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Goodson Rolls

Second Win in Slim Jim All Pro Series, NASCAR Touring

Greenville, S.C. - April 24, 1999 - Picking up where he left off last week,
Darlington, S.C.'s Hal Goodson captured his second Slim Jim All Pro Series,
NASCAR Touring victory of 1999 Saturday night at Greenville-Pickens
Speedway. The 36-year-old driver of the Nortel Networks Chevrolet Monte
Carlo pocketed $8,625 of the $43,900 Ingles 200 purse and moved into a third
place tie with Jody Ridley on the all-time winners list as he notched his
12th career victory. Coupling his second win of 1999 with a fourth place
finish by points leader Wayne Anderson enabled Goodson to take the points
lead by just one point after three of 18 races on the 1999 Slim Jim All Pro
Series schedule.
    "I can't say enough about the guys who put this Nortel Networks Chevrolet
on the track for me each week. They give me a car capable of winning and it
makes my job that much easier when I can have total confidence in my
equipment," stated Goodson. "Jimmy King (crew chief) and I decided to take
on four tires when many of the other leaders chose to take on two and that
proved to be the right decision for us tonight," he added.
Picking up his first career Bud Pole Award, in front of his hometown fans,
Easley, S.C.'s Randy Gentry outpaced 34 other drivers to grab the top
starting spot for the 200-lap race. Gentry sped around the flat 0.500-mile
oval in a time 0f 19.656 seconds at an average speed of 91.575 mph.
Greenville, S.C.'s Toby Porter completed an all-Greenville area front row
when he toured the track in 19.797 seconds equating to an average speed of
90.923 mph.
Gentry got a good start and took command of the race at the drop of the
green flag. The driver of the Carolina Painting/Milliken Cleaners Chevrolet
was able to hold off Porter for the first 10 laps before Porter took the
lead on lap 11. The Harrison's Dept. Store Chevrolet driver then proceeded
to lead until the race's first caution which waved on lap 121 as a result of
a spin on the backstretch by Pensacola, Fla.'s Eddie Mercer. After setting
such a torrid pace, and aided by no cautions up to lap 121, Porter was able
to put all but nine of the 32 cars that started the 200-lap race at least
one lap down. In the process Porter also nabbed the $400 Gatorade Front
Runner Award for leading at the race's halfway point.
During the caution period a flurry of pit stops took place and Pinellas
Park, Fla.'s Mike Cope emerged as the race leader when green flag racing
resumed on lap 128. Goodson restarted in the seventh position and was up to
fourth by lap 150. One lap later he moved into third and he moved past
Anderson on lap 157 to grab the runner-up spot. Goodson and Porter began to
reel in Cope's Manheim Auto Auctions of Orlando Chevrolet, with Goodson
taking the lead on lap 180.
The speedy race pace was slowed on lap 190 when a 10-car pileup occurred in
turn three, collecting the lead lap cars of polesitter Gentry, Robert
Burroughs and Scott Kilby among others, resulting in a 20 minute, 35 second
red flag period.
Once the melee was cleaned up Goodson was able to hold off Cope for the win.
Cope settled for second, Porter wound up third while Anderson and Jeff Fultz
completed the top five. Goodson's margin of victory was 0.233 seconds.
The race was run in one houre, 22 minutes and 10 seconds at an average speed
of 73.022 mph. There were just three caution periods for 20 laps and a
total of four lead changes amongst four drivers.
    Heading into the next event Goodson lead Anderson by one point while
Floridian's Ronnie Burkett, David Reutimann and Billy Bigley, Jr. round out
the top five.
    Charleston, S.C.'s Strom Altman perserved for a 15th place finish but it
was good enough to capture Rookie-of-the-Race honors. Coy Gibbs now leads
Mike Franklin, Jr. and Rodney Childers by seven points in the rookie points
chase. King secured his second Jasper Engines & Transmissions Crew
Chief-of-the-Race Award to assume command of the points chase in that category.
The fourth event on the 18-race Slim Jim All Pro Series schedule is
Saturday, May 1 at Orange County Speedway in Rougemont, N.C. Bud Pole
qualifying will get underway at 6:00 p.m. with a full racing program
including the Orange County 200 getting the green flag at 8:00 p.m.