Hobgoods Hope To Make Good On Visit To Home State

July 7, 2002

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - The Hobgood Family has two wins and two Bud Pole Awards out of the last six Goody's Dash Series, NASCAR Touring events held at the historic Greenville-Pickens Speedway. Will Hobgood, father to Jake and Justin, scored a victory there in July of 1996. Jake Hobgood won in 1998 from the pole position.

"We are excited about returning to Greenville-Pickens," said Jake Hobgood. "Robert Huffman and I are in a deadlock for this points battle. GPS is one of my favorite tracks." On the other hand, Huffman has never won at GPS.

The Hobgoods are from nearby Winnsboro, South Carolina. Jake Hobgood is the only driver to complete all of the laps run in 2002. The last race, held in Memphis, TN signified the halfway point in the 2002 season. Series' Title Sponsor, Goody's Headache Powders (Glaxo Smith Kline) will award Jake with a check for $5000 at Greenville for being the most consistent driver through halfway in the season.

This has been a banner year for the Hobgoods. At this point, in the season, in 2001 they were struggling to make races due to lack of sponsorship dollars. Tracker Boats and Holiday Kampers and Boats from Columbia came on board and helped them through the remainder of the season. Justin Hobgood wears the Tracker Boats and Holiday Kampers and Boats' logo on his racecar. Jake Hobgood is still in search of a major sponsor for his machine. But, for a family run operation, any sponsorship is a benefit to both teams.

During the week the Hobgood's can be found in their race shop, working on racing equipment. Not only do they do all the work on their own cars, they also are well respected as "body hangers." The team is led by father, Will Hobgood. Will was a fierce competitor when he sat behind the wheel of the famous #65 Wynns Pontiac. Will Hobgood stepped aside a few years ago, while still at the top of his game, to launch the careers of Jake and Justin. He is equally as passionate when it comes to leading his son's toward victory lane. The elder Hobgood was the series' Rookie of the Year in 1993, Champion in 1994, voted Most Popular Driver in 1994, and presented with the prestigious NASCAR Dedication Award in 1999.

There has been at least one Hobgood in the top ten in the Series Championship Points since 1993. Jake finished second in 1999. Justin finished second in 2001. Both drivers are in the hunt for the 2002 Championship Title. Both drivers have one win and are tied with six career victories. Both drivers intend to win at Greenville-Pickens Speedway.

More than once the Hobgood brothers have brought the crowd to their feet. They are as fiercely competitive with each other as they are with the other drivers. They have been known to bump and grind towards the checkered flag. On occasion they have found themselves a little tense, with each other, after a race. But week after week, they remain strong and deeply dedicated to the family tradition of winning and sticking together. The sweetest situation is when they finish first and second. In either case, victory circle is always a family affair. Something that the family and their fans would like to experience on this first visit of 2002 to their home state.

TOP TEN IN 2001:
1. Shane Hmiel, 2. Robert Huffman, 3. Justin Hobgood, 4. Danny Bagwell, 5. Joey Miller, 6. Jake Hobgood, 7. Eric Van Cleef, 8. Roger Sawyer, 9. Tim Nichols, 10. Wayne Edwards.

ARCHIVES:
Shane Hmiel collected the second win of his career on his way to winning the 2001 Mag Clip Rookie of the Year title. Hmiel left the series at the end of the 2001 season to make his bid for the NASCAR Busch Series Rookie Title in 2002.

WHAT:
Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet "100" will be race #8 of 14 events in 2002, for the Goody's Dash Series, NASCAR Touring.

WHERE:
Greenville-Pickens Speedway, Greenville, SC.
GPS is located between Easley and Greenville on US Highway 123. It is one of the most historic tracks on the schedule and a long-time participant in the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series Presented by Dodge. Many of the early stars of NASCAR Racing collected Track Championships at GPS. In the early years of NASCAR racing, the track was a regular stop for NASCAR's premiere division. The track is often used as a test facility for many of NASCAR's elite group of race teams. It is a half-mile, slightly bank oval, with long straight-a-ways and tight corners.

WHEN:
Saturday, July 13, 2002  with an approximate race time of 9:30
(GDS Teams enter at 10:00 a.m. with Practice from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.; Qualifying gets underway at 5:15 p.m. with local track activities beginning at 7:00 p.m.)

KEY CONTACT:
Keith Cochran, Director of Public Relations - (864)-269-0852 ([email protected])

HOT TOPICS:
*Chuck Gafrarar leads a tight battle for the Mag Clip Rookie of the Year Title.

*Danny Bagwell is the series' most recent winner. He is hoping the momentum will help him collect back to back victories.

*Scott Weaver has been knocking on the door and hopes to notch his first win of 2002. Weaver holds the track qualifying record with a lap time of 20.808 seconds (86.505 mph).

For More Information Contact:
Randy Claypoole, Goody's Dash Series Media and Public Relations Coordinator, (386)437-1560 or by email: [email protected]

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