Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, April 19, 1990                   TAG: 9004180233
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV10   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: Jeff Motley
DATELINE: DUBLIN                                 LENGTH: Medium

BOO-BOOS WERE ALL IN PULASKI PITS

Auto racing is no exception to early-season ineptness. But if a driver was rusty from the winter layoff, one would think it would show on the track, not in the pits. After all, most drivers spend all winter working on their cars to get them ready for the season.

But opening night at Pulaski County Speedway saw a winner, a second-place finisher and a third-place finisher disqualified for illegal parts. The most notable was Clay RACING NOTES JEFF MOTLEY Highberger, who was stripped of his third-place finish in the Late Model Stock event for having illegal valves.

Highberger didn't realize he had made the error but admitted it was wrong. The Salem driver silenced all talk about his disqualification by taking the checkered flag Saturday for his first win ever at the track.

"We had something to prove," Highberger said. "We felt really bad after the disqualification, so we wanted to right our wrong."

Highberger, a calm, relaxed sort, was one of the last drivers anyone would have expected to be disqualified. It's like Dale Murphy cursing an umpire; you just don't expect it to happen.

While Highberger's disqualification was more well known, the disqualification of brothers Mark and Charlie Smith, who finished first and second in the Mini Stock race, was more controversial.

The Smiths, from Dublin, were cited for tampering with their pistons. Ironically enough, the brothers both brought their cars to chief steward Lynn Carroll to have them checked three weeks before the season. No irregularities were found.

"Last year we were told we could fly-cut the pistons," Mark Smith said. "We had the engine checked, but nothing was said that we couldn't do it this year. Lynn said modification of the pistons was not legal. We weren't cheating on purpose. But we have it all straight now."

The problem three weeks ago was that the Smiths didn't ask that the pistons be checked.

"I checked out what they asked me to, but the pistons weren't one of them," Carroll said. "They got by last year, but this year is a little different. I know it wasn't intentional, but I can't cut any breaks or everybody would want one."

For the Smiths, things didn't go quite as well as they did for Highberger, but it had nothing to do with their pistons. Charlie Smith was tapped from behind on lap 10 and triggered a five-car pileup that left his racer mangled in the infield grass for the remainder of the evening. Mark Smith had mechanical problems midway through the race and was forced to play catch-up for the last 10 laps.

\ The unlucky break of the night went to Late Model Stocker Jerry Godby. During practice, Godby collided with Joe Harrison, who had a spin in turn two. Godby was forced to load his car on the truck and watch the action from the sidelines. Harrison's crew worked feverishly to repair the car and actually had it ready for the start of the race. The damage was too much. Harrison managed one lap in the car before retiring it for the night.

\ One thing track president-promoter Steve McMurray has not had in his previous two years is a failure. He's probably starting to wonder about the new Pure Stock class the track has advertised, though.

One Pure Stock showed up on Saturday, which was one more than the previous week. However, McMurray has received 14 entries from drivers who said they plan to participate in the class. "It's just a new class," he said, "and it's taking them a little while to get them ready."

\ Without a doubt, the marquee name at PCS Saturday was Winston Cup star Ken Schrader. Schrader spent most of the evening just hanging around the pits talking with drivers and trying to help the crew get Jackie Cook's car, which he drove to a second-place finish in the Late Model race, ready to run.

Schrader has been at PCS several times and was making his first of three visits this season. He will be back on April 27 to race in the USAC Sprint Car race and will run another LMS race in the fall. It is the first time the USAC cars have run at the Dublin track.

"I just love to come up here," Schrader said. "Every time I come I have a good time, and Steve and them run a great place."