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The Hooters Pro Cup Series
"We Race in Their Memory"
The Hooters Pro Cup Series was created following the tragic
deaths of 1992 Winston Cup Champion Alan Kulwicki, Dan
Duncan, Charlie Campbell and Mark Brooks, son of the late
Hooters of America CEO Bob Brooks, in a plane crash on their
way to Bristol, Tennessee.
"The only real sports are auto racing, bull fighting, and
mountain climbing. The rest are mere games."
Ernest Hemingway
All of these men were lost doing what they loved to do, and
the Hooters Pro Cup Series is a living tribute to them. But
the Hooters Pro Cup Series isn't just living, it's thriving.
Why?
The series allows drivers, sponsors and fans to experience
the thrill of auto racing the way it was intended to be--up
close and personal.
The Hooters Pro Cup Series is a series for the Everyman. And
every man, and woman, can afford to attend. For about the
price of a movie, drink and popcorn, Pro Cup fans are
treated the roots of racing: short tracks and short tempers.
It's a place where the drivers still make a difference. The
words "aero push" and "downforce" are replaced with "door to
door" and "bump and run." And that is why the Hooters Pro
Cup Series attracts real fans and racers.
In recent years, the Hooters Pro Cup Series has proven to be
a great place for youngsters to cut their teeth in
full-bodied stock cars. With the successes of former drivers
like Brian Vickers, John Wood, Danny O'Quinn, Kertus Davis,
Shane Huffman, Chad Chaffin and Scott Wimmer, the
fast-growing series has become a proving ground for the
latest up-and-coming drivers.
But while other series clamor to be the next "stepping
stone" series, the Hooters Pro Cup Series will always be
about proven talent, rather than potential talent.
Over the years, the grassroots appeal has attracted a
virtual "Who's Who" list of short-track greats. Each race
pits Snowball Derby, ASA and Weekly Racing Champions, ARCA
and Busch Series winners and future Sunday racers against
each other on bullrings across the country.
With the backing of loyal fans and sponsors, combined with a
talent-laden rookie crop and verified veterans, the Hooters
Pro Cup has moved to the forefront of racing organizations
over the years.
While we still "race in their memory," the Hooters Pro Cup
Series will continue to create countless new memories for
all those involved. And we hope you will be there to
experience them with us.
Past Hooters Pro Cup Champions & Miller Lite Rookie of the Year Winners
Champions
| Season |
Driver |
Wins |
| 1997 |
Mario Gosselin |
5 |
| 1998 |
Jeff Agnew |
0 |
| 1999 |
Bobby Gill |
5 |
| 2000 |
Bobby Gill |
7 |
| 2001 |
Bobby Gill |
6 |
| 2002 |
Jason Sarvis |
4 |
| 2003 |
Shane Huffman |
8 |
| 2004 |
Clay Rogers |
4 |
| 2005 |
Benny Gordon |
6 |
| 2006 |
Clay Rogers |
7 |
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Rookie of the Year
| Season |
Driver |
Wins |
| 1997 |
Mario Gosselin |
5 |
| 1998 |
Jeff Agnew |
0 |
| 1999 |
Steve Christian |
0 |
| 2000 |
Brian Vickers |
2 |
| 2001 |
Daniel Johnson |
0 |
| 2002 |
Brian Ross |
5 |
| 2003 |
Benny Gordon |
2 |
| 2004 |
Matt Carter |
0 |
| 2005 |
Woody Howard |
3 |
| 2006 |
Derek Kale |
0 |
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Hooters Pro Cup Comparison with Nextel & Busch Series Cars
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Hooters Pro Cup |
Nextel Cup |
Busch |
| Body Styles |
2004-2007 |
2006-2007 |
2006-2007 |
| Weight |
3,300 lbs min |
3,400 lbs min |
3,300 lbs min |
| Tread Width |
60" min-61" max |
60.5 only |
60.5 min |
| Engine |
V8 only |
V8 only |
V8 only |
| Tires |
BFGoodrich Radial |
Goodyear Radial |
Goodyear Radial |
| Wheelbase |
105" |
110" |
105" |
| Engine Compression |
11.5:1 max |
12:1 max |
12:1 max |
| Horsepower |
625 |
800 |
700 |
United Speed Alliance Racing
United Speed Alliance Racing, Incorporated was born in 1995
by Hooters National Wing Commander Bob Brooks. The series
was created and functions today as a memorial to Mark
Brooks, Dan Duncan, Charlie Campbell and 1992 Winston Cup
champion Alan Kulwicki, who were killed in a tragic plane
crash in April of 1993.
