The DASCAR Regional Pro Cup Series is a stock car racing series run by John Cittadino on the UticaHomeTrackSeries channel. The series currently serves as a feeder series to the Philips Cup Series.
| DASCAR Regional Pro Cup Series | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Sport | Stock car racing |
| Category | Auto racing |
| Jurisdiction | United States
Canada The Netherlands |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Headquarters | Albany, New York (main) Zandvoort, North Holland |
| President | John Cittadino |
| Other key staff |
|
| Official website | |
| Here | |
Series Inception[edit | edit source]
After the financial failure of the DASCAR Road Racing Challenge Cup, President John Cittadino wanted to start another DASCAR sanctioned series that would be less taxing on drivers and teams.
Cittadino decided to go the route of an American short track series, allowing for smaller venues and less globetrotting for the teams. The first race was held March 14th, 2014.
Season 1[edit | edit source]
The format for the first season featured a lower division, dubbed DASCAR Lites, which ran smaller horsepower cars and featured a field size of about thirteen drivers. The winner of the event would be allowed to drive a Regional Pro Cup-fielded #95 car and attempt the main event.
The maximum field size for the DASCAR Regional Pro Cup Series was thirty-five cars, but wold shrink if a track could not hold that number. The number of points awarded depended on the field size, making some events of higher importance. Races with smaller field sizes would have a qualifier race, consisting of drivers outside the top twenty in points, to determine who qualifies for the race.
Season 1 resulted in Jeffery Finguy winning the championship in the #9 Applied Chevrolet. This championship locked him in for a ride in the Philips Cup Series.
Season 2[edit | edit source]
There were no initial plans for the Regional Pro Cup to return for a second season, but after a planning debocle in the Philips Cup Series driver orientation, several drivers were left without rides. Seeing an opportunity, Cittadino offered to restart the series to hos these ten drivers. After getting approval from DASCAR President Robbert Pieete, Season 2 was underway.
Season 2 varied differently from the first season. The field size was only ten cars to start, but has expanded. The field limit was twenty cars, but only the top ten scored points. Only the final two races had more than twenty entries. A ten-minute qualifying session was run to determine the twenty drivers for Bristol, whereas a series of Heat races determined the field for Charlotte. Full time participation was also not guaranteed, because once a seat opened up in the Philips Cup Series, the next driver on the "list" was required to move up to that level, ceasing Regional Pro Cup participation. Of the ten original starters for the season, six moved up to the Philips Cup Series with varying degrees of success.
The championship battle was decided in Charlotte. The race would offer double points, as well as 5 point bonuses for Heat race wins and 1 point for winning the Last Chance qualifier. This meant five cars were eligible for the championship, with the top two only separated by one point. Phaula Thenos failed to qualify for the race, ending her chances at the title. On lap three, points leader Noah Oscarino and fellow championship competitor Isaac Sinclair got caught up in a big wreck, ending Oscarino's race and putting Sinclair several laps down. Nick Pericles finished second overall, but he was not able to gain enough leverage over Eric Heiden on track, thus giving Heiden the championship, which locks Heiden in for a Philips Cup Series ride.
Season 3[edit | edit source]
Talks of a Season 3 manifested two-thirds of the way through the second season. Season 3 was approved and scheduled to run alongside the Season 9 Philips Cup Series. An announcement was made that the series will be running retired Philips Cup Series cars to save on costs for the teams.
Unlike the previous season, Season 3 will feature a 30-car field, with points being awarded for every position.
Notable returning drivers were former Lites series drivers Cody Hagen and DJ Kurtis, as well as Season 1 competitor Alex Tanker and former Philips Cup Series driver John Cittadino, making his first appearance in the series after stepping away from the driver's seat.
Winners[edit | edit source]
A list of winners in the DASCAR Regional Pro Cup Series
| Season 1 | |
|---|---|
| Track | Driver |
| Utica-Rome | PJ Williams |
| All-Star | Joseph Onesto |
| Scotia | Vincent Allen |
| Flat Rock | Derek Pemberton |
| Kalamazoo | Michael Aurelio |
| Baer Field | Kris Wascher |
| Buffalo Downs | Jackson Darby |
| Lonesome Pine | Trevor Germain |
| Myrtle Beach | Vincent Allen (2) |
| Daytona Backstretch | James Shelly |
| Season 2 | |
|---|---|
| Track | Driver |
| Daytona | Dillon Young |
| South Boston | Darnell Matthew |
| Green Valley 540 | Dom Caps |
| Utica-Rome | Zachary Fitzwater |
| Seekonk | Nick Pericles |
| Richmond | Eric Heiden |
| Iowa | Noah Oscarino |
| Myrtle Beach | Gabryel Wanderley |
| Bristol | Noah Oscarino (2) |
| Charlotte* | Adam Dunlap |
*- Cooper Syron, William Brock, Sean Angel, and Gabryel Wanderley won the three points-paying Heat races and Last Chance qualifier, respectively. These do not count as full event wins.
|
Season 3 |
|
|---|---|
| Track | Driver |
| Daytona | Alex Tanker |
| South Boston | Martin Suarez |
| Utica-Rome | Colin Bartell |
| Irwindale | Eric Monaco |
| Bristol (Dirt) | Colin Bartell (2) |
| Watkins Glen | Joseph Kurtis |
| Delaware | |
| Grand Detour | |
| Talladega | |
| Charlotte |
Champions[edit | edit source]
| Season | Champion |
|---|---|
| 1 | Jeffery Finguy |
| 2 | Eric Heiden |
| 3 | tbd |
Trivia[edit | edit source]
- Vincent Allen, Noah Oscarino, and Colin Bartell are the winningest drivers, with two victories each.
- Seven countries have won a DASCAR Regional Pro Cup Series race; United States (16 Drivers), Jamaica (Williams), United Kingdom (Shelly), Australia (Fitzwater), Brazil (Wanderley), Iceland (Tanker), and Peru (Suarez)
- Julian Dartanius Jr. and Sean Angel are the only drivers to compete in every season.
