Hooters Pro Cup Champion, Top Rookie To Be Crowned At Bristol

[PressRoom-GFN]

BRISTOL, Tenn. — Michael Ritch might be the only driver who will breathe a sigh of relief Wednesday when the green flag waves on the Food City 150 Hooters Pro Cup race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

The veteran driver will clinch the Aaron’s Southern Division title by simply taking the green flag in the race that precedes the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event.

“It’s taken us a long time to get to this point,” said Ritch, driver of the No. 28 Naturally Fresh/Jackaroo Ford. “I wouldn’t be here without my sponsors, Naturally Fresh and Jackaroo. They are both pretty big around Bristol, so it’s going to be fun to get to celebrate with them there.”

Ritch will collect a $20,000 bonus for his title and 25 bonus points heading into the five-race Championship Series, which starts Sept. 1 at Mansfield [Ohio] Motorsports Park.

While Ritch’s celebration is a forgone conclusion, there will be plenty of nail-biting by the other competitors. The Food City 150 is the final race of the Aaron’s Southern Division and Ritch is the only driver who knows where he’ll finish in the standings.

Trevor Bayne, driver of the No. 29 Chevy Racing/DEI Chevrolet, possesses the second spot in points, but he could fall as far as 12th in the standings with a poor effort in the Food City 150. After his win at Hickory, N.C., Bayne jumped from 11th to second in the points. Entering Bristol, 76 points separates second through 12th in the standings. For many drivers, solidifying a top-15 spot in the points is crucial heading into the Championship Series.

“We need to get out of Bristol with a top-10 finish and move up in the points,” said Mart Nesbitt, driver of the No. 92 Blue Cross/Blue Shield Ford. “Some good cars are going to be going home in the Championship Series, so every position you can get now is critical going into the final five races. But it is Bristol, and anything can happen.”

That statement has proven to be quite true over the last three years.

In 2004, Shane Huffman won the first Food City 150 after having to start from the rear of the field. In 2005, Clay Rogers rebounded from an early-race spin to claim the coveted hardware. And last year, Mardy Lindley went from not having a ride two weeks prior to the event to landing in BMS Victory Lane.

Not to be lost in Wednesday's hoopla is the Miller Lite Rookie-of-the-Year race in the Southern Division. Matt Hawkins, driver of the No. 2 H&H Electric Ford, leads those standings by 23 points over Richard Boswell.

“I’m just happy we still have a chance with the way our season has gone,” said Boswell, driver of the No. 88 Champion Chevrolet. “I’ve never raced at Bristol, so I’m not sure what to expect.”

What Boswell should expect is plenty of competition for the $10,000 bonus for being the regular-season rookie winner.

Frank Deiny Jr., Wade Day and Caleb Holman are within 69 points of Hawkins. Mathematically, the Miller Lite Rookie of the Year is still up for grabs in the Southern Division among seven drivers.

So when the dust settles in the Food City 150, the unknowns will be known and Ritch will be celebrating his first Southern Division title.

“I’m glad I don’t have to worry about that,” Ritch said.

BMS gates open at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday with practice for the Hooters Pro Cup cars beginning at 9 a.m. Practice for the cars and NASCAR Craftsman Trucks will occur until 1 p.m. Awesome Awnings Pole Qualifying begins at 2:30 p.m. for the Hooters Pro Cup Series, while Craftsman Truck Series drivers will qualify at 4 p.m. The Food City 150 begins at 5:45 p.m., while the O'Reilly 200 is scheduled for 8 p.m.

Tickets may be purchased for $30. Children 12 and under are admitted free with a paying adult.

Tickets may be purchased by contacting the BMS ticket office at (423) 989-6900 or by visiting Ticketmaster - Promotions.