Event Preview: CARS X-1R Pro Cup Palmetto State 250

Anderson Motor Speedway-Williamston, SC

Mooresville, NC 4/30/13 – The CARS X-1R Pro Cup Series is set to make their first of two visits this season to Anderson Motor Speedway located just south of Greenville, South Carolina, off Interstate 85. This weekend’s race will be just the second in series history at the 3/8 mile track; with the inaugural event coming at the same race a year ago. Defending race winner J.P. Morgan will be looking for his first win of the season after Clay Rogers and his No. 16 Lamb & Robinson race team has swept the first two events in 2013 thus far. While the two drivers mentioned above may be considered the heavy favorites the door is wide open behind them. Morgan is the only driver expected to compete at Anderson that finished in the top five a season ago. Local favorite and series rookie Brady Boswell, who’s Watkinsville, Georgia home is just an hour south, should be in the mix as the laps wind down. Boswell, while new to the Pro Cup machines, has made more than his fair share of starts at the South Carolina track behind the wheel of a legends car.   

Palmetto State 250 Notes and Quotes

NOTES:

Track/Location: Anderson Motor Speedway-Williamston, SC      Track Size: .375

Event Name: Palmetto State 250                                                      Laps/Distance: 250 Laps/ 94 Miles

Event Schedule:                                Series Standings:                  AFR Rookie Standings:

Practice: 12-1pm, 1:30-2:30pm          1) Clay Rogers 340                1) Eric Gerchak 275

Qualifying: 5:15pm                            2) J.P. Morgan -60                  2) Brady Boswell -38

Autograph Session: 6:30pm                3) Eric Gerchak -65                3) Reid Wilson -82

Race: 7:30pm                                      4) Dalton Hopkins -87

5) Brady Boswell -103

Pre Entered Drivers: #02 Tyler Young, #1 Dalton Hopkins, #2 Brady Boswell, #15 William Plemons III, #16 Clay Rogers, #21 Eric Gerchak #23 J.P. Morgan, #41 Rusty Skewes, #53 Joey Jones, #56 Gus Dean, #62 Andrew Smith, #66 Reid Wilson, #75 Caleb Holman

Media Coverage:

-CARS X-1R Pro Cup Series Facebook (www.facebook.com/CARSProCup) and Twitter (@X1RProCup)

QUOTES:

Looking Back at History:

Anderson Motor Speedway has only host one previous CARS X-1R Pro Cup Series event in the sixteen year existence of the series dating back to 1997. The lone event came just a season ago when J.P. Morgan took advantage of Jeff Agnew’s misfortune in the closing laps to score the win. When looking back on the win Morgan explains what it takes to get around the South Carolina track and what you have to do along the way to have a chance at taking home the hardware and the $10,000 winner’s check. 

“Anderson has a lot of similarities to Hickory that we just raced at and we came home second. The straight-aways are a little longer with tighter turns so it can be a little tough to pass at times. Your best way to get by someone is to outbreak them going in turns one and three, but at the same time you have to be careful because it doesn’t take much to overdo it in these heavier cars. I think we should have a pretty good car when we unload based on last year’s race and how well we ran at Hickory. If we can just get the monkey off our back and get our first win of the season this weekend it sure would be nice.” #23 J.P. Morgan

Knowing His Way Around So Close to Home:

Rookie Brady Boswell, hailing from Watkinsville, Georgia, is only an hour away from the Anderson Motor Speedway making the facility his “home track” so to speak on the 2013 series schedule. Having made a fair share of legends car starts at the 3/8th mile track; Boswell feels that despite being in the much heavier Pro Cup machines with very little similarities to the legends car, knowing his way around the Anderson track is a huge bonus.   

“It will be nice to race close to home this weekend for sure, and the good thing is we’ll get to do it again when we come back to Anderson in August. I’ll have a lot of family, friends, and Boswell Electric employees that are planning on coming out to support us that can’t always make the trip when we’re farther away. As far as this weekend goes I’m really looking forward to racing at a track I’ve got some history with. So far in both races this season we’ve been to places I’m not too familiar with, so each time I’ve had to learn the line before I can focus on making the car better. I’ve got a pretty good idea of how to get around the place this weekend, so we can focus on getting our car better throughout the day and put ourselves in position to race for a podium finish when it comes race time.” #2 Brady Boswell

Turning the Reigns Over to the Next Generation:

Bill Plemons Jr. has been a staple in X-1R Pro Cup Series since the inaugural season in 1997 amassing 108 starts along the way. His lone series win came at Thompson Int’l Speedway in 2001 where he bested now NASCAR star Brian Vickers to capture the win. In 2013 Plemons Jr. will ease out of the seat over time, and begin the transition of his son William Plemons III piloting the #15 machine. Plemons III, a Clemson University graduate, raced legends cars over the year but this will mark his first career X-1R Pro Cup Series start.   

“Me and dad (Bill Plemons Jr.) talked about it and he has mentioned that it’s starting to be time he climb out from behind the wheel. I use to run legends all over Georgia and ran with Reed Sorenson and David Ragan as they were coming up and I just decided to go to college and pursue that route. Now I’m a little older and ready to get back racing and I was able to talk dad into letting me run Anderson this weekend. I don’t think we’ll be in contention for the win or anything but the plan is to get back into the groove get my feet wet some and take it from there. The Pro Cup Series has been one of the best short track series in the country for quite some time now so I’m just kind of happy to be racing in it. ” #15 William Plemons III

For more information on the X-1R Pro Cup Series including news, results, and photos visit the series website at www.x1rprocup.com. For series operations and marketing information contact Chris Ragle at chris@carsprocup.com or call 940-393-3167. For general information about the X-1R Pro Cup Series contact the series office at 704-662-9212.

Chris Ragle
Director of Operations/Marketing
CARS X-1R Pro Cup Series
www.x1rprocup.com
Office: 704-662-9212
Phone: 940-393-3167
Email: chris@carsprocup.com