USAR: Lakeland II: Southern Division preview

WHAT:                         Naturally Fresh 250 presented by Advance Discount Auto Parts

                                    USAR Hooters ProCup Series Race #11 of 30 (Southern Division Race #7 of 13)

WHERE:                       USA International Speedway

                                    .750-mile, semi-banked asphalt oval

WHEN: Saturday, June 5, 2004 - 7:30 pm

DISTANCE: 250 Laps/187.50 Miles

TELEVISION:                SPEED, Thursday, June 10, 2004 (8:00 pm EDT)

                                    SPEED, Friday, June 11, 2004 (12:00 noon (EDT)

WEEKEND SCHEDULE:

Saturday, June 5, 2004:
12:00 noon Front Gate Grandstands Open
12:00 noon - 2:00 pm Hooters ProCup Series Practice
3:00 pm - 4:30 pm Late Model Practice & Qualifying
5:00 pm Hooters ProCup Series Qualifying
6:15 pm Autograph Session
7:00 pm Pre-Race Ceremonies
7:30 pm Naturally Fresh 250 presented by Advance Discount Auto Parts 250
Late Model Race to Follow - 100 Laps

Lucas Oil 250 Notes of Interest:

* Clay Rogers collected his first and only career win to date at USA International Speedway here in February.

* Mario Gosselin and Jason Sarvis are the active leaders in Advance Auto Parts Pole Awards at USA International with (4) four.

* Bobby Gill leads all drivers in wins at USA International with (8) eight.

* There has been a total of 27 USAR Hooters ProCup Series races held at USA International Speedway since 1997. The most of any track on the 2004 Hooters ProCup Series schedule.

Rogers Looking to Repeat

Longs, SC-Clay Rogers served notice in the season opener at USA Int'l Speedway that he would be a factor in the Southern Division point race.

Rogers, driver of the No. 44 ToFF Bedliners Ford, led a race-high 237 laps en route to his first victory of the season-and his first with East Coast Motorsports.

"It was huge from my point of view to win at USA Int'l," said Rogers. "We had put the team together late in the going. To go down [to USA Int'l] set the track record, lead the most laps and win the race, it just showed ToFF and the team they made the right decision."

If Rogers' performance in the season opener at USA Int'l was a statement as to the strength of his new team, the Mooresville, N.C., driver has since added the exclamation point.

Rogers and East Coast Motorsports posted a second-place finish in the following race at New Smyrna. Rogers added another second-place finish at Concord Motorsport Park and his second win of the season at Ace Speedway. After the first five races of the season, Rogers was averaging a third-place finish and held a 78-point lead over Bobby Gill in points.

"The biggest thing the win at USA Int'l did is show our team that all the work we did was coming together," said Rogers. "We've been working in the same direction ever since."

While Rogers became the first driver to become a repeat winner in the Series after winning at Ace Speedway, he stands to become the first driver to win two races at the same track in 2004. But there are plenty of other drivers that get around the .750-mile track pretty well in the Naturally Fresh 250 on June 5.

Bobby Gill, driver of the No. 5 Ford, has racked up eight wins in 20 starts. Even more impressive is the fact that 3-time Hooters ProCup Series champion has 16 top-five finishes in 20 starts. Gill won the last time the Hooters ProCup Series was in action, leading 141 laps at Music City Motorplex in Nashville.

Shane Huffman, who won twice at USA Int'l last season, nearly lapped the field last season in the event, beating Mardy Lindley to the finish line by 11.1 sec.

The Naturally Fresh 250 presented by Advance Discount Auto Parts will start at 7:30 p.m. on June 5 and will be followed by a 100-lap Late Model Stock race. Fans are encouraged to come to the track early and to watch practice and qualifying for both the Hooters ProCup Series as well as the Late Model Stock division. Front gates will open to the public at Noon. After qualifying for the ProCup cars, fans will get to participate in the pre-race autograph session at 6:15 p.m.

For more information on the Naturally Fresh 250 presented by Advance Discount Auto Parts, contact USA Int'l Speedway at (800) 964-7223 or visit www.usarprocup.com or www.usaspeedway.com

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