RADFORD, Va. — If the Kmart 250 at Motor Mile Speedway Saturday night was any indication of what the Hooters Pro Cup Championship Series is going to be like, race fans will be in for a treat.
Benny Gordon, the Sears Auto Center Northern Division point- leader, and Mark McFarland, the Greased Lightning Southern Division point-leader, battled down to the finish of the 250-lap event before Gordon inched away for his first victory of the season.
“We had a lot of changes on the team this year, and it just takes a little while to build back to where we have been,” said Gordon, driver of the No. 66n Samuel Metals Ford. “I could see the momentum in the shop and the enthusiasm in the guys. I was really thinking it was going to turn around tonight.”
Though the premonition may have buoyed Gordon’s confidence, Motor Mile is a track that he needs little extra incentive.
With his win Saturday night, Gordon has now won four races in seven starts at the .416-mile track.
“I don’t what it is about this track, but I love it,” said Gordon, who took home $11,000 for his win. “I grew up racing on a track that reminds me of this track, and I remembered a lot of secrets about how to set the car up and race the track.”
After starting third in the 32-car field, Gordon took the lead from polesitter Clay Rogers on the 19th circuit and held on until pitting on lap 38. Most of the leaders followed Gordon’s decision to short pit and came to pit road behind the No. 66 Ford.
Tim Bainey, Jr. and Allen Purkhiser took turns at the point until Jay Fogleman made his presence known at his former home track, taking the lead on lap 97.
Once out front, Fogleman, driver of the No. 4n Speedco/The Works Ford, built a lead of two seconds over the field before Gordon began to reel him in around lap 175.
Gordon ducked under Fogleman for the lead on lap 189. A caution negated the pass, but Fogleman decided to give up the lead and come to pit road.
With Fogleman trying to rally from the back, Gordon’s focus turned to holding off McFarland.
McFarland, driver of the No. 81s Sears Auto Center Chevrolet, lurked around in the top three all night before pressuring Gordon for the win over the final 30 laps. McFarland closed to within a car length on several occasions, but he came up .305 second shy of his third victory in a row.
“My car was as good as it was all night at the end, handling-wise,” said McFarland. “We were having brake problems all race and the (brake) pedal went soft. I really didn’t know what I had each lap until I got to the corner; it was kind of scary. I didn’t want to go in there and wipe Benny out.”
Fogleman came home third, while Brandon Ward and Jeff Agnew filled the top five.
The finish:
Showing driver, car, laps completed money won: 1. Benny Gordon, Ford, 250, $11,200; 2. Mark McFarland, Chevrolet, 250, $6,000; 3. Jay Fogleman, Ford, $7,400; 4. Brandon Ward, Ford, 250, $5,000; 5. Jeff Agnew, Ford, 250, $3,500; 6. Gary St. Amant, Chevrolet, 250, $4,300; 7. Joey Coulter, Ford, 250, $2,600; 8. Mart Nesbitt, Ford, 250, $2,900; 9. Jason Sarvis, Chevrolet, 250, $2,700; 10. Allen Purkhiser, Ford, 250, $2,200; 11. Sam Fullone, Chevrolet, 250, $2,500; 12. Derrick Kelley, Ford, 249, $2,000; 13. Kerek Kale, Chevrolet, 249, $2,300; 14. Tim Bainey, Jr., Ford, 248, $1,800; 15. Tyler Young, Chevrolet, 246, $3,100; 16. Travis Miller, Chevrolet, 244, $1,600; 17. Michael Kidd, Chevrolet, 237, $1,600; 18. Ronnie Souders, Chevrolet, 236, $1,600; 19. Danny Abold, Chevrolet,  221, $1,600; 20. Dwayne Tatman, Chevrolet, 206, $1,600; 21. Lonnie Rush, Jr., Chevrolet, 191, $1,400; 22. Matt Merrell, Chevrolet, 167, $1,400; 23. Joe Harrison, Jr., Chevrolet, 159, $1,400; 24. Danny Jackson, Chevrolet, 157, $1,800; 25. Mikey Kile, Chevrolet, 153, $2,200; 26. Tim Kerr, Ford, 152, $1,200; 27. Mike Hampton, Ford, 125, $1,900; 28. Brett Butler, Ford, 105, $1,200; 29. Ray Love, Jr., Chevrolet, 47, $1,200; 30. Clay Rogers, Chevrolet, 47, $2,200; 31. Scott Leach, Chevrolet, 7, $1,200; 32. Caleb Holman, Chevrolet, 250, $1,200.