reid Wilson -82

Race: 8:30pm 4) Dalton Hopkins -87

5) Brady Boswell -103

Pre Entered Drivers: #1 Dalton Hopkins, #2 Brady Boswell, #8 Mark McFarland, #15 R.S. Senter, #16 Clay Rogers, #21 Eric Gerchak #23 J.P. Morgan, #41 Rusty Skewes, #53 Joey Jones, #56 Gus Dean, #59 Coleman Pressley, #62 Andrew Smith, #66 Reid Wilson

Media Coverage:

-CARS X-1R Pro Cup Series Facebook (www.facebook.com/CARSProCup) and Twitter (@X1RProCup)

Dalton Hopkins Impressing With Late Season Surge

Wednesday, October 17 2012 @ 01:03 PM EDT

Young Rookie Suddenly Second In Championship Series Standings

By Adam Fenwick – adam@revoilprocup.com, Rev-Oil Pro Cup Series Public Relations Director

HICKORY, N.C. – West Virginia’s Dalton Hopkins is usually a fairly quiet young man, but as of late the Rev-Oil Pro Cup Series rookie has been making a lot of noise in the best way possible.

Hopkins, on the strength of two-straight fifth-place finishes, suddenly finds himself second in the Championship Series standings behind leader J.P. Morgan. In addition, Hopkins also leads the Rookie of the Year standings for the first time all season as the series heads to Hickory Motor Speedway this Saturday for the Rev-Oil 250.

With two races left in the Rev-Oil Pro Cup Series season, Hopkins hopes to continue his run of consistency at Hickory. The odds appear in his favor, as Hopkins finished fifth at Hickory earlier this year.

“I believe we will be top three hopefully, maybe even come out of there with a win,” Hopkins said. “We’ve been really good these last couple of races and I believe we’re just going to get better and better every race.”

On top of that, Hopkins has some extra confidence after leading laps for the first time in his career during the last Rev-Oil Pro Cup Series race at Southern National Motorsports Park on Oct. 6.

Gus Dean Hoping Practice Makes Perfect

Thursday, October 04 2012 @ 01:41 PM EDT

Rookie Contender Tunes Up For Southern National With Two Late Model Races

By Adam Fenwick – adam@carsprocup.com, Rev-Oil Pro Cup Series Public Relations Director

KENLY, N.C. – A little bit of practice never hurt anyone. For 18-year-old Gus Dean, a little bit of practice could be the difference between winning and second place this Saturday night during the Rev-Oil Pro Cup Series event at Southern National Motorsports Park.

The South Carolina native and Rev-Oil Pro Cup Series Rookie of the Year contender got a head start on his competition last Sunday by racing in a pair of 75-lap late-model events at the four-tenths-mile asphalt oval.

Dean finished second in the first 75-lap race, but finished eighth in the second race after being forced to replace a cut tire from the first race with a practice tire between events. Still, the extra 150 laps around Southern National could pay huge dividends this Saturday night.

“We learned a lot and I learned a lot, especially as a driver, about some of the lines and some of the tricks to get around there,” Dean said. “A.J. (Frank, crew chief) I think learned a little bit about the track setup wise, what little bit he can transfer between a super (late model) and a Pro Cup car.”

Currently third in the Rev-Oil Pro Cup Series Championship Series standings and 85 points behind leader J.P. Morgan, Dean knows a strong run Saturday will be critical if he has any chance of winning the series championship.

Rookie Nathan Russell Ready For Motor Mile

Thursday, September 20 2012 @ 11:57 AM EDT

Pennsylvania Native Seeking First Rev-Oil Pro Cup Series Triumph

By Adam Fenwick – adam@carsprocup.com - Rev-Oil Pro Cup Series Public Relations Director

RADFORD, Va. – It has been a bit of an up and down season for Rev-Oil Pro Cup Series Rookie of the Year contender Nathan Russell.

The year started off on a high note when the 21-year-old from Curwensville, Pa., scored a second-place finish at South Carolina’s Anderson Motor Speedway. Since then, things haven’t exactly gone as planned.

“We started out real well at the beginning of the season,” Russell said. “Then we kind of just fought with engine problems until it finally gave out and blew up in practice at Orange County (on Sept. 1).”

Russell managed to start the race at Orange County Speedway, but he had to park after two laps. On the plus side, his No. 26 Chevrolet now has a freshly rebuilt engine in it that he hopes will pay dividends when the series heads to Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va., for the Heritage Truck Centers 250 this Saturday.

“Now the motor is completely rebuilt and updated so we should be ready to go for the Championship Series,” Russell said.

Special Friday Show On Tap For CARS Pro Cup

Wednesday, July 25 2012 @ 03:29 PM EDT

Series Returns To Tri-County Motor Speedway For First Time Since 2000

By Adam Fenwick – adam@carsprocup.com, CARS Pro Cup Series Public Relations Director

Hudson, N.C. – This Friday the CARS Pro Cup Series returns to action with a visit to Tri-County Motor Speedway, the first time the series has visited the four-tenths-mile asphalt oval in 12 years.

