By Randy Pettitt

ROUGEMONT, NC – David Triplett Jr. won the 150-lap Late Model main event of the Dr Pepper 305 at Orange County Speedway last Saturday night, but he was in a somber mood because of a battle lost earlier in the afternoon.

Triplett dedicated his third victory of the season to carburetor specialist Harold Terrell of Burlington, who died of an apparent heart attack during a practice session at the three-eighths mile asphalt track.

“It’s hard to celebrate when that man’s family is grieving,” said Triplett, a Timberlake firefighter who was among the first on the scene when Terrell showed signs of trouble. “I was pumping on his chest seven hours earlier, trying to keep him with us. He didn’t work on my car, but he was still a racer. He was one of us.”

Terrell was known for his carburetor work on the cars of Rougemont’s Craig Moore, but helped other teams at OCS. “He was still excited from us winning here last week,” said Moore of Terrell. “Racing can be that way – from extreme highs to extreme lows. Our thoughts are with his family.”

Triplett collected $3500 for the victory, including a $500 bonus from Strutmasters for being fastest in qualifying trials. He drove through an inverted 12-car field and took the lead for good from Ryan Gray in a 21st lap restart.

Raleigh resident Gray posted his best finish of the season when he held off Stacy Puryear of South Boston, VA, for second. Puryear finished third and increased his lead in TAG-OUT Late Model Stock Car division standings to eights points over title challenger Terry Dease of Oxford, fourth in the Dr Pepper 150.

“I hope the fans enjoyed it, because I sure did,” said Gray of his battle with Puryear. “You get to racing with somebody, have fun and forget about all the worries of the world. That is what it is all about.”

Daryl Carver crept back into the Limited Sportsman title chase with his second victory of the season. The Prospect Hill resident led all 50 laps and regained second in standings from Brian Cole, who finished sixth. Donald Brace of Apex finished third and remained eights points in front of the title battle.

“This is the only way to get that championship,” said Carver. “You’ve got to win or finish in the top three every week. We’ve finally got some momentum going our way. We’ll try to keep it the rest of the season.”

Jerry Hinesley of Durham was runner-up in his best finish of the year here. “It has been a real battle for my team this year,” said Hinesley. “This is the same car we nearly destroyed here a few weeks ago. My crew fixed it and hung another body on it. It’s running better than it was.”


Chapel Hill’s Michael Hatley romped to his fourth victory of the year in the Trailers of the East Coast Grand Stock division. Hatley zipped past Tommy Chandler of Durham in a ninth-lap restart and led the rest of 35 laps. Cory Purnell of Yanceyville finished second and Chandler took third.

Keith Langston of Pittsboro was winner of a 20-lap Pure Stock race, his sixth OCS triumph of the season.

Daryl Gwyn and Gary Lloyd were Modified and Sportsman class winners in a 25-lap race for vintage Southern Ground Pounders.

Orange County Speedway racing will resume on Saturday night, Sept. 13, with a six-event program that begins at 7pm.

Late Model Stock Car, 150 laps

1) David Triplett, Jr., Timberlake, NC; 2) Ryan Gray, Raleigh, NC; 3) Stacy Puryear, South Boston, VA; 4) Terry Dease, Oxford, NC; 5) Mike Chambers, Timberlake, NC; 6) Bruce Greene, Asheville, NC; 7) Leigh Caruthers, Raleigh, NC; 8) Andrew Perry, Hillsborough, NC; 9) Will Riley, Cedar Grove, NC; 10) Craig Moore, Rougemont, NC 11) Tim George, Jr., New York, NY; 12) Dale Arnold, Fayetteville, NC

Limited Sportsman Division, 50 laps

1) Daryl Carver, Prospect Hill, NC; 2) Jerry Hinesley, Durham, NC; 3) Donald Brace, Apex, NC; 4) Tripp Massengill, Creedmoor, NC; 5) Chris Denny, Timberlake, NC; 6) Brian Cole, Roxboro, NC; 7) Will Riley, Cedar Grove, NC; 8) Tommy Chandler, Durham, NC; 9) Scott Hitchens, Gumboro, DE

Grand Stock Division, 35 laps

1) Michael Hatley, Chapel Hill, NC; 2) Cory Purnell, Yanceyville, NC; 3) Tommy Chandler, Durham, NC; 4) Ray Ellington, Jr., Madison Heights, VA; 5) Michael Smith, Cedar Grove, NC; 6) James Myers, Danville, VA; 7) C.B. Elliott, South Boston, VA

Pure Stock Division, 20 laps

1) Keith Langston, Pittsboro, NC; 2) Casey Pope, Durham, NC; 3) Tony Lassiter, Creedmoor, NC; 4) Clint Hyler, Yanceyville, NC; 5) Thomas Penny, Durham, NC; 6) Jay Havens, Durham, NC; 7) Michael Penny, Durham, NC; 8) Tony Ivey, Durham, NC; 9) Bruce Chisholm, Hurdle Mills, NC

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