Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, April 5, 1991 TAG: 9104050017
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B6 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: RANDY KING SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Natural Bridge opens tonight, and Franklin County and Pulaski County take the green flag on Saturday night.
Covington's Gerald Wolfe will attempt to defend his Late Model Stock championship on Natural Bridge's three-eighths-mile dirt oval. Wolfe's strongest competition figures to come from Brownsburg's Tommy Bare, the 1989 track champion, and Charlottesville's Phillip Morris.
Two new divisions - Rookie and Family Car - have been added to Natural Bridge's weekly Friday night card. Other competing classes include LMS, Six-Cylinder, Street Stock, Mini Stock and Any Car.
In Callaway, promoter Donald "Whitey" Taylor is predicting the "biggest season ever" for Franklin County Speedway. There will be six classes of competition at the three-eighths-mile asphalt oval, including LMS, Street Stock, Mini Stock, Rookie, Any Car and a newly added Modified division.
The Modifieds, which used to be the premier division at FCS, are returning after almost a decade's absence.
"We expect to have 10 or so for the first race, and in a few weeks, we should be up around 15," Taylor said of the powerful, open-wheel Modified cars.
Taylor, who staved off creditors and held on to the Callaway track by filing for bankruptcy protection last November, lost one of his top drawing cards on Thursday, when 1990 track champion Paul Radford announced he would not attempt to defend his title.
"I think Whitey just took for granted that I would be coming back this year," Radford said. "But all the stuff about Whitey and his financial problems make me a little nervous. I believe you're taking a big gamble with Whitey these days. I might run a couple races at Franklin County if we can't do something else.
"It's awful tempting to go to Franklin County because of the money Whitey is paying to win [$1,500]. But everybody can't run first. If you don't finish first, you don't make anything."
Radford, 59, said he plans on taking his Chubby Arrington-owned Dodge Daytona to Pulaski County on Saturday.
"I want to go to Pulaski County and see how I can run against those boys," Radford said. "I'd like to whip that track, too."
In Dublin, Pulaski County begins its fourth season of operation under promoter Steve McMurray. The .416-mile oval's five NASCAR-sanctioned classes include LMS, Street Stock, Pure Stock, Modified Mini Stock and Mini Stock.
Top contenders for the track's LMS crown include defending champion Ronnie Thomas of Christiansburg, Floyd's Jeff Agnew, South Boston's Danny Willis, North Carolinian Johnny Rumley and Roanoke's Tink Reedy.
Thomas recently announced he will campaign two cars this season - his own Trans Am and a Chrysler owned by Pembroke's Wallace Link.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB