Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 8, 1990 TAG: 9004080137
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JEFF MOTLEY SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: DUBLIN LENGTH: Medium
Rumley, from Winston-Salem, N.C., grabbed the lead on lap 21 and held off three cars in the final laps to win the Late Model Stock feature race in the Ropho Sales/WRAD/WRIQ 200 on a windy, 40-degree night. It was the season opener for PCS.
Salem's Clay Highberger took the first lead of the race from his outside pole starting spot by slipping past Dicky Wilson.
It was a long night for Wilson. After a bumping incident with Tink Reedy sent Wilson to the pits for repairs, he was involved in a spin with Stanley Akers. He later smacked the third-turn wall. When Wilson and Akers tangled, the caution allowed Rumley to grab the lead. On the restart after the spin, Rumley slipped under Highberger to grab the lead.
"I was having a real hard time getting by Clay; he was really strong," Rumley said. "But our car always does well on restarts. That's where I thought I could get him and that's exactly what I did. I don't know if I could have gotten him any other time."
The rest of the race had Highberger, Christiansburg's Ronnie Thomas and Tink Reedy chasing Rumley's Camaro. Just seven laps from the finish, Reedy was black-flagged for jumping the restart and sent to the pits for a stop-and-go penalty. That left Thomas, who was trying to become the first driver to win an LMS race in a Ford, and Highberger to push Rumley.
"The whole time I was looking for a groove to pull away and I just couldn't find one," Rumley said. "If we have to run in weather this cold, though, I wouldn't want to be anywhere but first going into the last few laps."
Thomas, who saw more of Rumley's rear bumper than he would like, held off Highberger for second. Although it was one of Highberger's strongest runs at the 4/10-mile oval, he was disqualified after an unidentified problem was found with his car after the race. Jeff Agnew of Floyd moved up to third.
For most of these drivers, it was their first competition of the year, but Rumley, who had a fourth-place finish at Martinsville, is off to a good start.
"The only way we can keep racing is to win; that's where the money comes from," Rumley said. "If we're not winning, then we can't keep racing. Seconds don't do us a lot of good."
In the Mini Stock race, Ricky Lawson of Christiansburg took first place after hometown favorite Mark Smith and his brother, Charlie, were disqualified. The Smiths had finished 1-2. Kenny Prillaman of Salem finished second and Robert Cox of Roanoke was third.
Doug Vaught kept fellow Christiansburg driver Bo Howell at bay for the final 15 laps to win the Modified Mini race. Pole-sitter Timmy Walker was third.
Narrows' Mason Ayres had to fight off Hank Turman to win a wild Street Stock event. As the two cars came to the line with one lap to go, Turman went to the inside of David Johnston, a lapped car, and Ayres went high. But Ayres was out of room, so he cut back inside and found Turman's front fender. Turman hit the breaks and Ayres pulled away for the win.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB