Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 10, 1991 TAG: 9102070070
SECTION: RACING PAGE: AR6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Thomas, the Late Model Stock king from Christiansburg, is one of the five defending divisional champions at which the other drivers will take aim when the season opens April 6.
A glance at the champs:
\ LATE MODEL STOCK: Thomas, a former Winston Cup rookie of the year, won his first track championship at PCS with an impressive 1990 campaign.
Thomas, who drove a Ford and a Pontiac last year, did not miss a race. In 24 starts, he had 11 victories and eight second-place finishes. He also sat on four poles.
While accumulating 548 points, he took home more than $36,000 in purses and bonuses, a haul enhanced by the fact that he never had a wreck.
Thomas was ninth in points in the NASCAR Mid-Atlantic Region, an area that includes 389 drivers at 12 tracks in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
\ STREET STOCK: Mark Akers of Narrows won the crown in what essentially was his rookie season. Akers' only previous experience was in three 1989 races.
Competing in a Chevrolet, Akers missed only one race, that because of a blown engine in practice. Of the 22 races he did start, he had an astounding 20 top-five finishes.
Included in his efforts were nine victories, four second places and seven poles.
Akers had $7,700 in earnings.
\ MODIFIED MINI STOCK: Bo Howell of Christiansburg drove a Nissan to the title because of consistency and a strong dose of luck.
Ricky Jefferson of Max Meadows won 15 races, but lost out because he started the season late.
Howell, who claimed another track title when he won the Mini Stocks in 1988, started 20 of 21 races and made the top 10 in each. He was in the top five 18 times, finishing second nine times.
However, he won only once and claimed but one pole.
Howell won $2,975 in purses and bonuses.
\ MINI STOCK: Kenny Prillaman of Salem bid goodbye to this class (he will move up to the Street Stocks) by driving his Nissan to 16 top-five finishes in 21 races.
Prillaman had 12 victories and started on 17 poles. In all, he took home $4,325.
\ PURE STOCK: Ronnie Byrd of Dublin dominated the division by leadfooting his way to six victories and never finishing below third.
Byrd, who drove a Plymouth, collected $2,820.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB