Italian Delight 150: Barker Wins Italian Delight 150 In Dramatic Fashion

SOUTH BOSTON, VA. - Adam Barker of Hurt, Va. scored his ninth win of the season in the 150-lap race for the Barkhouser Late Model Stock Car Division that highlighted Saturday nights Italian Delight racing program here at South Boston Speedway.

And, he had to take home a battered race car in the process.

Barker, who had trailed C.E. Falk III of Virginia Beach, Va. all race long, found himself in a position to make a bid for the win when the races final caution flag flew on lap 146. The caution allowed Barker to close up behind Falk for the final restart which came on lap 153.

The division points leader jumped up beside Falk on the restart and the pair were side-by-side as they came out of turn four on the final lap.

Barker and Falk made contact as they raced to the checkered flag with Barker getting the nose of his Chevrolet in front as the two cars hit the finish line. The pair made contact one final time at the finish line with the two cars crashing in turn one completing the dramatic ending.

Both cars were heavily damaged as a result of the crash with neither car being able to make the customary appearance in front of Victory Lane.

Barker, who was credited with leading only one lap of the race, the final lap, edged Falk by a scant .085 second.
Wayne Ramsey of Amherst, Va. finished third with Rodney Cook of Reidsville, N.C. and David Triplett Jr. of Timberlake, N.C. rounding out the top five finishers.

Jerame Donley of Winston-Salem, N.C, Eddie Johnson of Midlothian, Va., Deac McCaskill of Raliegh, N.C., Owen Miller of Emporia, Va. and Jonathan Bailey of Keysville, Va. rounded out the top ten finishers.

Only the top four finishers were on the lead lap at the end of the race.
Barker averaged 77.641 mph in the race that took just over 48 minutes to complete.

Pulliam Wins Limited Sportsman Race

Rookie Lee Pulliam of Semora, N.C. had his best outing of the season, starting on the pole and leading from start to finish to win the 50-lap Limited Sportsman Division race.

The win was the first of the season for Pulliam who became only the third driver to visit Victory Lane in the division this season.

Terri Marks of Capron, driving the Chevrolet maintained by the students and instructors of the Halifax County (Va.) High School Motorsports Academy, started on the outside pole and finished second with Tiffany Daniels of Smithfield, Va. rounding out the top three finishers.

Pulliams margin of victory was .552-second.

The race marked the first time that a pair of female drivers had finished in the top three in the division at South Boston Speedway.

Defending division champion and current division points leader Bruce Anderson of South Boston, Va. and Timmy Langford of Amelia, Va. rounded out the top five finishers.

Throckmorton Wins Pure Stock Division Race

Joey Throckmorton of Scottsburg, Va.picked up his fourth win of the season in the 30-lap race for the Budweiser Pure Stock Division race.

Throckmorton took the lead from fellow Scottsburg, Va. resident Joey Conner on the fifth lap and held on the rest of the way to pick up the win.

Justin Tucker of Elon, N.C. finished second with Conner, defending division champion Chuck Watkins of Stem, N.C. and Mark Francisco of Halifax, Va. rounding out the top five finishers.

Dowdy Wins Grand Stock Race

Troy Dowdy of Rustburg, Va. started on the pole and led all the way enroute to winning the nights 30-lap Grand Stock Division race.

Bill Edwards and Jerry Wilkerson, both of Danville, Va., finished second and third respectively.

Other Action

Sparky West of Hampton, Va. won the five-lap exhibition race for the INEX Legends Cars Series with Jamie Laine of Scottsburg, Va. finishing second.