When the pair hit the ProCup Series in 2002, it didn't take long for other teams to know they would be tough competition. Running at Jennerstown (Pennsylvania) Speed- way, Ross went from 31st to 4th in his first race in Hooters. Then he won the next three in a row, with victories at Illana (Indiana), Winchester (Indiana), and Salem (Indiana) speedways. After finishing Third at Holland (New York) and during a second trip to Jennerstown, Ross won again at Indianapolis and Kil-Kare (Ohio). It wasn't until the tenth race of his rookie season, at New River Valley (Virginia), that he had a finish outside the Top 5. He moved into the Northern Division points lead with his first win and never gave it up. He scored Top 10 finishes in each of the five races in the shootout to end 2002 in Fifth Place overall for the combined North and South divisions.
Last year began as good as 2002 finished. Ross won the opening round at Jennerstown, was 6th at Lonesome Pine (Virginia), 2nd at Mansfield (Ohio), and 4th at Holland. Then he crashed at Winchester, finishing 22nd and writing off the team's primary car.
"He stuffed it into the wall and destroyed it," says Odle. "It took all the money I had to rebuild it. We pulled out an old Busch car to use, but it never was as good as the primary car."
"We lost a really good car at Winchester," Ross agrees. "All the rest of the season, we just struggled."
For Odle Motorsports, it was a struggle. For other teams, the '03 results by Odle Motorsports would be a dream season. They came back from the wreck to notch four more Top 5 finishes, including a second win for 2003 at Cayuga Speedway (Ontario, Canada) to end the Northern Division season in Second Place.
During the shootout, Ross finished 9th at Winchester, 7th at Myrtle Beach (South Carolina), 13th at Jennerstown, and 16th at Peach State (Georgia). He had a mechanical problem at USA International in Lakeland, Florida, giving him a 36th-Place finish and dropping him to 11th overall in ProCup points.
Ross is hoping a stronger finish this year may attract some attention from a team running in one of the Nextel Cup feeder series. He'd like a shot in either Busch or Craftsman Trucks.
But in a sport that puts drivers half his age in some of the best equipment in racing, he knows the opportunities for a 42-year-old veteran-no matter how good he is-are limited.
"I suppose I might have a better shot if I wanted to move to Mooresville or Charlotte," he says. "But this is home."
In their first two seasons together, Darin Odle and Brian Ross have accumulated an impressive track record in the USAR (United Speed Alliance Racing) Hooters ProCup Series. Here are the numbers for 2002 and 2003.
| Races | 36 |
| Win | 7 |
| Poles | 5 |
| Top 5s | 21 |
| Top 10s | 25 |
| Laps Led | 1,622 |
| Winnings | $237,350 |