Halo Motorsports wins

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 Halo is a fairly well-known brand and business in the Sparta/White County area as the locally owned and operated business has been screen printing clothing since 2014. However, during the past year, they have expanded their reach into the world of motorsports and dirt track racing – a venture that resulted in a recent win at the Bristol tracks and attention from some of NASCAR’s drivers themselves.

“Billy and I have been fully dedicated to building and growing our brand and screen-printing business since we opened...kinda that eat, sleep, drink Halo. Basically that “all work no play” mentality,” Tiffany Jones, who co-owns Halo with her husband Billy, said. “It’s been incredibly rewarding yet we decided we weren’t getting any younger so we should bring a hobby back on.”

The idea of racing came last summer when the couple was looking for what they said would be something fun to be a part of, and they reminisced about the days they spent at the dirt tracks when Billy Jones raced from 1998 until 2006 when a declining economy began closing many of the tracks they frequented.

The idea became a reality, and Halo Motorsports was born in August 2020.

“Long-time racing friend Michael Asberry, of Crossville, joined us to be the driver for the remaining of 2020 season,” she said, stating that the season was everything they could have hoped for. “We had an incredible season of multiple wins, along with several top three finishes in races from Crossville to Kentucky.”

So incredible, in fact, that Halo Motorsports expanded to two cars over the winter, both 56, but one neon yellow and the other neon orange. Tiffany Jones said the second car will be used as a backup at some races while her husband and Asberry will both race at others.

“We started out 2021 season with an event of a lifetime at Bristol Dirt Nationals,” Tiffany Jones said, talking about the team’s most recent experience and one that brought them some big praise. “Bristol hasn’t been a dirt track since the last dirt events in 2000-2001.”

For the event that took place a couple of weeks ago, the world’s fastest half-mile track was covered with 2,000 truckloads of dirt to convert its usual concrete surface into one the Open Wheel Modified class could race on.

“Throughout the week ,there were practices, heat races, and multiple feature races,” Jones said. “Michael dominated the heat race on 3/16 with a win.”

Asberry won by 6.777 seconds, something Jones claims is a huge difference in racing time. Asberry also was the fastest lap time of the night, with a track time 17.8 seconds lap during the same heat race.  But Halo Motorsports wasn’t done making a name for themselves on just one night. The following night, Asberry won a feature race.

“This is a huge accomplishment for any race car driver,” Tiffany Jones said. “Bristol is a part of most every race fan’s dream, so to not only have an opportunity to even race on the track but to win is truly a dream come true.”

The accomplishment was so huge, in fact, that Kenny Wallace, a NASCAR driver, gave Asberry a shout out of congratulations via his Facebook page.

“We raced against NASCAR drivers Joey Logano, Kyle Strickler, David Reutimann, and Matt Crafton,” Tiffany Jones said and also stated that  Wallace wasn’t the only NASCAR connection they made during their week in Bristol. “This was truly an event of a lifetime and was an incredible experience to be racing with the best of the best from drivers all over the country. We represented the Upper Cumberland well.”

Asberry, whose car turned 8,100 rpm and reached speeds of over 130 miles per hour during his winning race, finished the week with a third place and $2,500 payout in his final feature race of the event.

“Our goal is to win races,” Jones said. “It is truly a hobby that is incredibly competitive.”

During the upcoming 2021 season, which Jones said runs March through November with a few outlying dates possible, Halo Motorsports will be in action on tracks in both Kentucky and North Carolina as well as in Spring City, Tennessee, and Crossville, Tennessee.

As for the Halo name and brand, the screen printing and clothing business isn’t going anywhere, and Jones said you never know what they will do next.

“The sky is the limit. We always tell anyone that will listen, strangers included, we are where we are due to hard work paying off but more importantly having God’s favor on our lives and business. That is absolutely our foundation. Our faith and relationship with God is first and foremost. It’s  just a perk in life that we get to screen print shirts and now be a part of slinging some dirt on the weekends.”

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