November 1, 1980 - Dean Combs Takes Atlanta's Busch Beer 150 and 4th International Sedan Series Title Over Larry Hoophaugh

On November 1, 1980, Dean Combs of North Wilkesboro, North Carolina beat Larry Hoophaugh to the checkers at Atlanta International Raceway to win the Busch Beer 150 and claim his 4th NASCAR International Sedan Series Championship .

2nd place finisher, Hoophaugh had claimed two consecutive titles in 1978 & 1979.

Combs was driving a Datsun owned by a Richmond acquaintance of mine, Irv Sanderson . Irv owned Boulevard Imports on The Boulevard in Richmond and also sponsored the car, as he did for all of Combs' championship runs in the series.

Sanderson's Richmond Datsun dealership was located just a quarter-mile from the old Richmond mile dirt track at the old Virginia State Fairgrounds where Big Bill France came down from Washington, DC to race his big open wheel car in the 30s and 40s.

Sanderson later built a Winston Cup car for Combs sponsored by Richmond-based BEST Products . After experiencing financial acccounting "difficulties" with a new dealership in Richmond's West End on Broad Street, Sanderson moved to the left coast for several years. When he returned to Richmond he leased Southside Speedway from the Wilkinson family for one season, but was not a very successful race promoter.

In true North Wilkesboro fashion, Combs, whose family had a financial interest in North Wilkesboro Speedway , was busted for moonshining in 2009.

A look through the finish results will reveal other familiar names to stock car fans - i.e. Labonte, Pearson, Berrier, Hester, Hopkins, etc .

Dean Combs made his NASCAR Winston Cup Series debut in his hometown of North Wilkesboro in October 1981 driving for Richmond car dealer, Irv Sanderson's Boulevard Datsun Racing Team. The Captain's Table sponsor was a local North Wilkesboro seafood restaurant where many racers ate on Saturday night of the old Wilkesboro GN/Cup weekends .UMI Yearbook Photo

Combs would go on to win 14 of 20 NASCAR International Sedan Series events in 1981, again driving Irv Sanderson's Boulevard Imports Datsun and racking up his 5th series championship.

Former NASCAR driver Combs arrested

March. 4, 2009 GREENSBORO, N.C., March 4 (UPI) -- Police in Wilkes County, N.C., say former NASCAR driver Dean Combs has been arrested for allegedly manufacturing moonshine.

The Wilkes Journal-Patriot reported Wednesday that police and state agents said Combs had been producing home-distilled alcohol in a 300-gallon still allegedly found on his property in Wilkesboro, N.C.

"It was a very professional, clean operation ... all stainless steel," North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement Agent Shon Tally said of the alleged still, which was found after an anonymous tip.

Authorities alleged they also located nearly 1,150 gallons of corn mash on Combs' property and seized 200 gallons of corn liquor in the raid.

Combs, who won five championships in the NASCAR's former Goody's Dash Series, allegedly even bragged about his illegal alcoholic creations.

"It's something I was always interested in," the current crew chief for car owner Junior Johnson was quoted as saying by the Journal-Patriot. "I wanted to see if I could make something drinkable. I guess I gave someone a quart I shouldn't have."

Former Driver Combs Charged With Maufacturing Moonshine

Source: HardcoreRaceFans.com

According to the Wilkes JournalPatriot, former NASCAR driver Dean Combs was arrested at his North Carolina home last Friday, February 27, 2009, and charged with manufacturing non-tax paid liquor, along with one count each of possessing, possessing ingredients to manufacture and possessing equipment to manufacture non-tax paid liquor.

The 57 year old Combs, of Speedway Road in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, was operating a moonshine still in the back of a shop building behind a go kart track near the North Wilkesboro Speedway, according to N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE)Agent Shon Tally, who along with other agents found the still.

Tally said the still had a capacity of 300 gallons per run and was warm due to a run on Thursday.

The operation had a primary and secondary condenser for efficiency and quality, and about 180 feet of copper tubing. The ALE also seized 200 gallons of corn liquor and 3,000 pounds of sugar.

