Team Dellinger
Racing Articles
|
|
The Racing Journal is a FREE weekly racing publication from Shelby, NC.
The following article was taken from The Racing Journal April 18, 2002, by Dan Overstreet.
|
A Single Man's Racing Love Affair
Wayne Dellinger is 38 years old and lives in Lowesville, NC and is a single man. He graduated from East Lincoln High School in 1981. His parents are Freddie and Jessie Dellinger and he has two sisters, Elaine Stilwell and Debbie Morrison. He has driven a truck since 1995, and he has been a mechanic for over 20 years.
Wayne's racing career started right out of high school in 1981. He ran his first race at Metrolina Speedway in a Chevelle in the Hobby division. He raced in the division for 2 years and won his first two features in 1982. He drove for his dad who had Bobby Isaac and LeeRoy Yarbrugh drive for him in the NASCAR Grand National division and Frank Weathers and Herman Mooney drive for him at Cherokee and other area dirt tracks.
Over the next 6 or 7 years he drove Late Models all over NC and SC, mostly for his dad. He raced against competition like Buddy Smith, Freddy Smith, Mike Duvall, Buck Simmons, Joe Meadows, Randy Morrison, Billy Scott and many others, but acquitted himself well, winning twice at Metrolina in 1986, getting 7 wins in 1987 at Tri-County Speedway and 9 wins in 1988 at Tri-County including his first asphalt win, and he had a win at Cherokee Speedway.
From 1989-1993, Wayne raced in the ARCA series where he drove an Oldsmobile bought from Buddy Baker. His best finish during that time was a 3rd and 4th at Michigan International Speedway in 1991. He also led a race at Texas World Speedway in 1991 but had the engine blow, which ruined his day. He quit racing in 1993 because it had gotten too expensive.
Wayne began racing again in 1996 when he drove Buddy Smith's Late Model car. He got a win driving Donald Wilkes race car at EL Motor Speedway in 1997. He raced at EL in 1998 and picked up 4 feature wins, and at one point had the pole for 12 straight weeks. He captured 6 feature wins at EL in 1999 and had a win at Carolina Speedway and a win at EL on successive Friday and Saturday nights.
In 2000, Wayne won the first points race at Carolina and also the last points race at Carolina. The last half of the seaon he raced in Sumter, SC and though he didn't get a win, he did have a number of 3rds and 4ths. He won 2 features at EL in 2001, but he didn't race a lot due to illness.
Over the years since 1996, Wayne has raced the majority of his Late Model races at Carolina and EL. Competitors included Doug Sanders, Roger Hamrick, Billy Thompson, Buddy Smith, Jimmy Galloway, Doug Kennerly, David Lindsay, Pat Lindsay, Rob McLaughlin, Terry Bunn, Everette Dunlap, Todd Bolin, Shane Brafford, Roger Stone and many others.
Wayne plans to race mostly at Thunder Valley Speedway in Lawndale, NC in 2002 but will also run some big races at other tracks.
Special thanks from Wayne goes out to Buddy Smith, Ricky Weeks, Dale McDowell, Clint Elkins and other drivers, Barry Wright Race Cars, the memory of Valerie Milburn ("The Picture Lady"), his family, friends and fans, and especially to his dad Freddie, who has always been his hero.
|
|
