Tilly Evans recalls that the night of racing was just like any other night. The racing had be close and exciting, keeping fans on the edge of their seats. And then an altercation broke out. Although he was not involved in the altercation, he would soon become the focal point of it's aftermath.
"There was a fight regarding something over a race out on the front straightaway. A couple of people were injured and one was being transported to the hospital in an ambulance," Evans recalled. "They were going to transport another person in a truck or something and the Chief of Police had his car parked in the way."
"Jimmy John Howard, who was the Chief of Police at the time asked me to move his car out of the way. So I did."
While Evans was moving the car, he garnered the attention of another police officer Doug Prescott. Officer Prescott did not know that Evans had been asked to move the car.
"You have to keep in mind there was a lot of things going on out on the track. Plus I had been in trouble with Officer Prescott a few times.The next thing I know he has me out of the car and arrest me for stealing the car. There was a gun pulled and it was a big ordeal. He then places me in the back of another police car."
Evans goes on to describe how he sits in the backseat of the police car for a little while until he figures out how to escape. As Evans is fleeing the police car he is noticed by Prescott and other officers at the track and the race is on.
"I took off running for the pits which are located in the infield of the track. I running around cars and trucks hiding the best that I can, and they are doing their best to find me. I mean there was a lot of searching going on."
"I continue on through the pits and Rusty Wallace just happen to be racing at Tri-State this night. Rusty pulled his car to the track with a big van that looked like a bread truck, and I ran up inside it and hid. There was no one inside it at that time."
As the races close out Rusty Wallace and his crew board the van to return to Missouri, unaware that Tilly Evans is hiding inside. As Wallace pulls from the infield to just outside speedway, it is discovered that Evans is along for the ride. Wallace's crew is naturally a little confused by the situation.
"I wasn't sure what was about to happen," Evans said. "I said guys my shop is just a couple of miles down the road. If you all wouldn't mind, you could just stop and drop me off there."
Suddenly Rusty says, "Aren't you the guy the law back there is looking for."
"I didn't quite know what to say," Evans said. "I honestly thought for a few moments that he was going to stop and turn me over to the law. I finally said yes I'm the guy they are looking for."
Then Wallace looked over at Evans and said with a grin, "So your shop is just a couple of miles down the road. I'll bet we can drop you off down there."
"And sure enough," Evans said, "Rusty pulled up to the front of the shop and let me off, and him and his crew continued on their way back to Missouri."
Rusty Wallace drove quite a few cars during his career. The get away car can also be added to this list.
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