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

DATE: SUNDAY, May 2, 1993                   TAG: 9305020181
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: BRIAN DeVIDO CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: RADFORD                                LENGTH: Medium

USED TIRES BOOST THOMAS AT NRVS

Ronnie Thomas said used tires were the key to his victory in the Late Model Stock Car feature at New River Valley Speedway on Saturday night.

The Christiansburg driver used the same tires from last week's race and finished with a surge.

"It was just something we wanted to try," he said of the used tires. "Going into tonight's race, they were 70 laps old, but they were good for a long race like tonight's. I knew if we stayed close at the beginning and didn't get into a crash, we'd do well."

Thomas took the lead from Frankie Pennington on the 37th lap after Pennington's radiator hose broke. Thomas passed Pennington and Tony McGuire on that lap and never was seriously challenged for the lead again.

Pennington led the first 36 laps.

The race was scheduled for 100 laps, but it was extended to 103 laps after Jeff Agnew's right front tire came off on the 96th lap. A yellow flag was thrown, and it stayed out until lap 101.

Track rules state a race cannot finish under caution. So a green, white and checkered flag followed to end the race.

Stacy Compton stayed in second place from the 44th lap on, but he could never close Thomas' lead.

"Ronnie was pretty strong," he said. "If we could've gone just a tick more, we could've had it."

Paul Radford finished third and Tony McGuire was fourth.

The Pure Stock race, scheduled for 25 laps, took 28 laps and 30 minutes to complete. Only seven of the 16 cars finished.

Grump Wills won for the second straight week. He took the lead over Joey Lyons on the fifth lap.

The majority of the cars chasing Wills went out of the race after a pileup on the 25th lap, which necessitated the extra laps. Mike Maraon finished second.

In the Mini Stock race, Salem's Jay McCray took the lead for good on the 11th lap. Randy Bell from Galax finished second. The race went 28 laps because of two late-race cautions.

Scott Brawley of Lenoir, N.C., took the pole and led all the way in winning the 25-lap Modified Mini race. Eddie Rankin of Max Meadows finished second.

In the 35-lap Limited Sportsman race, Kenny Montgomery of Parrott took the lead on the second lap and ran away to his third straight victory. Rock Harris finished second.

Keywords:
AUTO RACING

by CNB