It was a very professional, clean operation all stainless steel, Tally told the Wilkes Journal Patriot.

Too large to haul away, the Wilkes Sheriff's Department's "bomb squad" was requested to eradicate the still. The still was pulled approximately 200 yards away and destroyed with two explosive charges.

Agents were tipped off by an anonymous caller who complained liquor was being produced on the property.

Combs had a successful career in the now defunct NASCAR Goody's Dash Series before joining the Cup Series in 1981. Combs made a total of 24 Cup starts from 1981 through 1984.

4th place finisher Lanny Hester was once a mini-stock driver at Nashville's fairgrounds speedway. He and Gary Baker later teamed to take over the lease at Nashville as well as buy Bristol. Baker and Hester owned the track when the Cup cars first ran under the lights in the summer of 1978. When Warner Hodgdon joined the two of them though, the whole thing unraveled.

From the TMC Vault

Thanks, Chase.

Dean Combs' ISS car owner and sponsor, Irv Sanderson and his Boulevard Datsun dealership in Richmond were very promotional minded. He teamed with local Richmond area franchise owners of Tennessee-based Shoneys for several years to give away a Datsun. These two ads apeared in Fredericksburg, Virginia:

The same year that Irv Sanderson's Boulevard Datsun sponsored entry won its 4th NASCAR ISS hampionship with Combs driving, Irv's Richmond dealership got a mention in a national Associated Press article on the high cost of auto repairs. This version ran in Spantanburg. Sounds like the dealership was a family affair, with another Sanderson heading up the service department:

Chase, I'm surprised you didn't mention Lanny Hester's car number in the International Sedan Series. Here's your chance!

Saw that in your original post and laughed. Didn't mention - but yes, you are probably right. Always looking for an opportunity for random 43 references out there.

Good boy, lol!

Mickey York's Capri

Cool information! I guess I've never heard of this series, looks pretty cool! Was Dean Combs related to Rodney Combs?

Busch Bump

Here's a Jeremy Markovich photo of Dean Combs in 2015 displaying a blown up piece from one of his stills:

Driver Dean Combs didn't hook up with Richmond's Irv Sanderson and his Datsun until the 1980 season. Combs had driven small Chevy models in earlier seasons.

In a 1977 Wilmington (DE) News Journal Story, it was stated that Sanderson was fielding the only import in the Series as the Baby Grands prepared for their first race at Dover:

Alderman Eyes New Challenge

From the Dover Bureau DOVER

May 10, 1977

George Alderman has been involved in road racing for the past 20 years, but he may have a change in heart following the running of the NASCAR Baby Grand Division 50-mile race Saturday afternoon at Dover Downs International Speedway. Alderman, who operates a Datsun dealership in Wilmington, is handling the engine work for Irv Sanderson's (Richmond, Va.) Datsun 610, entered in Saturday's first running ever of a Baby Grand race in Dover. "We are looking into maybe joining this Baby Grand racing series," said Alderman, after watching driver George Tompkins complete a test run yesterday morning at the cold Dover Downs oval. "This series is certainly catching on and we may be looking to field a car in this series in the near future." Right now. Alderman, a two time national driving champion in the International Motors Sports Association (IMSA) road series, is working behind the scenes, hoping Sanderson's car will hold up well on Saturday. The Baby Grand race is the highlight of Saturday's activities at Dover Downs. The Mason-Dixon 500 race, featuring such drivers as Cale Yarborough, Richard Petty, David Pearson and Bobby Allison, will be run Sunday afternoon at noon. Alderman has his own crew chief, Barry Britton of Wilmington, handling the engine work on the Virginia car that has been running well in the series this year. Most cars on the Baby Grand Circuit are running with a 2300 CC engine. Alderman has installed only a 2000 CC engine in Sanderson's car, but feels in the long run the car will hold its own with the other competition. "We've been together with the Virginia people for about eight months," added Alderman. "We may build a car of our own, if we like what we see on Saturday. The car has been very competitive so far and we are looking to get more power in it. We are the only Datsun or import car on the circuit. "