In the mid nineties, when we saw the NASCAR Sportsman series start to unwind, as car owners we wondered what our options and what could be done to fill the gap between the Saturday night LMSC and the Busch Grand national Series. As a car builder that had a car in every NASCAR Sportsman event, I was deeply concerned that the concept was going to disappear.  Then the phone call from Randy Myers pitching the idea that USAR owned by Hooters President Bob Brooks was interested in taking the Sportsman concept to the next level.  Bob sponsored Alan Kulwicki in the championship run the year before Alan, Dan Duncan, Mark Brooks and Charlie Campbell were tragically killed on the way to Bristol, TN.  Alan had a great interest in training the racing workforce and at the time, Metalcraft Tools had started to train that workforce.  Many of our students worked for Alan, it was a starting point for entry-level technicians.  After Alan and associates died, Bob’s grief for his son and dear friends along with some issues with NASCAR left him looking for a legacy.  Alan made an impact on Bob; his vision of how a championship team should be ran was instilled in the elder Brooks mind.  I had an opportunity to do business with Alan, his focus was unbelievable, he had a reputation for detail.  Some employees even felt that Alan looked over their shoulders, Felix Sabates, executor of Alan’s estate said that after looking at the team’s books he had to take his hat off to the most efficient ran race team in NASCAR history, a true championship effort on the track and off.  Alan made the statement “If you give them (meaning the team) 10 days to fix it, it will take 10 days, give them 2 days, and they get it done. They’re racers, that’s what racers do!”  Needless to say, Alan rotated help pretty freely, he had cots in the shop, a shower and lockers with daily deliveries from the pizza place.  Alan had a plan; he executed it to a championship.

Later at a function announcing the formation of Brooks Institute in 1994 Bob Brooks alluded to Alan’s interest in introducing motorsports to young people and how critical it was to create a path that would allow there young racers to join the industry at productive levels.  As a car owner in the USAR ProCup series, I have had the opportunity to hear Bob Brooks explain his vision of what he thought the series should be.  Of course a tool to promote the Hooters restaurant chain, along with Naturally Fresh Foods, but also an opportunity for advancement for drivers wanting to get into Cup.  In one of the last Bob Brooks speeches I heard, he said something that I thought finally got the point across; the ProCup series was instrumental in preparing many individuals for professional motorsports, drivers, mechanics, officials, public relation, even marketing people.  Although the price was great, Alan Kulwicki, Mark Brooks, Dan Duncan and Charlie Campbell did not die in vain, but opened the future for many young people.

On many occasions, I have set down with the ProCup officials over the years to discuss the future.  When the series started, it was about used Busch Grand National and Winston Cup cars.  In 2000 the series started to build momentum.  NASCAR teams started to understand the value of ProCup as a training ground for young drivers; they could literally take a car out of their fleet, drop in an engine with steel heads and 600 Holley to go racing.  Hendricks, Roush, Woods Brothers, all jumped at the opportunity.  In 2001 Fritz Augustine announced the plan to have a series nose and tail.  I quickly protested, car owners were starting to align themselves with NASCAR owners to provide a training service, but this change would discouraged NASCAR team owners.  In a meeting with Fritz, he said that if it were up to him the cars would be fiberglass late model cars.  Mr. Brooks wanted a metal body NASCAR look-a-like.  Fritz said he was going to make changes until it was all fiberglass.  I told Fritz that the teams were looking for experienced technicians not only drivers, but also body hangers, fabricators, assemblers, etc…  Fritz and the Cox’s both took the stance that the ProCup series was a stand-alone series, they did not want racers to come get experience and leave, though they knew it would happen.  ProCup would become a haven for racers to old for the big time, a series for racers that will stay.  On the other side, the wing commander was preaching that the series was a stepping-stone to the big show.

This year Mr. Brooks passed away and I am sure that the vision he shared with Alan Kulwicki has also passed.  Just weeks after his death Fritz announced that 5 Star, a body fabricator would provide bodies exclusive to ProCup for 2007.  The combo would include a composite main body with aluminum doors - basically a late model body.  While running Busch Grand National in the late 80’s NASCAR announced that the Competition Director, Robert Black would be replaced, I asked Joe Collins why?  Joe explained that even though Robert Black did a great job the series had passed his imagination, and without the right amount of imagination, you can’t see the big picture.  Mr. Brooks, I don’t know if you realized the impact you would make on the motorsports industry, I don’t even know if you were able to convince the people that surrounded you how important this legacy was.  The one thing I do know is that the Hooter’s ProCup series passed the imagination of its leaders about three years ago.  It’s still my choice for young drivers, but I am afraid the vision is growing dimmer and dimmer.