The Hooters Pro Cup Series has become one of the most talked
about racing programs in the nation that has experienced
phenomenal growth in just 10 years. The series has grown
from 11 races during the first season to a 21-race, two
division schedule in 2007. Over 100 competitors from across
the nation have registered to compete in USAR-sanctioned
events this year. The series will visit 16 tracks across 11
states this year.
Hooters Pro Cup Alumni
The Hooters Pro Cup Series is known for giving longtime
short-track drivers a chance to make a living competing
across the country in the most competitive touring series in
the country. Although veterans still make up a large portion
of the fields each week, many younger drivers have started
using USAR as a stepping-stone to the larger touring series.
Below is a list of former Pro Cup competitors that have
moved on to the Craftsman Truck, Busch and Nextel Cup
Series.
1. Brian Vickers (Nextel Cup)
| Races |
Wins |
Top 5s |
Top 10s |
Poles |
Winnings |
| 44 |
4 |
19 |
29 |
3 |
$243,650 |
| Accomplishments |
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Vickers won two races in 2000 and the
Miller Lite Rookie of the Year title. At the time, he became
the youngest driver to win a race in the series when he at
USA International Speedway at 16 years old. Vickers finished
second in the final standing in 2001 before moving up to the
Busch Series.
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2. Scott Wimmer (Nextel Cup)
| Races |
Wins |
Top 5s |
Top 10s |
Poles |
Winnings |
| 40 |
2 |
4 |
16 |
1 |
$95,100 |
| Accomplishments |
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Wimmer made the long trek form Milwaukee,
Wisconsin to join the Hooters Pro Cup Series is 1998. He won
two races in 1998 and finished fifth in the final standings.
Wimmer returned to full-time competition in 1999 and
finished 11th in the final standings.
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3. Regan Smith (NEXTEL Cup)
| Races |
Wins |
Top 5s |
Top 10s |
Poles |
Winnings |
| 38 |
0 |
4 |
12 |
4 |
$96,150 |
| Accomplishments |
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Smith competed full time in the 2000 and
2001 seasons. Smith never visited Victory Lane in the
series, but he did pick up four poles and led 99 laps during
his tenure in the Hooters Pro Cup Series.
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4. Jon Wood (Busch/ Nextel Cup)
| Races |
Wins |
Top 5s |
Top 10s |
Poles |
Winnings |
| 20 |
0 |
4 |
11 |
2 |
$64,300 |
| Accomplishments |
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Wood graduated from the Allison Legacy
Series into the Pro Cup Series in 2000. Wood never visited
Victory Lane in the series, but he did have a second-place
finish second on one occasion. Wood finished eighth in the
2000 final standings and second to Vickers for
Rookie-of-the-Year honors.
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5. Danny O'Quinn (Busch/ Craftsman Truck)
| Races |
Wins |
Top 5s |
Top 10s |
Poles |
Winnings |
| 41 |
1 |
7 |
26 |
3 |
$160,000 |
| Accomplishments |
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Danny O'Quinn Jr. jumped into the Hooters
Pro Cup Series as a high school senior and promptly ran up
front. O'Quinn won the Southern Division Rookie of the Year
in 2003. The following season, O'Quinn picked up one win and
followed it up with eight top-five finishes, 13 top-10
finishes and two poles.
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6. Shane Huffman (Busch/Craftsman Truck)
| Races |
Wins |
Top 5s |
Top 10s |
Poles |
Winnings |
| 131 |
27 |
51 |
72 |
26 |
$1,020,700 |
| Accomplishments |
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After struggling in 2002, Huffman blasted
the field in 2003, picking up eight wins en route to his
first Hooters Pro Cup Series title. During the five-race
championship shootout, Huffman won three races. Over the
next two years, Huffman racked up 12 wins before joining
Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s JR Motorsports team and moved to the
Busch Series late in 2006. Huffman still holds the record
for most poles in Pro Cup history and is second in all-time
wins.
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7. Chad Chaffin (Craftsman Truck)
| Races |
Wins |
Top 5s |
Top 10s |
Poles |
Winnings |
| 36 |
6 |
13 |
20 |
8 |
$133,850 |
| Accomplishments |
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Chaffin won three events in 1997 and
finished second to Mario Gosselin in the final point
standings. In 1998, Chaffin again won three events in the
Hooters Pro Cup Series, but he finished 6th in the overall
standings.
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8. Kertus Davis (Busch)
| Races |
Wins |
Top 5s |
Top 10s |
Poles |
Winnings |
| 74 |
1 |
11 |
28 |
1 |
$181,050 |
| Accomplishments |
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Davis competed in the Series since the
2000 thru 2004 seasons. Davis scored his lone victory in the
Series at Motordrome Speedway in Smithton, Pa., in 2003.
Davis had competed for his family-owned Busch Series team
before moving to KHI this season.
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