USAR: Hickory preveiw

Drivers Set To Play in Their Own Backyard

Hickory, NC. - As the USAR Hooters ProCup Series heads to Hickory Motor Speedway for the running of the Naturally Fresh Dressings 250 presented by Galaxy Foods, in Hickory, NC, many teams are looking forward to running at what they consider to be a home track. Lee Tissot, driver of the #55 Cars Plus of Lenoir, Honda Yahoma of Statesville Chevrolet is the defending champion at the .36- mile track.

"We are looking forward to running at Hickory, but it is still going to be tough," said the Arden, NC resident. "I look for Shane Huffman to be real tough here. His team is on a roll and Hickory Motor Speedway is also his home track." Tissot is currently seventh in points, with five top 10s, and three top-five finishes.

"I feel like we could have run a little better this year, if we still had our old car, but we have a new car that I am real happy with," said Tissot.

Tissot and the rest of the Cars Plus team headed to Hickory last Thursday for its first test session of the year. "I was real happy with the test. We were two or three-tenths quicker during our test, then we were last year," added Tissot.

Allen Flowers has also climbed aboard the team, working full time on the car and taking on the role as crew chief during race weekend. Flowers has worked with such greats as Harry Gant, and Tissot said he is pleased with his performance.

"One advantage I feel we have for this year is Ronnie Prestwood," said Tissot.

Presswood builds engines for the 55 team along with the Taylor Motorsports team. Tissot also explained the differences between qualifying and racing 250 laps.

"We have to qualify these cars race-ready, even though I am not a contender for the pole award," added Tissot. "After qualifying, we put stagger in the tires, and then we are ready to run the long race."

This will be the fourth stop at the historic track for the USAR Hooters ProCup Series. In 1999, the Series paid its first visit there with "Super" Mario Gosselin taking the pole position and Derrick Kelley taking the win.

In the first of two races at Hickory Motor Speedway in the 2000 season, Clay Rodgers started on the pole while Bobby Gill strolled to the win. In the final race at HMS last year, Hal Goodson set the fast time, and Lee Tissot collected his first career USAR win.

Practice for the Naturally Fresh Dressing 250 presented by Galaxy Foods begins at noon on Saturday, with the Lance Snacks Pole qualifying beginning at 5:30 p.m. The field will take the green flag at 8 p.m. Pit entrance will open at 9 a.m. with grandstands opening at 4:30 p.m.

-USAR-