Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, July 22, 1990 TAG: 9007220136
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: DUBLIN LENGTH: Medium
But he's not complaining.
"With the double points, you just want to finish in the top three," he said.
By beating a tough field to the checkered flag, Thomas collected 52 points to push his total to 380 for the year. Still, he has no more lead over his three closest pursuers than he was before the RGM Erectors 200.
Johnny Rumley was second, Jeff Agnew third and Tink Reedy fourth, which duplicated exactly the order of the standings going in.
Thomas took control on the 48th lap, slipping inside Stanley Akers in the first turn. A lap later, Akers went into the wall coming put of the fourth turn, causing Ricky Seay to lose control as well. Although Thomas was booed by the Akers fans, he pleaded innocent to ill intent.
"I hate it for Stanley that he wrecked like that," Thomas said. "He'll tell you that I didn't wreck him. Anybody that would boo me just doesn't know racing."
From there, it was a smooth ride to the finish. Well, sort of.
"If ever there was a night when I was lucky to finish, this was it," he said. "I didn't have a bad vibration in the car, I had a terrible vibration. It liked to shook the car up. I don't know what it was, but we have to find out."
Thomas had one last challenge four laps from the finish when he had to steer around some slow and cluttered traffic.
"I picked the right hole," he said. "If I hadn't, Johnny Rumley would have passed me and I never would have caught him. You can't give Rumley a chance like that."
In other races, Mark Akers won the Street Stocks, followed by Kenny Montgomery and Mason Ayers.
Ricky Jefferson took the Modified Mini. Second went to Bo Howell and Kevin Parker took third.
In the Mini-Stock race, Charlie Smith was first, Sherman Chisom second and Rick Lawson third.
Garry Davis won the Pure Stock race and was followed by Ronnie Byrd and Allen Willard.
by CNB