The Eddie Hoffman / Tony D'Ambrose combination is two for two in USPRO Cup Series competition after winning the USPRO Tradition 50 at Berlin Raceway.
By Matt Prieur-ASA Late Model Series

Marne, Michigan (Saturday, June 14, 2008): Tech One Race Cars / T-1 Racing Car Owner, Tony D'Ambrose was the happiest man in Western Michigan on Saturday night at Berlin Raceway at the conclusion of the USPRO Tradition 50!

His two drivers battled tooth and nail for the coveted Feature Win at the historic Berlin Raceway as Feature Winner and "hired gun" Eddie Hoffman sliced and diced with his Tech One Race Cars teammate for the weekend, and Berlin regular, Keith Herp before passing him for good on Lap 45 too win the USPRO Cup Series Tradition 50 at Berlin Raceway!

The USPRO Cup Series Presented by Drive Train Specialists completed race number four out of six on their 2008 calendar at the historic 7/16s mile progressively banked paved oval of Berlin Raceway, located West of Grand Rapids in Marne, Michigan.

After finishing a disappointing 13th in the ASALMS Challenge Division 200-lap Feature earlier in the evening, Hoffman quickly climbed out of his familiar #8 Lisa Thomas Salon Ford and ran over to the Black #80 Tech One Race Cars Chevrolet for the USPRO race and at the end was standing in victory lane!

"If I knew what it took too win every night, I'd bottle it up," Hoffman said after winning his second consecutive USPRO Feature in two starts and Fifth overall ASALMS sanctioned Feature of the 2008 racing season! Hoffman is also the ASALMS Northern Division Points Leader after starting off that season with three straight Feature Wins!

"I didn't make much of a move after the caution, but Keith all of a sudden slowed down on the restart, so I let him gather it back up and later I just made my move and here we are again." The smiling Wheaton, Illinois veteran added.

Prairie State freshman, Josh Nelms and Andy Marchiniak, who are 1-2 in the USPRO Rookie of the Year title chase with Marchiniak leading, brought the field to the green flag to begin the 50-lap sprint around the famed Western Michigan speed plant as Nelms grabbed the lead from Marchiniak coming out of Turn Two and would pace the field for the first three laps.

USPRO Cup Series Points Leader, Dave Gentile Jr., fought his way up to second from his fifth starting spot and took over the top spot on Lap Four, brining Keith Herp, who started seventh, and Hoffman, who started eighth after winning his second Drive Train Specialists Fast Qualifier Award of the year and drawing an eight for an inversion.

Herp and Hoffman both drove by Gentile Jr., for first and second on Lap eight and Herp quickly drove away from the rest of the field. Hoffman has a more difficult time getting by Gentile Jr., and by the time he did, Herp had built up nearly a straightaway lead!

Slowly but surely, Hoffman began picking at Herp's lead and with 15 laps to go, had pulled up to Herp's back bumper. Two laps later, the lone caution flew when 16-year-old Zion Schaub spun his machine around in turn four.

On the restart, Herp was slow on that start, but Hoffman let him gather himself up and followed the Byron Center, Michigan drivers tire tracks for the next several laps until Lap 45 when Hoffman drove around the outside of Herp coming out of Turn Four to take the lead!

The 48-year-old Hoffman would make no mistake the rest of the way as the Wheaton, Illinois driver would go on too win his second consecutive USPRO Cup Series Feature in two starts and fifth overall ASALMS-Sanctioned Feature of the season in four different states!

"This is one of those tracks that's been on my radar for a long time and one of those tracks that has given me a tough time over the years, so I'm really happy that we're standing here in victory lane!" Hoffman continued while receiving congratulations from members of both Tech One Race Cars crews.

"This USPRO Cup Series is a lot of fun to drive in. These drivers are really good and I'm having a great time racing in these shows." The Prairie State veteran continued. "Plus, we gave Tony (Car Owner Tony D'Ambrose) a 1-2 finish, nothing wrong with that!" Hoffman ended.

Hoffman's only other USPRO appearance also resulted in a feature win as well as he scored the triumph in his first USPRO start at his home track of Grundy County Speedway over the Memorial Day Holiday Weekend.

Keith Herp, a former regular in the tracks Coors Light Late Model division finished a career high second in his first official USPRO Cup Series appearance of his career. "I thought we had them covered, but Eddie sure come on strong." The Byron Center, Michigan driver stated during post-race ceremonies.

"We'll take a second place though with a driver like Eddie Hoffman in front of us. He's a big time driver in this series and one of the best in the entire country. So to be able to run with him is like a win to me!" The 24-year-old ended.

ASALMS Northern Division invader, Nick Bussell grabbed the last podium position in third representing hometown team, Boyne Machine Company who entered three cars in the companion ASALMS Challenge Division race and Bussell in the USPRO event.

"It's always been a dream of mine to run in a big race at Berlin Raceway and to finish third here is one of the highlights of my racing career!" The 25-year-old from Ionia, Michigan remarked in his post-race interview

"I've been coming here since I was a kid and then after I started racing and did my IRL Indy Lights deal before deciding to run Late Models, one of my biggest goals was to race here and I've finally done that and we finished third! I'm very happy!" Bussell ended.

17-year-old Barry Hartwell scored a career high fourth place finish as USPRO Cup Series Points Leader, Dave Gentile Jr., completed the Top Five. The front row of Josh Nelms and USPRO Rookie of the Year Points Leader, Andy Marchiniak were sixth and seventh as 14-year-old Seth Moody, Pat Zorn, and 16-year-old Zion Schaub rounded out the Top 10.

