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ARCA Trucks: ARCA's Aaron Hulings Handles Salem High Banks

12 September 1999

Salem, Indiana, - Aaron Hulings, aboard his fathers HRP Motorsports Ford Ranger, survived a scuffle with Johnny Witham on a late-race restart and held off a spirited charge from Robbin Slaughter in the end to win the ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series 35 lap main event Saturday afternoon at Salem Speedway taking his fifth series victory after 13 events. Slaughters Carmens Vacuum-Ed & Company Ford finished a length back in second ahead of current point leader Bill Withers who finished third in his Withers Foreign Auto-Mannings USA-Driveline 1 Ford. Dave Reeb, in his own Accurate Express-Accurate Logistics Ford, finished fourth and Troy Marciniak brought his A&A Manufacturing Chevy home in fifth.

Hulings was chasing Johnny Witham on a lap 22 restart when the 17-year-old hard charger found an opening to the high side off turn four. Coming down for the green flag, the two trucks traded paint before Hulings raced on by down the frontstretch. Witham tried to fall back in line and caught the tail end of Hulingss truck, and while Hulings managed to keep control, Witham found the wall in turn one and collected Jeff Speakman on the way. Neither driver was injured however both trucks sustained serious front end damage and were eliminated from competition. When racing resumed Hulings stretched his advantage to five lengths until Slaughter reeled in the eventual winner with five laps to go. From there Slaughter raced inches away from Hulingss bumper before making his move on the last lap. The former ARCA Pro-4 winner drove his truck inside of Hulings as the two frontrunners raced through three and four for the final time, but it was Hulings who had the momentum on the high side off the last corner and powered ahead for the hard fought victory.

Veteran ARCA Pro-4 pilot Jack Weethee finished strong in sixth in front of David Clay, John Toth, Canadian driver Cliff Hodgkinson and John Kasmierski to complete the top ten.

Hulings, who started sixth as a results of an inversion, also won the Hoosier Tire Pole award with a new track record of 18.477 seconds. Kasmierski and Tracy Leslie, subbing for Chad Guinn in the Sonic Expediting Ford, were heat race winners. Leslie, 1988 ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series champion, was working his way forward in the main event before rear suspension troubles relegated the former NASCAR Busch Series winner to 18th in the final running order.

The next appearance for the ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series will be September 18 on the clay at Tri-City Speedway in Franklin, Pennsylvania before the new series wraps up its inaugural season at the Toledo Speedway in conjunction with the Budweiser Glass City 200 on September 25th.

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