Chuck Barnes Jr. Grateful For His
Family’s Support With His Sunoco Super Series Hubler Automotive Group /
Blake Carburetion Rookie Of The Year Award
Salem,
IN (November 1, 2003) –
Louisville, Kentucky’s Chuck Barnes Jr. ended
the 2003 season as the Sunoco Super Series Hubler Automotive Group / Blake
Carburetion Rookie Of The Year, but it wasn’t an easy road to win that
award, and he needed a lot of support along the way. The 21 year olds
family furnished the
support he needed to overcome several obstacles
including a streak of bad luck to get the rookie award and to finish 8th
in 2003 Sunoco Super Series Championship Points.
Barnes started off the 2003 season with the
hope of some good early results that would convince his mom and dad to let
him race the entire season and compete for the series rookie of the year
award. After the first half of the season Barnes found himself in first
place in rookie points and in the top ten in series points with some good
early season results including a 3rd place finish at Mt. Lawn
Speedway, and a 13th place finish at Berlin Raceway after
qualifying 4th in his first ever visit to the tricky 7/16’s
mile oval. He also got a 13th place finish at Winchester
Speedway and a 17th place finish at Mansfield Speedway. Barnes
lost a motor on the July 4th at Angola Motor Speedway but came
back with a 7th place finish in the Anderson 400, coming back
after losing several laps with a broken drive shaft. Barnes then got his
second top five finish of the season at Toledo Speedway.
That’s when his luck really started to go
the wrong way. Barnes had built a lead of over 150 points in the rookie of
the year battle over Terry Fisher Jr. and Tom Hernly Jr. Barnes got into
an early accident not of his making that eventually cost the team it’s
second motor of the season at Shady Bowl Speedway. Barnes got crashed when
a fellow competitor spun into him at Indianapolis Raceway Park, which
resulted in a bad finish, which was followed by another bad finish at Baer
Field Speedway when he lost his brakes. Brakes were an issue again at
Angola Motor Speedway, he got collected in a Junior Hanley spin at
Columbus Motor Speedway and a leaking oil tank cost him a good finish at
Anderson Speedway. Tom Hernly Jr.had also started his streak of good
finishes that would bring him into within one point of Barnes in the
rookie title chase with two series races left in the 2003 season. Terry
Fisher Jr. had also got within striking distance of both Barnes and Hernly
with steady consistent runs.
“At that point in the season, I was ready to
through in the towel,” remarked Barnes. “I just couldn’t believe how our
season had changed and gone so wrong. There just didn’t seem to be anyway
I could get that monkey off my back to win the rookie title, but my
parents weren’t going to let that happen. My mom and dad had put a lot of
time and money into the season already, they weren’t going to let me just
quit, after all I still hadn’t given up the lead in the rookie points!”
The
Barnes Auto Service Racing Team headed to Rockford Speedway with the
intention of still being in contention for the rookie title after that
race, because they felt they would have an advantage over Hernly Jr. and
Terry Fisher Jr. in the series point’s championship event at Winchester
Speedway. Barnes mission at Rockford Speedway did not start out good. He
qualified 21st, only the top 20 were locked into the feature
event. Tom Hernly Jr. qualified in the 20th position, which
locked him into the feature event. Barnes and Terry Fisher Jr. would have
to make the show through the last chance race. Barnes started on the pole
of the 25 lap last chance race and never looked back, he went on to win
and Terry Fisher Jr. finished fourth resulting in both rookies making the
show.
The last chance race victory proved to be
what finally did get the monkey off Barnes’s back. Fisher Jr. left the
race on lap 104 after heavy contact with the outside retaining wall.
Hernly Jr., who at the time was on his way to another top ten finish, saw
his day end on lap 222 with ignition problems. Barnes went on to finish
ninth extending his rookie title lead to over 20 points with the one race
left at Winchester Speedway.
Barnes started things off right at
Winchester Speedway, he gained valuable points by qualifying 4th
for the Car Brite 400. He then had the advantage over his counterparts of
running up front with the leaders through out the event. Fisher Jr. saw
his hopes of winning the rookie title go away on lap 163 when his day
ended with suspension problems. Hernly also had problems spending several
laps in the pits, which resulted in an 11th place finish.
Barnes was running in the top five late in the event when an axle broke.
Barnes still nursed the car to the end getting a 6th place
finish and the 2003 Hubler Automotive Group / Bale Carburetion Rookie Of
The Year Award.
“I have to thank my parents for all their
support this season and through out my entire racing career to date,”
commented Barnes. “I also want to thank my crew who put in a lot of hours
working and traveling this season. My mom and dad were my main sponsor
this season, but I want to thank Gladiator GarageWorks, Clifty Farm
Country Hams, and Cintas Uniforms for their support also, with out them, I
wouldn’t have been able do as good as we did this year. I also want to
recognize Tom Hernly Jr. and Terry Fisher Jr. for doing a great job this
year, it was the best rookie of the year battle the Sunoco Super Series
has ever had!”
Barnes will officially be honored as the
2003 Hubler Automotive Group / Blake Carburetion Rookie Of The Year at the
2003 Sunoco Super Series Awards
Banquet on January 17th at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in
Indianapolis, Indiana. Barnes will receive the following money, products
and product certificates from a large group of supports of the Sunoco
Super Series Rookie Award Program: a $1000 bonus from the Hubler
Automotive Group, a race ready carburetor from Blake Carburetion, an
off-set late model body from Five-Star Racecar Bodies, a racing uniform
from Hincheman Racing Uniforms, a web site design from Motorsports Image
1, a set of restraint belts from Impact Racing, a $350 Product Certificate
from Midwest Speed, a $200 Product Certificate from Pro/Cam Engine
Components, a $200 Product Certificate from RJS Racing Equipment, a $200
Product Certificate from Dynatech Headers, a $100 Product Certificate from
Performance Friction, a $100 Product Certificate from AFCO, a $100 Product
Certificate from Hawk Performance, a $100 Product Certificate from Pit
Stop USA.com, a $100 Product Certificate from U.S. Brake, a $100 Product
Certificate from Bassett Wheels, and $100 in Product from Ringers Gloves.
