CONCORD, NC Corey LaJoie seemed to have the “Gamers Lounge 50” in his grasp throughout the 50-lap event, but Stroupe was not going to be denied. The two put on an epic battle for the top spot during a restart late in the race, with Stroupe eventually taking the advantage after contact between the two young drivers. The contact allowed Farbo to close in on the two, and Farbo eventually found himself side-by-side with Stroupe for the win on the last lap. Through the final corner, the two were equally matched door-to-door. Stroupe tried everything he could, as sparks flew between the two machines, but it was Farbo that had the lead by no more than three inches as the two crossed beneath the checkered flag.
“I was just trying to run my race the whole time,” said Farbo. “I was just going to try and take advantage of whatever the top-two cars did.
“It was pretty fun up there racing with Stroupe and LaJoie. I have had some run-ins with Stroupe in the past, but we are friends now, and he raced me clean. I would have done the same with him.”
Because it was such a great finish, Stroupe was able to reflect on the final lap with a smile on his face rather than letting frustration of finishing second settle in.
“Trevor and I put on a heck of a race, and I really hope the fans were able to enjoy it,” said Stroupe. “There was a lot of hard racing out there today. The win was going to come down to either me, Trevor or Corey. The contact between Corey and I was just good, hard racing with a couple laps to go. Trevor had just enough to beat us all. He did a good job.”
Corey LaJoie elected not to comment about the race.
After the race, the top-three finishers’ cars were brought back to Pro Challenge Series headquarters in Tennessee for a complete teardown to ensure equality among the competitors at the Mason-Dixon Meltdown. In that teardown, Farbo’s car was found to have shocks that were not according to Pro Challenge rules. As a result of the violation, Farbo was fined $1,000, but will be able to keep his victory. The money will be donated to Victory Junction Gang Camp in Randleman, NC, once it is collected.
“We examined a lot of different scenarios before determining the penalties,” said John Litzinger, President of Pro Challenge Racing. “We took a page out of NASCAR’s books by allowing Farbo to keep his win. With the exciting show that was put on, we wanted the fans to leave South Boston knowing that they have witnessed the actual winner of the event. Yet, at the same time we came up with a penalty that encompasses the severity of the violation.”
In addition, the second- and third-place cars of Zach Stroupe and Corey LaJoie were also found to have minor violations. Both teams were fined $100 a piece for having wheel-spacer and front-glass infractions, but were also allowed to maintain their finishing positions.
These penalties begin a strict crackdown on rules and procedures by Pro Challenge Series officials that will ensure the highest competition level and parity among Pro Challenge competitors for years to come.
“This is just a new step in the right direction for this sanctioning body,” added Litzinger. “We don’t care if your car is owned by Randy LaJoie (two-time NASCAR Busch Series champion), Bob Dillner (SPEED Channel television commentator) or anybody else; we will uphold our policies and make calls to ensure a level-playing field. This is just a hint of things to come in 2007 to help build Pro Challenge to one of the top driver development series in America.”
The Pro Challenge Series will be celebrating its five regional champions, as well as Aaron’s Pro Challenge National Champion Terry Mathis, at its first-annual Awards Banquet on December 8th. Held at the University Place Hilton in Charlotte, North Carolina, the Awards Banquet will bring the top National Points drivers and regional frontrunners to the heart of stock car racing country to celebrate a fantastic 2006 season. For more information on the Pro Challenge Awards Banquet, contact Diane Litzinger at (866) 323-4315.
For more information on the Aaron’s Pro Challenge National Series, as well as the latest from all of the Pro Challenge regions, contact Matt Kentfield at (704) 455–2051 and be sure to check out the online home for the Aaron’s Pro Challenge Series, www.prochallengeseries.com.
Mason-Dixon Meltdown
November 25th, 2006
South Boston Speedway (VA)
Official Results
1. Trevor Farbo
2. Zach Stroupe
3. Corey LaJoie
4. Dennis Thomson
5. Scott Hitchens
6. Ken Nicholson
7. Malcolm McMaster
8. Devon Haun
9. Benny Mingo
10. Steve Verboke
11. Kenny Forbes
12. Jason Treschl
13. Shane Roberts
14. Justin Morton
15. Trevor Cauble
16. Dean McIntyre
17. Tripp Massengill
18. Greg Chesney
19. Nick Profitt
