PRESS RELEASE

Staff writer

United States Super Trucks Debut at D.C.R.P.

Dodge City, Kansas April 12, 2003.  Dodge City Raceway Park  held the inaugural race for a new series, the United States Super Trucks. USST.  Formerly known as the  Pro Super Truck series, it now has a new name, and most of the  same, and some new exciting drivers to watch.

      The USST racing machines feature a state of the art tubular racing chassis with composite bodies.  These trucks produce up to 550 horses and use many hi tech racing components.  The USST. race on ovals and road courses throughout the greater Midwest.  Drivers in this series come from all over the United States of America to compete.  There is a wide variety of past racing experience that shoots  it out for the top prize, The USST Championship.  Saturday April 12^th was no exception.  16 trucks  made up the A main with some great passing and caution free door to door racing.  To make things interesting, the All Star Trucks combined with the US Super Trucks.   

 The USST. guys fielded the first heat race with 7 trucks.  Mike Hathaway from Falcon, Colorado started on the pole in the number 27 truck and never gave it up, while extending his lead to almost half a track by the end of the ten lap heat.  Scott Deatherage in the 44 truck started on the outside of the Hathaway, but couldn’t run him down and finished second.  Finishing  in the third position was Eric Caudell of Oklahoma City in the RACINXS number seven, followed by Caudell was Jere Fletchall, Richard Harrison, Danny Day and Robert Holbrook .    

     In the second heat the All Star Trucks were just as much fun to watch with Brad Maxwell from Dodge City in the number 6 truck coming from fifth to the front to take the win in the ten lap heat race. Mike Lunlow pilot of the number 44 Sonic truck finished second, followed by Billy Stone, Tex Zimmerman, Brandon Hrubetz, Robert Bailey, Jim Bailes, Ric Marboeuf and John Lashell rounding out  the nine trucks making up the field.

      Things started to get exciting when both classes merged their efforts and took to the track for the 40 lap main event.  The field was inverted with the All Star Trucks in the front and the US Super Trucks behind them.  It wasn’t long before the 27 driven by Hathaway moved to the front and never looked back.  “I don’t even think he ever looked up at his rear view mirror”, said Scott Deatherage of the 44 truck.   

     The big surprise of the night was how well the All Star Trucks ran with the USST. guys.  Following Hathaway to the checks  was Brad Maxwell in the number 6 All Star Truck and in the third spot was Jim Bailes, also an All Star Truck.  Fourth place was earned by Scott Deatherage of El Reno, Oklahoma in his 44 Goodyear Gemini U.S. Super Truck, and fifth went to the Sonic 44 of Mike Lunlow.  Behind Lunlow was Richard Harrison, Jere Fletchall, Tex Zimmerman, Brandon Hrubetz and Billy Stone  in the 71 All Star Truck rounding out the top ten.  “It was our first race of the season and some of us just haven’t got things going the way we would like just yet” said Eric Caudell who pulled off the track around lap five with fuel system problems.  

      There are some very competitive trucks in this series and they are putting together some exciting racing events under the direction of Eric Caudell and the drivers in that series that try to lend a hand to Eric when possible.  The next race event is scheduled for April 26 at the Altus Speedway, in Altus, Oklahoma.  For some great family entertainment and awesome truck racing, come and watch the United States Super Truck series.