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Justin South- a Gardendale, Alabama native; a recent high school graduate; a lover of football and Crimson pride but most of all, a young man aspiring for greatness behind the wheel of 3400 pound stock car. Why auto racing? Maybe because the danger of hitting the outfield chasing a deep fly ball isn't quite the same as coming off of turn two at Darlington and slapping the wall at 170 mph. Maybe because staring down a 230 pound lineman isn't quite as intimidating as running full throttle down the front stretch at Talladega in a pack of 42 cars on the verge of chaos with the sun blaring down your sightline making seeing the car in front of you virtually impossible. Maybe it is the fine line of going fast without losing control that you must tread; pushing the buttons of an already temperamental beast in order to milk a few more rpms that may make up the fractions of seconds between first and second place. It is about the cold chills that run down arms every weekend when the B2 bombers fly over the six figure crowd and the adrenaline that sits in the gut and beads across the brow of every driver, lead footed, going into turn one. Racing is a 10 month overtime job of grinding gears and sacrifice where the payoffs are big, even if you're not standing in victory lane. For these reasons, Justin South chooses to race.
Well before NASCAR took over the world or at least Sunday afternoons and marketing strategies, Southerners had long since bought in to all the hype. Having roots well planted in the southeast, auto racing was part of the South family. Justin spent weekends at local tracks with his dad or fixated on the television for hours watching the wheels spin. In 2000, the family took a trip to Atlanta Motor Speedway and it was there that a racing career was born. At the age of 12, Justin found Bandolero cars and behind the wheel a different light was shed on the thrills of auto racing. Two years later, Justin was named the Bandolero Young Gun National Champion. Having apparent natural talent, Justin's young racing career progressed at a different speed than most.
In 2003, South joined the Allison Legacy Touring Series and finished the year out 5th in points; earning him a Rookie of the Year title. The following year, Justin drove Late Model Stock cars at Birmingham International Raceway. He credits his first Late Model win as one of his favorites to date. All of the effort put in by the team and the support of family and friends made for an amazing moment. Little was known that this was a precursory experience with many more lying in its wake.
In September of 2004, Justin was given the opportunity to make his first ARCA RE/MAX Series start. He took to the track at Salem, Indiana and did more than impress the ARCA community with a 2nd place finish and valiant challenge for the win. The successful run at Salem opened eyes and doors for Justin in the years to follow.
Justin continued competing in Late Model Stock and limited ARCA RE/MAX events during the 2005 and 2006 seasons. Of the five ARCA races ran in 2005, Justin once again found his greatest success in Salem with a 3rd place finish in March. The following year, Justin continued to gain on track experience, racing in eight events, leading laps and finishing respectably. The best finish of the season came in Chicago where he crossed the line in ninth place. Not every race is going to be a win and some of the greatest triumphs come from digging all day with the crew transforming what may be junk into top-10 glory.
This year, Justin will be running the entire 2007 ARCA RE/MAX season for Cunningham Motorsports in the #59 HD Supply Lumber and Building Materials Dodge. "My goal for the 2007 season is to build a team capable of contending for the championship title and bring due recognition to everyone involved with the Cunningham Motorsports organization. There is so much hard work and long hours put in behind the scenes and it would be an honor to give back a fraction of what everyone puts in. I am very fortunate for the opportunity that Kerry Scherer and Mark Gibson have given me and hope for much success for the team and my sponsor, HD Supply Lumber and Building Materials," said a hopeful South.
Justin is in it for the long haul; for the late hours and overcoming the bad luck; for the blown engines and the victory lane celebrations. Justin is building more than a trophy case; he is laying the foundation for a Nextel Cup career.
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