THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 3, 1994 TAG: 9407030259
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY VINCE SHAW, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: HAMPTON LENGTH: Medium: 63 lines
Mike Buffkin benefited from a late caution flag to hold off Roger Sawyer and win the 200-lap Late-Model Stock feature Saturday night at Langley Raceway.
With three laps remaining, Terry Harris spun in Turn 4 to bring out the yellow. The track could not be cleared in time to run any more laps under green and Buffkin was awarded an anti-climactic victory.
The finish spoiled what looked like to be a tremendous finish between Buffkin and Sawyer.
``No complaints,'' Buffkin said. ``The caution was opportune because Roger had a red-hot car.''
Sawyer clearly had the dominant car through the first half of the race. Starting third, the Chesapeake driver took over the lead on the fourth lap, followed by pole-sitter Buddy Malish and Phil Warren.
On Lap 102, the yellow came out when Tommy Gibbs spun between Turns 3 and 4. Among the leaders who pitted for fresh tires, Sawyer went in first and came out fourth.
``I overshot the pits,'' Sawyer said. ``It was my fault and it cost us a couple of seconds.''
Danny Ray Baker, who did not pit during the caution, led for seven laps before the cars with fresh tires took over.
Warren grabbed the lead for 18 laps before Buffkin took over, followed closely by Sawyer.
Sawyer stayed on Buffkin's bumper until Lap 177 when Sawyer made his move.
Sawyer took the low groove and for the next seven laps the two drivers raced side-by-side. Buffkin appeared to be at a disadvantage up high, but his car had plenty of horses to stay up front.
``I didn't want to give him the low side,'' Buffkin said. ``But it turned out the car worked better (up high) anyway.''
``I was fighting the car (running down low),'' Sawyer said. ``It was heating up the right rear so I dropped back to let it cool down before taking one more shot at him.''
But as Sawyer was preparing to take his last crack at Buffkin, the yellow flag came out and Buffkin had his second win of the season.
In Saturday's other races:
Newport News' Gordon Weeks Jr. won his sixth race of the season and gained a share of the track points lead with his win in the 40-lap Grand Stock race.
Pole-sitter Weeks finished four car-lengths in front of points co-leader Roger Bress, who started eighth, fell back to 10th, and made a strong charge to the second position.
Yorktown's Kevin Harrison won his second race in a row in the 25-lap Mini-Stock event. Harrison started on the outside pole and passed pole-sitter Jimmy Adkins on Lap 18 on his way to victory.
Pole-sitter Kevin Adams relinquished the lead to Charlie Bryant Jr. on the sixth lap, but grabbed it back on Lap 16 to win the 25-lap Limited Stock race, his fifth win.
Jerry Scott won his seventh race in the 20-lap Pure Stock race. Scott crossed the finish line second, but was awarded the win when Chris Mull, who originally finished first, was sent to the back of the field for spinning then-leader Gene Smith on the final lap.
Race results/For the record, C12 by CNB