When the 2008 season ended for the USAR Hooter

When the 2008 season ended for the USAR Hooter's ProCup, it also meant, at
the time, the end of the Series as we had all come to know it. Mr. Brooks'
legacy to his son and the other men on board that fateful flight to Bristol in
1992. The motto of the series was:
"We Race in Their Memory"
The Hooters Pro Cup Series was created following the tragic deaths of 1992
Winston Cup Champion Alan Kulwicki, Dan Duncan, Charlie Campbell and Mark
Brooks, son of the late Hooters of America CEO Bob Brooks, in a plane crash on
their way to Bristol, Tennessee. Alll of these men were lost doing what they
loved to do, and the Hooters Pro Cup Series is a living tribute to them.
But, following Mr. Brooks' death in July, 2006, things began to change with
the series, and within two years it appeared that the series was going to be a
part of racing history's past. It also signaled a time for Bullet Racing to
evaluate their position. Team Manager, Bill Harkins, had decided he was ready to
something different with his weekends; there were other callings - a young
family, exploring the hills and valleys onboard an ATV or just not being on the
road. So, sadly, the decision was made to discontinue racing operations at
the Cleveland based shop.
In the meantime, there was a lot of activity going on down South to find a
buyer for the series, putting together a schedule for 2009 and moving the
operation to North Carolina.
The series had a new breath of life, and the team began to rethink their
decision to quit racing. After many long talks with the core crew members,
it has been decided to go on racing and begin the search for a driver and
sponsor.
"I really did think we were done racing," Bill Harkins reflected. "I
had made my mind up, as had most of our crew that we would be spending our
summer doing anything but traveling the highways on weekends going to races."
"But, I was approached by our team owner to make sure that is what we really
wanted to do, and other crew members began having second thoughts as well."
So, here the team is today, spending every night at the shop putting the car
into race ready condition. The schedule for the series will be taking the crew
to many familiar tracks, and a few new venues for a Northern based team.
The first race is scheduled for April 4th at Concord Speedway, Concord, North
Carolina; a track frequented by the series over the years.
Right now the team is reviewing resumes of drivers and sponsors with the
hopes of making a decision by the end of February. Interested drivers can
leave a message at the shop 216-514-3375 or by sending an email to
bill@bullet11racing.com.
Check back for updates as the inagural event of the USARacing Series
approaches.
