Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, May 11, 1995 TAG: 9505110039
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-8 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: M.J. DOUGHERTY
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Thomas didn't drive his Dodge to Victory Lane, but that was as much because of external factors as it was the new rule.
Thomas had to use a smaller carburetor in his Dodge (a 350 CFM - the same size used by General Motors cars) than he had been using (a 500/350 CFM - which Ford and Chrysler products are permitted to use) as part of a track experiment designed to increase competition. He still won the pole, but his speed was 0.20 seconds slower than the week before. Of course, several other drivers were one- to two-tenths of a second slower, too.
But it was poor handling, not a lack of speed, that ended up costing Thomas.
"The car got real loose," Thomas said. "It ran real good for the first 30 laps and then started getting loose. We knew with the new NASCAR rules we would have to make a lot of chassis changes. We couldn't get everything right the first time. We went too far with them, and we got the car too loose."
After getting loose, Thomas got into a wreck and ended up 24th.
Before the race, Thomas was quite gracious about being singled out for a special rule.
"It's going to be a lot harder," he said while accepting his award for winning the pole. "I can't blame Ronnie Snoddy or Johnny Frazier [the track's co-owners] for what they did. They can't afford to lose race cars. They had to do what they had to do."
MORE AND MORE CARS: Lately, there has been no room at the inn - make that the infield - at New River Valley Speedway.
For the second time this season, the Late Models, Limited, Mini Stocks and Pure Stocks each drew at least 20 cars. And the total of 103, including the Modified Mini Stocks, overfilled the track's approximately 90 parking spaces for cars. The space problem has become so acute that latecomers end up having to park in the infield, between the two rows of pits.
"I never thought I would see this place this filled up with cars," said Morris Stephenson, the track's public relations and marketing director. And Stephenson knows of what he speaks - he has been the PR man at the track since it opened as Pulaski County Speedway in 1988.
The gains have been particularly impressive in the Mini Stocks and Pure Stocks. In divisions where some tracks struggle to get 10 cars, NRVS is averaging more than 20 per night in each class. The two take up so much room on the back stretch pits that the Mod Minis now have to be parked in an area at the end of the pits between turns 3 and 4. Last season, all three classes shared the backstretch.
The Late Model numbers also are impressive. Only once has the starting field drawn fewer than 25 entries. Meanwhile, Lonesome Pine International Raceway in Coeburn is averaging fewer than 20 cars. South Boston Speedway, competing with the newly reopened but currently nonsanctioned New Orange County Speedway in Rougemont, N.C., had one race with just 13 cars. And the non-NASCAR Franklin County Speedway in Caraway is lucky to have a field of a dozen in its 500 CFM carburetor Late Model class.
MID-ATLANTIC STANDINGS: A dozen drivers from New River Valley Speedway are in the top 100 in the Mid-Atlantic Regional standings in the Winston Racing Series.
Leading the NRVS contingent through the end of April is Rick Sigmon of Rocky Mount in 21st place. Sigmon has made a couple of Friday night shows at Ace Speedway in Altamahwa, N.C., and thus has more points because he has more starts.
Thomas is 23rd, despite being one of only 10 drivers in the region with more than one win since the racing series' season started April 14.
Others in the top 50 include Ray Young of Bassett, 41; Rodney Cundiff of Boones Mill, 43; and Tim McGuire of Roanoke, 46.
The rest of the top 100 features such familiar names as High Point, N.C.'s Michael Ritch, 55; Roanoke's Tony McGuire, 56; Ruckersville's Philip Morris, 57; Floyd's Jeff Agnew, 64; Yadkinsville, N.C.'s Rock Harris, 77; Athens, W.Va.'s Bob Komisarski, 77; and Stuarts Draft's Chad Harris, 98.
Dickey Wilson of Salem, 101; Randy Ratliff of Oakwood, 114; and Tam Tophan of Wytheville, 118, were just outside the top 100.
GIRL DRIVER A NO-SHOW: Jennifer Fry, the 17-year-old from Honaker who was scheduled to race Saturday at New River, never made it to the speedway.
The word around the track was that the promoters at Lonesome Pine heard of Fry's plan to make her Pure Stock debut at New River and talked her into racing there instead.
Fry previously had competed in the Ladies Enduro races at Lonesome Pine.
CAN'T KEEP HIM AWAY:When Mini Stock driver Kevin Snyder of Christiansburg had to be cut out of his car after a first-lap accident April 29, he vowed he would be back.
Snyder suffered a broken kneecap in the accident, had to undergo surgery to remove bone chips and spent most of the week in Radford Community Hospital. When Saturday rolled around, Snyder called the speedway and asked if he could park his van close to the grandstand. Snyder couldn't race, but he could watch.
ELK CREEK REPORT: A pair of Pulaski drivers fared well in their respective classes last week at Elk Creek Driveway. Dennis Jackson captured the Pro Class in his 1967 Corvette with a 454 Chevy engine. En route to victory, Jackson defeated his son Rusty in the third round.
Meanwhile, Arthur Austin and his 1000 cc Kawasaki finished second in the featured motorcycle class. Austin was beaten by Barry Ray Dalton of Galax in the finals.
THIS WEEK AT THE TRACK: Saturday is the X-Press Markets/Flav-O-Rich 200. As usual, the feature is the 100-lap Late Model race. Also, there will be a 35-lapper for the Limited Sportsmen and 25-lap races for the Pure Stocks, Mini Stocks and Modfied Minis. It's $10 for adults and $1 for children 12 and under.
Gates open at 1:30 p.m. Practice starts at 3:30. Qualifying begins at 6. And the green flag drops on the first race at 8.
by CNB