ARCA Trucks: Tully Esterline takes charge in LaSalle ARCA Trucks race

17 August 1999

LaSalle, IL - Pettisville, Ohios Tully Esterline gave the drivers of the ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series a lesson in dirt track racing. The former sprint car driver hadnt forgotten a thing from his days of driving the winged warriors on dirt as the mechanical engineering senior from the University of Toledo raced his Spangler Candy Chevy S-10 underneath ARCA Pro-4 veteran Johnny Witham on the 17th lap of the 50 lap main event and never looked back to capture his career-first ARCA Truck victory becoming the fifth different winner after eight events in the new versatile touring series.

Witham held on for second ahead of Robbin Slaughter and Chad Guinn, who finished fourth in his first-ever start on dirt, and John Kasmierski to complete the top five.

"This is just great," said Esterline after the race. "We really needed this to get some momentum going. Weve definitely struggled all year, especially on pavement. The asphalt set-ups are all new to us, and with most of the races on pavement, its been quite a learning curve, but were slowly but surely starting to catch on. We knew this new ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series was going to be tough, we just had no idea how tough. It jumped out of gear on us on that last restart, and I thought we were going to lose it all, but I just shoved back into gear and it took off. I want to thank Spangler Candy for sticking by us, and ARCA for a great series, and LaSalle Speedway for having us. This is a great little race track. I hope we get to come back."

Witham led at the onset in his Appco-Fab Shop Ford from his second starting position but it wasnt long before Esterline, who started fourth, maneuvered his way into second. Esterline gave chase for several laps with Robbin Slaughters Carmens Vacuum Sales-Ed & Company Ford in tow until Witham jumped the cushion in turns one and two allowing the eventual winner to take charge to the low side for the winning pass.

Gregg Vasko finished sixth in front of Bill Withers, Dave Reeb, point leader Aaron Hulings and Bob Strait to complete the top ten. Strait, a 14-time ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series winner, was on his way to the front until a spin relegated the veteran to the tail-end of the pack. Heat race winners were Bob Stoner and Strait. Esterline also won the Cloyes Gear Halfway Leader award and Vasko picked up the Ed & Company Hard Charger honors for advancing the most positions, from 16th to sixth.

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