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| GILL ROLLS THROUGH THE FOG AT FIVE FLAGS TO CAPTURE 2ND STRAIGHT HOOTERS | by Thom Watson
PENSACOLA, FL:(KNS) Despite the fact the playoff bound, Pensacola Ice Pilots hockey minor team, were playing in town tonight, the Hooters Procup Series still drew a crowd of over 3,500, to the home of the Snowball Derby, Five Flags Speedway for the Naturally Fresh Foods 250. Bobby Gill ran away on the long green flag section in the middle of the race to win his second straight Hooters Procup race in two tries this year.
Shane Huffman had the fast time of 18.422 seconds around the half-mile high-banked oval and started on the pole. Gill started the night in the 4th position and took all of 14 laps to take the lead for the first time. Gill, a two-time winner of the Snowball Derby, knows his way around this very abrasive raceway. On the long green flag runs, Gill was able to take his time and get to the front.
The track was so abrasive, that the Hooters Procup officials allowed 10 tires instead of the usual 8. As the fog started to roll in, Gill took off. On lap 79, Don Satterfield, and Mike Williams got together in turn one and the #30 of Mart Nesbitt was inadvertently caught up in the accident in turn one. Mart Nesbitt, who is sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, when he races in North Carolina was running in the top 15 when he was involved in the accident,
At the halfway point, Shane Huffman was in the lead, but Steven Christian quickly took the lead on 137 and he was able to hold the lead until giving up the lead on lap 166. After that it was all Bobby Gill until the end of the 250-lap event.
In the late going, Hal Goodson tried to make a race out of it. In the end, as the fog rolled over the bleachers, Gill was the class of the field even though Goodson tried mightily to take the lead. For the last 30 laps Goodson, was right on Gills rear bumper. Hal could catch and get somewhat underneath Gill, but Gill was much stronger on the straight-aways and was able to keep the lead.
On a lap 243 restart, Gill took off, with Goodson right behind. Goodson was able to catch Gill in the corners, but the straight-aways were another story. While Gill was taking his second straight win, Goodson was second, followed by Goodson, Steven Christian, Derrick Kelly and Kertus Davis.
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