CRA: Chris Gabehart to compete in 2004

Chris Gabehart to compete for Rookie of the Year honors with the Sunoco Super Series in 2004.

Salem, IN (January 25, 2004) -- Hendricks County Motorsports has announced that they will field a car for Chris Gabehart, a 22-year-old student in his 5th year of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University in Lafayette, Indiana, to compete for the 2004 Sunoco Super Series Rookie Of The Year Honors. Hendricks County Motorsports is owned by Indianapolis, Indiana businessman Jim Winters and has competed with the Sunoco Super Series since it's beginning in 1997 with a variety of drivers. Winters won the 1998 Sunoco Super Series Championship with driver Brian Rievley. Winters most notable win with the Sunoco Super Series was the prestigious Anderson 400 with driver Chet Fillip in 2002.

Another notable driver for Winters includes Kyle Busch, the brother of NACAR Nextel Cup driver Kurt Busch. Kyle drove a Hendricks County Motorsports car in 2002 at the Car Brite 200 at Winchester Speedway and in 2003 at the Car Brite 400 also at Winchester Speedway. This season Kyle will driver full time in the NASCAR Busch Series and part-time in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series for Hendricks Motorsports. Some of the other drivers who have sat behind the wheel for Hendricks County Motorsports in 2003 include Michigan native Chris Orr, Indianapolis, Indiana's Chris Tomasik and New Castle, Indiana's Rodney Scott who got a second place finish at the Sunoco Super Series event at Mt. Lawn Speedway.

Chris Gabehart drove in five series races for Hendricks County Motorsports in 2003 with the Sunoco Super Series after driving two races in for Winters at Salem Speedway, his first ever rides in a late model racecar. The Anderson 400 was his first Sunoco Super Series event. Gabehart had to start on the tail of the field after missing qualifying after damaging his car in practice. Gabehart came back to get a very respectable 12th place finish in that event. Gabehart's best finish with the series in 2003 was an 8th place finish at Shady Bowl Speedway. Gabehart also competed at Baer Field Speedway in the Big Bash II, at Winchester Speedway in the Car Brite 400 and at the Patriot 200 at the newly named Music City Motorplex in Nashville, Tennessee.

"I am very excited and fortunate to be able to drive for Jim Winters in 2004," remarked Gabehart. "Hendricks County Motorsports has had a lot of success over the years in the Sunoco Super Series. Jim Cooper is second to none in the Mid-west when it comes to car preparation and work ethic. We have also developed a solid relationship with Scott Fisher at SPEC Racing Engines, all of this will hopefully make for a successful 2004 season including the taking the Sunoco Super Series Rookie Of The Year Award!"

Gabehart, born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, has been racing for 12 years, including 6 years of national oval karting experience in the World Karting Association. During those years Gabehart accumulated 6 National Championships and one Drivers Championship, similar to IROC for kart racers. Gabehart went from the karts to open wheel racing like fellow Purdue University Engineering student Ryan Newman. In 2001 and 2002 Gabehart competed in open wheel midgets on the national pavement level with both USAC and NAMARS. Gabehart is a third generation racecar driver. Gabehart's father, Kevin Gabehart competed in the NASCAR Sanctioned Sportsman Division at Louisville Speedway for several years. Gabehart's grandfather, Al Straub, was a competitor in the old NASCAR Grand American Series.

-cra-