Photos © Dwight Drum
Web work by Gary Larsen

USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series

Series slogan:

Where racing's past, present and future collide!

We understand the Hooters approach to racing. It's promotional and exciting. Sponsorship in stock car racing these days almost have to have big reasons and big pockets. The United Speed Alliance Racing Hooters Pro Cup series is supported by the Hooters organization and other sponsors with proper payout and prime coverage. They bring a TV eye, the Speed channel, to their races and they bring their support groups including many Hooters girls to beautify and promote the racing environment. Mostly it's just fun.

Drivers of all ages and stages in their racing careers vie for the checkered flag in USAR. Some have raced in the NASCAR Busch series and Craftsman Truck series, some aspire to race to the top. Zoomster.com attended a Hooters Pro Cup event at USA International Speedway in Lakeland. Dwight Drum interviewed several drivers- some young, some not-so-young and some older. That mix fits the slogan, where racing's past, present and future collide!

Our first interview is with a frequent and experienced winner, Bobby Gil. Age 45

"When it's time to go, it's time to go."

Dwight asked Bobby Gil

"I've been around racing all my life and I've been racing since 86 full-time so it's kind of been like a job to me. Whether I like it or not that's what I'm doing and that's what I make my living at. I race full time. I work on my own car. I have a shop in Mooresville N.C. I maintain my own cars."

"This is what we do for a living. Driving beyond this series, as far as moving up, I'm 45 now. The future for me moving up ain't looking too good. "

"I've won so many races since I've been racing so all of them have been good. I'd say the last couple of wins this year have been good, because we've been racing without a sponsor and I don't have much help. I've been doing it all at the shop. The last win at Nashville was pretty good. "

"I've never really set goals. I've been doing this all my life. My dad raced. I took it from there and watched him and learned. I met up with a guy in Venice, Fla., and got my career going and that's where I've been ever since. I really haven't set goals."

"Well. Last week at practice I was ready to quit, but when they threw the green flag and I made a move inside and passed all the guys from the back. Then I thought we had a good car."

"I don't have a strategy, but most people tell me that watch me that I just kind of lay back and when it's time to go, it's time to go."

"No. Racing takes up all your interests."

"I don't know. This might be my last year. You don't know. You have to take it one year at a time."

"Hooters and owner Mr. Brooks have given us a place to come race. It's a good series, a good paying series. It's probably one of the best series that I've been in since I've been racing."