Series PR Report
Mooresville, NC(October 11, 2012) — Stacy Puryear put an end to a drought dating back to 2001 by winning Saturday’s Rev-Oil Pro Cup Series Southern 250 at Southern National Motorsports Park.
The victory didn’t come easily as Puryear had to hold off championship leader J.P. Morgan in the closing laps, which was far from an easy task. Morgan hounded Puryear during the final run to the checkers, but somehow the native Virginian found a way to keep the No. 33 Wes Gonder Racing Chevrolet out front.
As a result, Puryear claimed the Cool Under Pressure Award presented by FLUIDYNE. Puryear also earned the Lap Leader Award presented by U-Pull, U-Save, the T&D Rocker Arms High Finisher Award, Koolmat Koolmove of the Race Award and product certificates from Brown & Miller and Cool Shirt.
Other contingency award winners from Southern National were Dalton Hopkins (Staubli Highest Finisher Award and the Brake of the Race Award presented by Pro-Systems Brakes), J.P. Morgan (Halfway Leader Award presented by Holley and a product certificate from Cool Shirt) and Jeb Burton (product certificates from Cool Shirt and Brown & Miller).
Championship Series Update: J.P. Morgan’s second-straight second-place finish in the Championship Series has catapulted the 36-year-old to a comfortable 110-point lead in the standings with two races left.
If Morgan can leave Hickory Motor Speedway with a 176-point lead, he will clinch his first Rev-Oil Pro Cup Series championship.
The real fight is for second in the Championship Series standings. Rookie Dalton Hopkins, on the strength of two-straight fifth-place finishes, has jumped to second in the standings. Tyler Young is third, only six points behind.
Gus Dean is fourth in the Championship Series, followed by Allen Purkhiser, Stacy Puryear and Nathan Russell.
In the Rev-Oil Pro Cup Series Car Owner Championship, the No. 23 J&R Racing Chevrolet holds a 98 point edge over the No. 36 Wes Gonder Racing Chevrolet. The No. 08 David Hopkins Racing Chevrolet is third, 110 points back.
Rookie Points Update: Speaking of Dalton Hopkins, for the first time all year he finds himself leading the Rookie of the Year standings. He currently holds an eight-point lead over Gus Dean, with Nathan Russell 24 points back in third.
Hickory Up Next: The Rev-Oil Pro Cup Series returns to action on Oct. 20 at North Carolina’s Hickory Motor Speedway. Tyler Young earned his first Rev-Oil Pro Cup Series victory at Hickory earlier this year and hopes to pick up victory number two at the three-eighths-mile asphalt oval. Tickets are $15 at the track on the day of the event.
