New Winner To Be Crowned at Homestead in Slim Jim All-Pro Series
2 April 1998
Daytona Beach, Fla. - When the cars and drivers of the Slim Jim All Pro Series, a NASCAR Touring Division, head south to Homestead, Fla. for the Homestead-Miami 50, a new winner will emerge at the completion of the 50 lap race at the Miami-Dade Homestead Motorsports Complex. Scot Walters, Nipper Alsup and Hank Parker, Jr., each a winner in a Slim Jim All Pro Series event at the 1.5 mile superspeedway, have all "graduated" to loftier NASCAR pursuits. As a result, the lucky driver who comes away with a victory on April 4 will earn the distinction of being the fourth different winner in four Slim Jim All Pro Series contests at Homestead.Wildwood, Fla.'s Wayne Anderson earned a hard-fought win in the series' season opener at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla. By virtue of his win, the driver of the Porter Cable Power Tools Chevrolet sits on top of the Slim Jim All Pro Series point standings. Anderson is competing full time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 1998, while running selected Slim Jim All Pro Series events. His focus in 1998 is to win the Cintas Rookie-of-the-Year title in the trucks and he has chosen to run the Florida Dodge Dealers 400 at Homestead. He has opted to pass up the Slim Jim All Pro Series event, thus giving up the point lead in the late model touring series.
Mooresville, N.C.'s Freddie Query appears to be poised and ready to wrest the lead from Anderson as he currently resides in second place in the Slim Jim All Pro Series point standings. The driver of the W.J. Plemons Insurance Chevrolet has never competed at Homestead but the veteran late model campaigner should have no trouble figuring out the flat yet fast oval. Another driver with victory on his mind is Raleigh, N.C.'s Derrick Gilchrist. Gilchrist drives the Hamke Race Cars house car and is the only driver to have earned a top five finish in each of the three Homestead events. Sugar Hill, Ga.'s Steven Christian is the only other driver that is currently pre-entered that has earned a top five, having finished fourth in the Homestead 150 on November 2, 1996. Christian currently sits in fifth place in the point standings after winding up fifth at Volusia on February 2.
The rookie class of 1998 is laden with Florida residents and Sorrento, Fla.'s Ronnie Burkett leads Homosassa's Nevin Jenkins in the rookie points chase after the first event. St. Cloud, Fla.'s Scott Bramlett sits fifth in the rookie battle while Carl Hedin, Jr. of nearby Miami intends to register a strong run after failing to qualify for the season opener.
An overflow field of cars is expected to vie for Bud Pole honors and a starting berth in the 32 car field with qualifying set to begin at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, April 3. The green flag will wave on the Homestead-Miami 50 at high noon on Saturday, April 4, with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Florida Dodge Dealers 400 set to take the green flag shortly after the completion of the Slim Jim All Pro Series event.
