For the fourth consecutive year, Ace Speedway in Almatahaw, North Carolina will host the Rodney Cook Classic, a doubleheader event featuring Modifieds and Late Models paying tribute to former Ace Speedway competitor Rodney Cook, who died of cancer in 2013. The event is expected to attract over 25 Late Model drivers along the east coast, including Peyton Sellers and 2017 ValleyStar Credit Union 300 winner Timothy Peters.
Amidst all of the veterans that are expected to arrive to the track on Friday will be a group of Late Model newcomers who are looking for an opportunity to prove themselves alongside drivers like Sellers and Peters. One of those drivers is Liberty, North Carolina native Ross Dalton, who is more commonly known by the nickname “BooBoo” due to the events surrounding his early years.
“I was born on Halloween, and my mom always called me her little boo,” Dalton said. “I’ve also been around the racetrack at a young age getting scars, bruises and bumps, so everyone changed my name from “Boo” to “BooBoo” and it just stuck throughout the racing community, and now everyone knows me as BooBoo.”
BooBoo Dalton got his racing career started at a young age by competing go-karts along the east coast, but elected to trade his go-karts to Late Model competitor Jason York in exchange for one of his Late Models. York has used Dalton’s go-karts to help start his son’s own racing career, while continuing to provide help to Dalton’s start-up Late Model program, including supplying an engine to him for Saturday’s Rodney Cook Classic.
Since acquiring the equipment from York, Dalton has made a name for himself in Limited Late Model racing along the east coast, winning races at Ace Speedway, Franklin County Speedway, Orange County Speedway and South Boston Speedway. In 2016, Dalton began to transition into Late Model racing, and successfully made the ValleyStar Credit Union 300 in his first attempt, where he finished 26th after suffering a blown motor with less than 25 laps remaining.
Dalton has continued to carry over his success from the Limited Late Models into full-fledged Late Models, winning two feature races at Franklin County Speedway against veterans including Mack Little and 2016 ValleyStar Credit Union 300 winner Mike Looney. Those two victories have given Dalton confidence going into Ace Speedway, and he believes that his car will be fast enough to compete for the win against his more experienced competitors.
“Winning those two races at Franklin County was pretty big,” Dalton said. “We had a bunch of competition. Between the two victories at Franklin County and a test we did at Ace, I feel like we have a real shot at victory. We just have to keep our nose clean and see what we can get.”
Dalton played a key role in the revival of Ace Speedway, as he was one of the first drivers to win at the short track after it briefly ceased operations in 2016. Dalton hopes to pull off a strong run in order to build momentum for the 2018 season, but knows that track position will be a key dictator in how he finishes on Saturdaynight.
“Qualifying is going to be key,” Dalton said. “Hopefully we’ll get with a group of guys that have their heads screwed on straight, and keep the car clean for the first 100 laps. It’s going to get crazy in those final 40 laps, but if we make it to lap 100, I think we’ll have a good shot from there. I’m not going to finish second, I’m going to win, but if we finish in the Top 3, it will feel like a win to me.”
There will be stiff competition for Dalton to contend with if he wants to add his name to the short, but prestigious list of winners in the Rodney Cook Classic. Many of Dalton’s Limited Late Model competitors, including Dylan Ward, have filed entries for Saturday’s event, as well as Late Model veterans R.D. Smith and Justin Snow, who are looking to become the first repeat winners in the race’s brief history.
