PELETIER, NC – Limited Late Model veteran Ross “Boo Boo” Dalton has won at just about every track he’s raced at, but victory lane at Bobby Watson’s Carteret County Speedway has eluded him thus far.
Dalton, 24, from Liberty, North Carolina, has finished second twice this season at Carteret County Speedway and has come close to winning. Heading into Sunday’s Moore’s Olde Tyme Barbeque Chicken & Seafood Labor Day Classic, Dalton is confident he can finally break through at Carteret.
“We found a lot of speed the last time we were there for the $10,000-to-win race,” Dalton said. “I don’t know if we could have outrun Connor Hall, but I feel we had a car that could have given him a run for his money. With that being said, I feel like we’ve got a car that’s capable of winning against the local boys.”
Dalton has made five career starts at Carteret County Speedway and has finished in the top-five in four of those races. Throughout the years, he has won 108 Limited Late Model races at eight different tracks, including Bowman Gray Stadium and South Boston (Virginia) Speedway. However, Carteret County is one of only two Dalton has not won at and the only track he’s made multiple starts at without a victory. He credits that to how tough the competition is.
“Between Brandon Clements, Chris Burns and T.J. Barron, even when Eric Winslow’s there, they’re going to be good every time you go no matter what,” Dalton explained. “I think that Tyler Horne could be good too but he’s got the opposite problem I’ve got. He can qualify good, but his car goes away in the race, where I don’t qualify good but when they drop the green flag, my stuff comes to life.”
Dalton last competed at Carteret County in the $10,000-to-win Solid Rock Carriers 150 on August 11th and had been running inside the top-five before a clutch ended his strong run.
“We drove from 16th to fourth in the first 26 laps before the rain came,” Dalton stated. “We were riding behind TJ and two laps before the rain came, we slipped a clutch. When we went back out after the rain left, the clutch was still slipping. We limped it around until lap 96 and the clutch finally went out on us, so I had to park it, but I feel like we really had a shot at winning that race.”
Dalton grew up racing in karts before moving up to a Limited Late Model in 2009. Since then, he has become one of the most recognizable names in Limited Late Model racing due to his success over the years at Ace Speedway in Altamahaw, North Carolina.
“My dad, Jay Dalton, raced go-karts when I was born and I grew up racing go-karts,” Dalton commented. “In 2007, he got a Late Model Stock Car and ran at Ace Speedway, won four races and rookie of the year. In 2009, I got me a car from Jason York, and we started racing in 2009. It’s been 10 years now that we’ve been doing this.”
Longer races have favored Dalton at Carteret County and Sunday’s Limited Late Model race will be 75 laps in length. Along with the Limited Late Models, Street Stocks, Legends, Mini Stocks, U-CARs, and Champ Karts will all be in action in the Moore’s Olde Tyme Barbeque Chicken & Seafood Labor Day Classic presented by Solid Rock Carriers. Tickets are available at the gate for $15 for adults while kids 10 and under get in free.