Earlier in the afternoon, Hoffman, who was pulling double-duty over the weekend in Marne, Michigan established the USPRO Track Record with a 16.693 which measures out to 94.459 MPH and beating the closest competitor by 0.306 seconds!

After taking the next weekend off, both the ASALMS Challenge Division and USPRO Cup Series will head to the immaculate ½ mile Progressively Banked Paved Oval of Mansfield Motorsports Park in Mansfield, Ohio on Friday and Saturday, June 27-28, 2008.

The USPRO Cup Series will be in action for there next to last race of their 2008 racing season, the Buckeye 50! Joining the ASALMS Challenge Division and USPRO Cup Series will be the traveling stars of the Short Track Trucks.com Challenge Series.

The Buckeye 50 Entry Form is available and due at the ASALMS Home Offices in Lexington, Michigan by Monday, June 23, 2008 to avoid late fees.

To download the USPRO Buckeye 50 Entry Form, go to this link: <b><a http://www.asalatemodelsnorth.com/pdfs/ent...sfieldUSPRO.pdf

USPRO Cup Series Presented by Drive Train Specialists Race #4 of 6
Berlin Raceway-Marne, Michigan
Saturday, June 14, 2008

Tradition 50 RACE RESULTS (UNOFFICIAL)
FINISH START CAR # / DRIVER / HOMETOWN TEAM / CAR LAPS STATUS
1 8 80 Eddie Hoffman/Wheaton, IL Tech One Race Cars/Chevrolet 50 Running
2 7 180 Keith Herp ®/Byron Center, MI Tech One Race Cars/Chevrolet 50 Running
3 6 17 Nick Bussell ®/Ionia, MI Boyne Machine/Chevrolet 50 Running
4 4 1 Barry Hartwell ®/Ada, MI Touch of Class Auto Wash/Chevrolet 50 Running
5 5 6 Dave Gentile Jr./Elwood, IL Bullfrog Sunblock/Chevrolet 50 Running
6 1 0 Josh Nelms ®/Lockport, IL Dotter Race Cars/Chevrolet 50 Running
7 2 72 Andy Marchiniak ®/Joliet, IL Carhartt's Vinyl Graphics/Chevrolet 50 Running
8 10 48 Seth Moody ®/Middleville, MI Lincoln Lake Baptist Church/Chevrolet 49 Running
9 11 43 Pat Zorn ®/St. Clair, MI D.T.I. Trucking/Chevrolet 49 Running
10 9 73 Zion Schaub ®/Traverse City, MI Dooson Infracore Fork Lifts/Chevrolet 48 Running
11 3 08 Bob Varney/Richmond, MI R.V. Performance/Chevrolet 15 Mechanical
12 12 77 Paul Freeland/Madison Heights, MI Sign-A-Rama/Chevrolet 1 Handling
® = 2008 Rookie of the Year Title Contender

Lap Leaders: 0 Josh Nelms ® Pole-3, 6 Dave Gentile Jr. 4-7, 180 Keith Herp ® 8-45, 80 Eddie Hoffman 46-50.
Cautions: 1 for 0 Laps.
Time of Race: 19 Minutes, 29.749 Seconds.
Margin of Victory: 0.726 Seconds.
Drive Train Specialists Fast Qualifier: 80 Eddie Hoffman 16.693 = 94.459 MPH.
GM Performance Parts Shootout Winner: NONE

This past weekend was the first of just two overall appearances in the series' home state of Michigan. The second and final appearance will be on Saturday, August 16, 2008 as the Dixie Motor Speedway will host the ASALMS Northern Division in the running of the Mid-Michigan Dixie Challenge 100.

In addition, the 4/10s mile progressively banked paved oval located North of Flint and South of Saginaw in Birch Run, Michigan will also see the USPRO Cup Series crown their 2008 Champion and Rookie of the Year on that same night in the 2008 USPRO Cup Series Season Championships / Dixie 75!

About the ASA Late Model Series:
The development of the ASA Late Model Series was formed in 2003, with the joining of the USPRO Series in Michigan and the ASA Touring Late Models, originally created by short track promotional legend Rex Robbins in 2004.

Over the past five seasons, the ASALMS sanctioning body has developed into the cornerstone program for Crate Motor / Template Body Late Model racing throughout the United States, exuding a passion for short track racing that has elevated the program to be tagged as "America's Premier Short Track Series."

The ASALMS will continue to move forward, bringing that passion to fans, competitors and tracks nationwide as it continues to provide a platform for exciting and affordable asphalt late model racing, while including a plethora of racers, from the veteran weekend competitors all the way to the stars of tomorrow's national series.

About the USPRO Cup Series
The USPRO Cup Series is a cost cutting traveling series under the sanctioning of the ASA Late Model Series Presented by GM Performance Parts. Shorter races with a 2-tire rule and shorter travel for the teams will allow the USPRO Cup Series to give drivers wanting to eventually move up into the ASALMS, a taste of what a Premiere Traveling Series is like.

For More Information, Contact the ASALMS Home Offices at: 1 (800) 385-2503 or 1 (810) 359-5635. You can also e-mail the series at: mprieur@asalatemodels.com

You can also log onto any of the three websites; For the Challenge Division, go to: http://www.asalatemodels.com For the Northern Division and USPRO Cup Series, log in at: http://www.asalatemodelsnorth.com and finally for the Southern Division click on: http://www.asalatemodelssouth.com