Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, July 20, 1994 TAG: 9407200055
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: M.J. Dougherty
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Long
When track officials proposed inverting the top qualifiers in the Limited Sportsmen field based upon a draw by the pole winner, 10 of the 13 drivers refused to qualify. They didn't want the fastest-qualifying car starting anywhere but first.
The proposed inverted format was the same used for the 25-lap races for the Pure Stocks, Mini Stocks and Modified Minis on July 9. A similar procedure, based upon the order of finish, is used to set the starting lineup for the second race of Late Model doubleheaders, which are 75 or 100 laps.
The Limited drivers opposed inverting the field because of the cost of racing in their division, which can run into the tens of thousands of dollars, and the lack of time to move through a highly competitive field in a 35-lap race.
Thus when Limited qualifying was scheduled to begin, the only car on pit road belonged to Dublin's Ronnie Byrd.
He was soon joined by points leader Charlie Miles of Christiansburg. Miles qualified first, followed by Byrd, who had to be paged to report to his car. A couple of minutes later John Curtis of Christiansburg pulled out from his pit and made a qualifying run.
The other drivers didn't move toward the track during qualifying. A few even prepared their cars for a trip home without racing.
Compromise replaced confrontation, however. After a hastily called meeting between drivers and track officials, it was decided that the field would not be inverted this week.
The 10 drivers who had not qualified during the regular session were allowed their two laps around the track, but they started behind the trio who qualified during the regular session. Thus Miles was on the pole even though Rock Harris was slightly faster (88.6 vs. 88.3 mph).
Seven-time winner Harris got by Byrd (who later wrecked) and Curtis (who ended up third) but couldn't pass Miles before the checkered flag.
No one really wanted to talk about the incident when it was over. And no one was really sure what next week would bring as track officials consider various alternatives to inverting the field to guarantee competitive races.
"It's going to be interesting next week," Miles said.
BYRD BACK: Byrd was back at New River Valley Speedway Saturday night, but in a Chevrolet, no less.
"It's history in the making," said Byrd.
Until Saturday, Byrd had driven nothing but Chrysler products - called Mopars in racing circles, after the Chrysler racing and parts divisions - in his six years of competition at NRVS.
He is the only driver ever to win a track championship in a Chrysler product, capturing the Pure Stock crown in 1990. Last November Byrd and his yellow-and-red No. 42 Dodge Daytona appeared next to Richard Petty and a vintage 1970s blue-and-red No. 43 Dodge Charger on the cover of the special Mopar issue of Stock Car Racing magazine.
But last week, the Dodge was nowhere to be found. Instead, Byrd drove a Chevy Camaro.
"We felt like it was the right thing to do right now," said car owner Doug Linkous.
Accidents and mechanical problems had plagued Byrd this season. Before Saturday, he hadn't entered a race in more than a month and hadn't made a qualifying run since late May.
Despite the dry spell, Byrd and Linkous kept most of their sponsors, including Wades and Auto Unlimited. The car switch cost them Thompson Chrysler-Plymouth, but it's been replaced by the Hudson auto dealerships, which sell both Chevys and Chryslers.
"Bob Hudson has challenged me to run a Chevrolet," said Byrd.
Byrd and Linkous made clear the team planned to continue work on the Dodge. And they might need that car again as soon as next week. Byrd was involved in a spin on lap 24 that damaged the left front quarter panel of his Chevy.
THOMAS TROUBLES: Ronnie Thomas qualified his Buick for Saturday's Late Model Stock Car race, but he never made it to the starting line.
At the track after taking a couple of weeks off in an attempt to find some speed in his LeSabre, the Christiansburg driver's fastest lap was 17.26 seconds (about 86.7 mph). That was more than a half-second slower than the run of pole-sitter Jeff Agnew (16.65 seconds, or about 89.9 mph).
Instead of starting 17th in a 19-car field, Thomas packed up and headed back to the shop.
The winningest driver in the history of the track with 46 victories, Thomas is in danger of having his first winless season since the track opened in 1988. Last year, Thomas won a track-record 12 times.
COMINGS AND GOINGS: Mike Porter made his first appearance at the track since April. In between, the Princeton, W.Va., driver won five races at Lonesome Pine International Raceway in Coeburn. But three other times Porter had a victories taken away from him after post-race inspections.
Porter was never a factor. He qualified ninth and finished 10th, one lap down in the 200-lap race. He also tangled with Ray Young on lap 115 and lost his right rear fender in the process.
Danny Willis, the 1989 Late Model champ and now a regular at South Boston and Orange County speedways, made his first start of the year at NRVS. He finished 14th. Willis' appearance meant that all active former champions were at the speedway last week. That group includes Tim McGuire (1988), Thomas (1990) and Agnew (1991 and 1992). Paul Radford retired after winning the title last year.
PROTEST CLARIFICATION: It turned out that Aaron Deplazes did not have to pay the protest fee to Tommy Allie several weeks ago after all.
The inspection found the valves on Allie's car were at two different angles. After discovery of this minor infraction, which was thought to have had no impact in the outcome of the race, a deal was worked out. Allie kept the win but had to correct the valve angles before returning to NRVS. And Deplazes did not lose his $200 protest fee.
UPCOMING AT NRVS: Saturday will be Ladies Night at the track for the New River Pontiac, GMC, Nissan 200.
The racing action will include the 100-lap Late Model feature, a 35-lapper for the Limited Sportsmen and 25-lap races in the Pure Stock, Mini Stock and Modified Mini Stock divisions.
Gates open at 2 p.m. Practice begins at 4. Qualifying starts at 6:15. And the green flag drops at 8.
Admission is $10 for men but just $5 for women and $1 for children 12 and under.
M.J. Dougherty covers racing and community sports for the New River Valley bureau.
by CNB