Rougemont, N.C. — If it weren’t for bad luck, the CARS Pro Cup Series probably wouldn’t have any luck at all.

 

A tidal wave of rain combined with a power outage at Orange County Speedway forced the postponement of Saturday’s Strutmasters 250. The race will be rescheduled on a to-be-determined date.

 

The series did manage to get all three practice sessions in, with South Carolina’s Allen Purkhiser topping the charts in each one. As teams were preparing for qualifying the first wave of rain hit, putting a stop to all on-track activity.

 

Initially it looked as if the rain was going to be gone in a few minutes, but the storm lingered and continued to soak the three-eighths-mile venue for several hours. As if things couldn’t get any worse, across the street from the track a tree fell across a series of power lines, cutting power to the track.

 

Even if the rain had quit, the track had no electricity to power the lights that would have allowed the series to race at night. So, unfortunately, Series Director Jack McNelly made the difficult decision to postpone the Strutmasters 250.

 

The CARS Pro Cup Series returns to action May 26 at Ace Speedway in Altamahaw, N.C. For more information, please contact Public Relations Director Adam Fenwick at adam@carsprocup.com or 828-329-6050.

 

Rougemont, N.C. — A lot has changed since the last time the CARS Pro Cup Series raced at North Carolina’s Orange County Speedway in 1997.

 

In 1997, Bill Clinton was the President of the United States, Facebook and Twitter didn’t yet exist and 2012 CARS Pro Cup Series Rookie Gus Dean wasn’t even three years old.

 

Ironically, Dean may head into Saturday’s Strutmasters 250 with an advantage over series veterans like J.P. Morgan, A.J. Frank and Tyler Young. At young age of 17, Dean has raced at Orange County several times and knows the track very well.

 

“[Orange County] is a little rough in the corners and there are certain lines that’ll work and there are certain lines that you’ll have to work through,” Dean said. “It just really depends on the track temperature as to which of those lines might work.”

 

Dean believes his experience at the three-eighths-mile asphalt oval, which includes a victory in the Allison Legacy Series, will give him a leg-up over his competitors this Saturday.

 

“I know where the bumps and the ruts are on the track,” Dean said. “We do have a feature win in the Allison Legacy Series at Orange County. We’re no stranger to it and I feel very confident heading into this weekend.”

 

The decision is a cost-saving measure for teams currently involved in the series and in an effort to attract new teams. Beginning with the race at Orange County Speedway in Rougemont, N.C., on May 5, teams will no longer be required to provide full pit crews.

 

“It was a difficult decision for us to make, but I feel like this is the right decision for the future of the series,” said CARS Pro Cup Series Director Jack McNelly. “We have a few things in the works that will make the mid-race intermission just as interesting as live pit stops.”

 

One of those things involves the payout of the purse. The purse will be paid out in two segments, with the field at the end of the first segment receiving a “to-be-determined” percentage from the overall purse. The overall purse will not change.

 

“I know the drivers in this series. From lap 110 to lap 125 they are going to go as hard as they can to earn the money that will be paid out at halfway,” McNelly said.

 

Another change to the CARS Pro Cup Series format comes after the mid-race intermission. The first eight cars, if on the lead lap, could restart the race as they finished the first segment, they could be totally inverted with the leader of the first segment starting eighth, or the first eight teams may draw for their starting position in the second segment.

 

Mooresville, N.C. — Tyler Young kicked down the door to CARS Pro Cup Series victory lane last Saturday at Hickory Motor Speedway, winning the Catawba Valley 250 while earning seven contingency awards.

 

Young didn’t cruise to victory lane by any means. The Texas native had to hold off South Carolina’s Allen Purkhiser during a green-white-checkered restart. His cool demeanor in that high-tension situation earned Young the Cool Under Pressure Award presented by FLUIDYNE.

 

Wheeling the No. 02 Chevrolet from the pole, Young led a total of 92 laps Saturday night, earning him the Lap Leader Award presented by U-Pull U-Save. Young also took home the T&D Rocker Arms High Finisher Award, the Brake of the Race Award presented by Pro-System Brakes and product certificates from Cool Shirt, Brown & Miller and Staubli.

 

HICKORY, N.C. — Tyler Young finally sealed the deal Saturday night, winning his first CARS Pro Cup Series race at Hickory Motor Speedway when he held off Allen Purkhiser to capture the Catawba Valley 250.

“My guys worked really, really hard for this,” said an ecstatic Young after his first Pro Cup win. “I’ve got to thank all of my sponsors, Randco Industries and Young’s Building Systems, they’ve really stood behind me for a long time.”

Young, driving the No. 02 Chevrolet, started from the pole after a blazing 15.939-second lap and led the first 32 laps before losing the lead on a restart to rookie Harrison Rhodes.

The two spent the next 60 laps battling before third-place A.J. Frank took the pair three-wide exiting turn two, resulting in contact between Rhodes and Young that sent Rhodes into the wall in turn three. Frank, meanwhile, found himself in the lead.

Frank, who earned his first Pro Cup win last October at Hickory, spent the middle portion of the event battling Purkhiser for the lead. Meanwhile, Young was lingering mid-pack, saving his stuff for the final run to the checkers.

When the caution flag waved on lap 180 Young got the opportunity he was looking for. When all the leaders came down pit road for new tires, Young’s crew got him out second behind Frank. Frank got the jump on the restart, but on lap 194 Young drove by Frank to retake the lead.

Young quickly pulled away, but the race was far from over. With 14 laps left Bill Plemons, Jr. went for a spin coming out of turn four, giving Frank another shot at Young. The field returned to racing on lap 241, but Frank couldn’t keep up with Young and on lap 244 spun his car coming out of turn two, collecting Plemons in the process.

That put Purkhiser, who was also seeking his first Pro Cup win, in second for a green-white-checkered restart.

When the green flag waved Purkhiser and Young went into turn one side-by-side, but it was Young who came out of turn two with the lead. Purkhiser tried to get to Young’s bumper, but it was all for naught as Young pulled away to his first Pro Cup triumph.

“I just can’t say enough about my pit crew,” Young said. “We were riding around in seventh or eighth place and came down pit road. We left [pit road] second and we got the chance to restart on the outside and we got out front. We had a couple cautions there at the end, we were real nervous. I just had to get up on the wheel.”