PRO Racing Series: McCool Motors to "Gumbo Nationals" Win at Greenville

Ben Shelton

GREENVILLE, Miss. – Nov. 5. A night after setting fast time and winning his heat race, Bub McCool dominated the fifth annual "Gumbo Nationals" at Greenville Speedway to claim the $7,000 win, his biggest win of the year and first in the annual event.

Via their preliminary night performances on Friday, McCool and Ronny Lee Hollingsworth started on the front row for the $7,000-to-win, $700-to-start, 70-lap feature.McCool jumped to the lead with Hollingsworth, Jack Sullivan, Timothy Culp, and B.J. Robinson in tow. During the race’s opening laps a trio of cautions would wave, with the most notable occurring on a lap five restart, when second place runner Hollingsworth spun from contention in turn two. Several cars spun to miss Hollingsworth, and despite minimal contact, his night came to an end.

As the race finally overcame the trio of early cautions, a driver on the move would be the eighth starting Kyle Pleasant, who moved past Culp for the fourth spot on lap seven. Four laps later he moved past Robinson for the third spot as he set his sights on the leaders, McCool and Sullivan.

By lap 13, the leaders were in lapped traffic, and five laps later McCool made contact with Kyle Beard as he attempted to lap him, causing Beard to spin from turn four to bring out the caution. Beard was able to rejoin the tail of the field as McCool, Sullivan, Pleasant, Culp, and Robinson prepared for a restart that would result in a caution-free, 52-lap dash to the checkers.

On the restart, McCool motored away from the field as Sullivan ran half a straightaway behind. Third running Pleasant soon found his hands full as he lost his brakes near the race’s midway point. As the leaders began to close in on traffic, 24th starting Rodney Wing, who used a PRO Dirt Car Series provisional to start the main event after experiencing various mechanical issues all weekend, was on the move and by lap 30 was up to the eighth position. Ten laps later, Wing moved into the sixth spot as he began to catch the lead pack.

With Wing on the move, McCool was enduring heavy lapped traffic, and he would use several daring slidejobs to work his way through traffic. While Sullivan remained unchallenged for the second spot, an insane battle was transpiring for third through sixth as Pleasant, Camponovo, Culp, and Wing waged war as the four drivers diced through lapped traffic for position.

When the checkered flag flew it was McCool taking the win over Sullivan, Kyle Pleasant, Rodney Wing, and Ross Camponovo.

After giving his customized helmet with a mohawk on top to a lucky, young fan in the crowd, an elated McCool addressed the raucous fans. He noted, “With the big blades (12” spoilers) being allowed for this event and knowing how slick this track is, I didn’t think we would be able to get the win. This car was unbelievable tonight, and I can’t thank my crew enough. To be able to win in front of so many friends and family here in Greenville means a lot to me.”

With his 17th to ninth run in the feature, Eric Cooley clinched the 2011 PRO Dirt Car Series Championship and the 2011 Jeff Burns Racing Engines Rookie of the Year honors. The final tour standings were not available at press time.

	Nov. 5 - Fifth annual "Gumbo Nationals" at Greenville Speedway 1) Bub McCool, 2) Jack Sullivan, 3) Kyle Pleasant, 4) Rodney Wing (prov.), 5) Ross Camponovo, 6) Timothy Culp, 7) Chad Thrash, 8) Allen Tippen, 9) Eric Cooley, 10) Dane Dacus, 11) Rick Rickman, 12) B.J. Robinson, 13) Josh Putnam, 14) Brian Rickman, 15) Chad Dupont, 16) Mathew Turner, 17) Doug Showah, 18) Kyle Beard, 19) Johnny Stokes, 20) Tanner English, 21) Mike Palasini, Jr., 22) Neil Baggett, 23) Greg Fore, 24) Ronny Lee Hollingsworth Heat winners (35 entries): McCool, Culp, Hollingsworth, Sullivan; B-Main winners: Cooley, Beard; Last Chance Qualifier winners: Dacus
Brian McLeod photo