TJ Barron Picks Up Emotional Win at Coastal Plains

T.J. Barron, racing in honor of longtime friend, picked up an emotional victory in the season opener at Coastal Plains Raceway in Jacksonville, North Carolina on Saturday night.

Barron honored longtime friend, car builder, and racer Ronnie Hetu by driving car no. 4U.  Hetu, who passed away on Thursday, drove a car no. 4U early in his racing career.  Barron’s performance with the car number ended with a perfect stat line – pole, most laps led, and win.

After the race, Barron, who won the track championship at Coastal Plains Raceway Park in 2010, reflected on how Ronnie Hetu helped him get started in his racing career, which began with a trip to the now-defunct Fireball Raceway in Leland in 2000.

“Ronnie Hetu is probably one of the biggest reasons I’m standing here in victory lane today or even talking to you,” Barron told Short Track Scene.  “He invited me and my dad out to Fireball Raceway.  He had run a Legends Car and dad would never go and finally went.  The next weekend, we were on the way to go pick up a racecar.  He’s got a big part in my racing career.  He’s helped us like he’s helped everybody.  He was a good man, a true champion, and I’m honored to get to run his number and bring it to victory lane again.”

Earlier in the week, Barron had visited Hetu and made a promise – a promise he kept.

“We went to visit with him on Wednesday and I said, ‘Ronnie, I’ll get you that trophy somehow, I’ll bring it to you Sunday.’  He laughed and said, ‘what are you going to do, steal it?’  I said, ‘I’m gonna steal it from them other boys’ and I think we did tonight,” Barron recalled.  “The car wasn’t perfect.  [Tim] Allensworth put up a good fight.  We were both kind of saving there and I guess I just saved a little bit more than he did and the last 30 laps or so, I just let it be and it held up.  Thank God and the Hetu family, we love you and everybody who helped me.  That trophy is going in the Hetu house.”

Kris Hetu, the son of Ronnie Hetu, had competed earlier in the evening in a Mini-Stock race, driving a car he and his father built – a car that was originally going to be driven by Brian Bryant.

“It took me 45 minutes to walk through the gate,” Hetu said.  “Brian, wherever he disappeared to, decided he was going to put me in the car, one of the last cars me and my dad built.  It means a lot.  Thank you.”

Following Barron’s victory in the Late Model feature, Barron and Hetu embraced each other in the winner’s circle and Hetu explained what Barron’s win meant to him.

“The day before my dad passed, T.J. came over and talked to him and told him that he was going to bring him a trophy back Saturday and he held up his end of the bargain,” Hetu stated.  “It means a lot to us, running his number and winning this one.  These guys are family to us.”

The toughest challenge Barron faced all race came from Tim Allensworth.  In the midway stages of the 75-lap race, Allensworth had closed in to within a car-length of Barron but was unable to make the pass.  Allensworth ended up fading in the closing laps, which allowed Bradley McCaskill, who was driving for an injured Louis White, to finish in the second position while Rusty Daniels raced his way up to third.  Allensworth finished fourth and Daniel Vuncannon rounded out the top-five.

Other winners: Carsyn Gillikin (Jr. Mini Cup), B.J. Thompson (Champ Kart), Joseph Bryant (Mini Cup), Curtis Lanier (U-CAR), Kevin Benton (Street Stock), and Travis Miller (Mini-Stock).

Coastal Plains Raceway Late Model Results: 1.) T.J. Barron, 2.) Bradley McCaskill, 3.) Rusty Daniels, 4.) Tim Allensworth, 5.) Daniel Vuncannon, 6.) Tyler Horne, 7.) Brandon Clements, 8.) Paul Williamson, 9.) Gerald Benton, 10.) Brandon Hobbs, 11.) Dylan Newsome

T.J. Barron takes the checkered flag in the 2021 season opener at Coastal Plains Raceway Park. (Eric Creel/STS photo)

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