MOORESVILLE, NC :: The Back to School 250 at Anderson Motor Speedway was all about the kids and the excitement of the series getting to hit the track successfully this go around after getting washed out earlier this season in May. The X-1R Pro Cup Series had many events for the kids including a “Dress and Dash”, hosted by Pro Cup broadcaster, CJ Woliver, before Saturday’s pre-race festivities.

Two lucky fans from the audience joined Pro Cup drivers Reid Wilson and Gus Dean on track to tag-team a race across the start finish line to see who could put on a fire suit, gloves, and a helmet the fastest. Wilson’s team won the battle in dramatic fashion as Wilson threw himself across the checkered line, giving the crowd amusing entertainment.

The fun continues during driver introductions as each driver had a ball with their car number on it. The drivers took these balls and threw them into the audience for the kids. Whoever was holding the winning car number at the end of the race was the lucky kid that was going to join the team in victory and celebrate with their own bottle of “champagne” (ginger ale), a Back to School 250 trophy, and an Edlebrock Victory Lane hat.

Despite a short rain-delay before the Back to School 250, the Pro Cup Series was able to wrap up qualifying by 8:30 and get the main event underway by 9:00pm. The anticipation among drivers to go racing was evident early on in the event with the waiving of the yellow happening early and often. The No. 1 X-1R car of Dalton Hopkins brought out the first caution of the night on lap seven after he slowed on track with a rear end issues ending the night for the Avondale, West Virginia driver. With the tight racing that the Anderson Motor Speedway produces, cars spinning and contact between drivers were the theme of the night.

Reid Wilson’s No. 66 Bojangles Chevrolet spun twice through-out the race. Once on lap twenty-seven with the help of JP Morgan, and again on lap forty-one on his own; however, Morgan did apologize to Wilson after the race. Meanwhile it was Caleb Holman, winner of the past two Pro Cup races, who started on the pole and led the first 75 laps before falling victim to current point’s leader Clay Rogers’ “rocket ship” of a racecar in the event’s first 125 laps.

The mid-way point redraw of the top eight drivers put Holman to the point position, and sent halfway leader Clay Rogers to fourth with Boswell, Dean, and Young completing the top-five. The No. 23 of Morgan restarted sixth and Wilson, who spun twice throughout the race, was able to restart in seventh position.

Throughout the race kids in the stands were encouraged to enter a coloring contest, with the winner receiving a Jeff Gordon back pack full of school supplies and a Pro Cup series decal. The winner of the coloring contest was Emily Harris, impressing the Pro Cup judges by coloring tape on the middle of the steering wheel. Also throughout the race the fans were able to answer racing themed trivia questions for cash prizes.

The final caution of the night was on Lap 208 for the No. 41 of Rusty Skewes spinning in turn four. This allowed Morgan to catch up to Rogers and take the lead from him on the restart. Morgan went on to win the Back to School 250 and celebrated his victory with a lucky fan by the name of Angel, who received her very own bottle of “champagne” and celebrated with the No. 23 team in Edlebrock victory lane.

Back To School 250
Anderson Motor Speedway
Williamson, SC

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS:
1.) #23 J.P. Morgan
2.) #16 Clay Rogers
3.) #02 Tyler Young
4.) #2 Brady Boswell
5.) #56 Gus Dean
6.) #75 Caleb Holman
7.) #66 Reid Wilson
8.) #41 Rusty Skewes
9.) #21 Erik Gerchak
10.) #1 Dalton Hopkins