Entering the seventh event of the 2012 season, J.P. Morgan continues to dominate the headlines. Morgan has led exactly half of the laps run so far this season in Pro Cup competition, which has led to three victories for Morgan and the J&R Racing team thus far.

Chasing Morgan is South Carolina’s Allen Purkhiser, who earned his first Pro Cup victory earlier this season at Ace Speedway in Atlamahaw, N.C.

The CARS Pro Cup Series has held six events at Tri-County, but only two drivers on the entry list for Friday’s event raced in any of those events.

The most prominent of those would have to be Bill Plemons, Jr., who raced in all six Pro Cup events held at Tri-County from 1998 to 2000. His best finish in those six events at Tri-County was a 13^th place finish during the first of two events held there in 1998.

Stacy Puryear, a veteran of 73 CARS Pro Cup Series starts, will be making his return to the series this weekend wheeling the No. 36 Puryear Race Parts Chevrolet for Wes Gonder Racing. Puryear has one Pro Cup start at Tri-County, a 24^th place finish in 2000.

Morgan, Purkhiser Take Title Fight To Dillon

Thursday, July 12 2012 @ 11:38 AM EDT

Ryan Glenski Making CARS Pro Cup Series Debut

By Adam Fenwick – adam@carsprocup.com, CARS Pro Cup Series Public Relations Director

DILLON, S.C. – In the midst of a duel for the CARS Pro Cup Series championship, J.P. Morgan and Allen Purkhiser are both looking for an advantage heading into this Saturday’s Black’s Tire & Auto Service 250 at Dillon Motor Speedway.

Statistically speaking, Morgan and Purkhiser have had nearly identical seasons thus far. Both drivers haven’t finished outside the top 10 in five events this year, with Morgan earning a 2.2 average finish and Purkhiser notching a 2.6 average finish.

The difference, so far anyway, has been victory lane. Morgan has two victories this year, while Purkhiser only has one. As a result, Morgan enters Saturday’s 250-lap event with a 45-point lead over Purkhiser.

“They’ve got a great car and a great team and Allen is a great driver,” Morgan said. “I feel like we bring a great car and we’ve got a great team and, I’m not going to toot my own horn, but I feel like I’m a pretty good driver.

“We’re two of the top teams,” Morgan said. “There is so much quality there in the top-10 cars. All of us are just fighting at the tooth to get out there and just run 250-lap sprint races.”

Purkhiser, who is embarking on his first full season with the series, laughed when asked what it would take for him to beat Morgan for the championship.

“It would take him wrecking in every race just about,” joked Purkhiser. “He keeps gaining about five points on me every race because he leads at half way. He’ll usually finish right behind me or I’m right behind him. You just can’t really gain anything that way.”

Morgan Happy To Head Home To Caraway

Wednesday, June 20 2012 @ 08:32 PM EDT

Jones, Gibson Making CARS Pro Cup Series Returns This Saturday

By Adam Fenwick – adam@carsprocup.com, CARS Pro Cup Series Public Relations Director

ASHEBORO, N.C. – It’s been a good year so far for CARS Pro Cup Series veteran J.P. Morgan.

He started the season with a trip to victory lane at South Carolina’s Anderson Motor Speedway, his fourth career series victory. Since then he has put together finishes of fourth at Hickory Motor Speedway, second at Ace Speedway and third at Motor Mile Speedway.

As a result of his impressive run of consistency, Morgan finds himself on top of the CARS Pro Cup Series standings heading into Saturday’s CARS Pro Cup 250 presented by CV Products at Caraway Speedway, which happens to be the home track of Morgan and the J&R Racing team.

“Caraway is right by our shop,” Morgan said. “It’s a home track for us. We’re really excited to go back there. We’ve got a lot of family and friends, a lot of support there. We’ve also got a lot of laps there, which is going to make a huge difference. Can’t wait to go there.”

Caraway Speedway may prove to be an unknown for many series regulars. This will be the first trip to the .455-mile asphalt oval since a pair of events in 1998 and 1999. Chad Chaffin won the 1998 event while Michael Ritch claimed the 1999 event.

While the CARS Pro Cup Series will be making its return to Caraway, two drivers will be making their returns to the series.

Event Preview: CARS X-1R Pro Cup MAHLE 250 Kingsport Speedway-Kingsport, TN

Dalton Hopkins Impressing With Late Season Surge

Gus Dean Hoping Practice Makes Perfect

Rookie Nathan Russell Ready For Motor Mile

Special Friday Show On Tap For CARS Pro Cup

Morgan, Purkhiser Take Title Fight To Dillon

Morgan Happy To Head Home To Caraway

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