PARTS Trucks: Rookie Driver Wins at Tri-County Speedway
27 July 1999
HUDSON, N.C. - It was a night of firsts at Tri-County Speedway where the PARTS Pro Truck Series staged their seventh race of the season. It was the first win for rookie driver Dusty Williams and it was the first time a Ford has visited Victory Lane in the history of the series.Williams had to hold off a last-lap charge of the North Augusta Tire Chevrolet driven by Jay Dunham of Grovetown, Ga. As the drivers came out of turn four on the last lap, they both got sideways.
With smoke coming off the rear tires, it was Williams in the Dixie Excavating/Dustcom Ltd. Chevrolet at the stripe. Randy Gilbert of Dallas Ga. took the PARTS national points lead back by finishing third in the Lark Portable Buildings Chevrolet.
J.C. Beattie of Baltimore, MD was fourth to the checkered flag driving the ATI Performance Chevrolet and David Elliott of Leland, N.C. finished fifth in the UltraPure Technologies Chevrolet.
Williams of Savannah, Ga. raced on dirt tracks until this season. Making the move to asphalt seemed to come easy. He has been running up front most of the season and has won several non-national PARTS events prior to his win Friday night, July 23.
"The first time we saw him race in the series, we knew he had talent," said Larry Evans, president of PARTS. "He has some natural talent and even as competitive as this series is, I knew it was just a matter of time before he won."
It was the first time the PARTS Pro Truck Series visited the four-tenths-mile Tri-County track, so all the drivers were on equal footing as far as experience on the track.
Blake Bainbridge of Hueytown, Ala., a regular on the PARTS Pro Truck Series tour and a part-time competitor in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series racing, claimed the California Quickshine Quick Time Pole Award.
He missed his assigned order for qualifying so was the next to last driver to qualify. As a penalty, he only had one lap of qualifying, but that was enough to put him on the inside of the front row. Derek Hagen of Cadillac, MI started from outside the front row.
Bainbridge took the early lead only to retire from competition after suffering ignition problems. Kevin Barrett of Cleveland, Ga. was next to lead, putting the TelStar Comgear Chevrolet up front.
Barrett, the 1998 PARTS Pro Truck Series Champion, led the most laps and appeared to be on the way to his first victory of the 1999 season. A blown engine ended those hopes and set up the showdown between Williams and Dunham.
If the series had an ironman award, it would have to go to Fredrick Moore of Gainesville, Ga. Moore won the last PARTS Pro Series event earlier this month, even though he was feeling quite ill. His win gave him a five-point lead in the standings.
After the race, he was diagnosed with Spinal Meningitis and spent two weeks in the hospital. Moore, who was still recovering, took the green flag in the Cycle Sorcery/Martin Recreation Chevrolet at Tri-County.
He turned the driving chores over to his brother Ricky during the first caution. The Martin Motorsports team finished 18th in the 26-truck field and kept Moore in contention for the series championship.
Cary Cole of Northville, MI received the K&K Jumpstarters Hard Charger Award. Cole started the Parkway Ford/MCS Properties Ford from the rear of the 26-truck field and finished seventh.
In PARTS Division III competition, it was Linny Foster of LaGrange, Ga. taking his fifth win of the season in the FF Racing Chevrolet. Van Pitt of Greeenville, S.C. recorded his best finish of the year, finishing runner-up in the NorthForty Nursury Chevrolet.
Frankie Johnson of Cartersville, Ga. was third in the Pickup Trucks Plus Ford, while the Benning Auto Parts Chevrolet driven by Leslie Hammock of Columbus, Ga. finished fourth. Fifth place went to Damian Burke of Atlanta, Ga. in the Synergy Solutions Chevrolet.
The next event on the 1999 PARTS Pro Truck Series will be at Myrtle Beach Speedway on August 7. It will be the first visit to the well-known facility by the PARTS Series.
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