PARTS Super Pro Late Models: World Crown is Perfect Fit for Query
3 November 1999
Posted By Terry
Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
JEFFERSON, Ga. - It was Halloween night at Peach
State Speedway and the World Crown 300 for PARTS Super Pro Late Model
Series drivers were provided plenty of tricks and treats. The biggest
treat went to Freddie Query, who took his third win in series competition.
Query took the 32-car starting field to school in the Race Car College/Hamner Racing Engines Chevrolet leading 72 of the 207-lap race to take the victory. Hometown favorite Gary Jones drove the Jones Auto Parts Chevrolet to a second-place finish, while Rusty Clanton of Jonesboro, Ga. took home third.
Query had some stiff competition but was able to keep out front in the end for the win. Jones was on Query's bumper for the last 10 laps of the race and seemed to have a faster car.
"I tell you we had several close calls tonight and thank God because he was watching over me," said Jones in a post-race interview. "We got out of several things unscathed and ended up finishing this race in second."
Some of the other early race leaders weren't as fortunate. Johnny Henderson, Wayne Bowen and Wayne Anderson were either in the wrong place at the wrong time or had other problems that dropped them from contention.
Following the race, Query said he didn't have a motor that was as strong as some of the others, but could make up for the lack of power by taking it to them in the corners.
"This is a 9 to 1 All Pro Legal engine and it's giving up a lot of power," Query said. "But, you know when it's your day, it's your day and today was our day."
PARTS Super Pro Late Model Series point leader Wayne Willard was one of the many drivers receiving unwelcome tricks with a rash of wrecks and cut tires. Willard was fast qualifier and started from the pole with Query on the outside of the front row.
Query led the first nine laps and then Willlard took the point, and walked away from the pack until Lance Goodson of Monroe, Ga. took his turn up front. Willard regained the lead after the half-way point and held it until a cut tire sent him to the pits.
Willard of Buford, Ga finished 13th while Goodson drove the Easy Care/Slick 50 Chevrolet to a fourth-place finish. Larry Raines of Cummings, Ga. rounded out the top five finishers.
While Query won the World Crown 300, it was Jones with the fastest car on the track. Jones overcame a one-lap deficit to take the runner-up spot. After running up front for most of the race, a cut tire forced a pit stop on lap 122, and resulted in Jones losing a lap.
A determined Jones worked his way through the field and started closing on the leaders. By lap 170, Jones had broken into the top five again. Lap 174 found Jones in fourth, he moved into third on lap 176. He pulled up on the bumper of Ron Sanders and after several laps of applying pressure, Jones moved into second on lap 184.
Query started feeling the pressure of Jones and a late caution set up a five-lap showdown for the win.
"I knew he was fast," Query said. "He was fast earlier and then lost a lap and made it up. His motor just had so much more power than me, but I just had a good car tonight through the corners, and as long as I could keep from spinning the tires at all, I could just kill them through the corners.
"I don't know if I could have held him off on those final five laps without that caution. I had to drive this thing through the corners so hard just to keep up with these guys, because they are so strong down the straightaways."
Jones, who has yet to win in PARTS Super Pro Late Model Series competition had his best finish of the season and might have been able to take the win if the race would have gone green for those last laps.
"This race car right here is just awesome," Jones said. "We had a good car and I just want to thank everyone that helped me, my dad, my sponsors and the crew. We had a god car here tonight and I want to thank God for where we are at and congratulate Freddie Query.
"I knew we had to go when we got a lap down with a flat tire. I think we were about 11th or 12th and that was all we could do. We just had to give it everything we had and we came up a little short."
The final event of the 1999 PARTS Super Pro Series will be Nov. 19 - 20 at the New Senoia Speedway in Senoia, Ga.
Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit The Racing Photo Museum and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.