[SIZE=“3”]
Look for an official announcement to be made Saturday for the USAR Hooters Procup Series going to Rockingham Speedway next fall.
Andy Hillenburg, owner of the newly purchased Rockingham Speedway announced Friday that he will run an ARCA race, the Carolina 500, for next May.
In addition it is expected to be announced in Lakeland Fl., this weeks stop of the season finale for USAR, that Hillenburg will run a USAR race at the “Rock” next fall.
Rockingham a former Nextel Cup track has been idle for the last couple of years until it was sold to Hillenburg at auction. At that purchase Hillenburg had indicated that he wanted to run an ARCA and Hooters race at the one mile facility.
The Rockingham race couldnt come at a better time for USAR as reports indicate that the Lakeland track may be sold at any time. Lakeland had run more races at that track than any other in its schedule.
Its not been a hidden secret that the race was in the making. Hillenburg, a former racer himself, said at the auction that he wanted to run a Hooters race at the track. In fact on the Racing USA radio show, Hillenburg will entertain any type of event to be run at Rockingham.
So why does USAR keep the delays of releasing its schedule? Time will only tell. But one thing for sure we now know Rockingham will be on the schedule come announcement time Saturday at Lakeland. This is what team owners need so they can start looking for much needed sponsorship next year. And what better way than knowing and selling that your going to race at a one mile facility that once ran Nextel cars?
This race will be a shot in the arm for the series should the Lakeland go by the wayside. Moreover its a shot in the arm for the drivers as well saving them a lot of travel time and expenses since a lot of teams are based in and around North Carolina.
The series may lose some of its Florida drivers not wanting to travel to North Carolina however there is only 40 entries for this weekends race out of a possible 60 eligible for Lakeland. If the series runs this race in the fall, as Hillenburg alluded to, then you would more than likely see more than 40 entries for the Rockingham race.[/SIZE]