Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, February 11, 1991 TAG: 9102110056
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. LENGTH: Medium
Hess's postrace activities included interviews not only with the media, but with an FBI agent, said Larry Balewski, public relations director for Daytona International Speedway.
Hess was thrilled with his victory, but declined comment on the pending criminal charges.
"Honestly, I can't tell you anything," he said. "I found out about this Thursday on pit road."
Hess, 26, of Mooresville, N.C., was indicted in U.S. District Court in Cleveland on Wednesday along with his father, Homer, and eight of his father's employees and associates on charges of conspiracy, bankruptcy fraud and bank fraud.
The indictment alleges that after declaring bankruptcy in 1986 and seeking reorganization for several industrial cleaning companies he owned, the elder Hess created "shell" corporations to divert $1.12 million in income to his son's racing team, thus avoiding paying creditors, according to a Feb. 7 article in the Cleveland (Ohio) Plain-Dealer.
Prosecutors alleged that the elder Hess's employees and associates helped him transfer the money, the article said. The article did not specify how Ben Hess allegedly was involved.
Balewski said two FBI agents were at the speedway Thursday looking for the elder Hess, but did not find him.
The younger Hess, who won the ARCA 200 in 1989, had arrived here the week before last without a race car and without a ride for Sunday's race.
"We scraped and we saved and we begged and we pleaded," Hess said, and on Feb. 2 he was able to rent a ride from the Target Expediting Racing Team.
Hess qualified fourth for the 80-lap race and battled for the lead with Jimmy Horton in an exciting duel late in the race. Hess locked up the victory three laps from the end when Horton's car faltered during a restart after a caution period.
"This was a real good ARCA race," Hess said. "We won and I guess that's doing the best job we can." Hess received $11,350 for the victory.
There were five accidents during the race, including three multi-car crashes, but no serious injuries were reported. Veteran Red Farmer pulled muscles in his right chest and had a bruised ankle after slamming the fourth turn wall on lap five. Jerry Cook broke his right index finger when he demolished his car in the fourth turn wall on lap 20.
The ARCA race featured the first use of NASCAR's new pit rules for 1991, which prohibit tire changes during caution periods, among other things.
Although NASCAR Vice President for Competition Les Richter said he was "very pleased" with how the procedures went, they didn't seem to get a thorough test because most of the ARCA cars remained on the same tires throughout the entire race.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB