November 1, 1980 - Dean Combs Takes Atlanta's Busch Beer 150 and 4th International Sedan Series Title Over Larry Hoophaugh
Stock Car Racing History
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."
updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM
