Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, May 15, 1993 TAG: 9305140266
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-5 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: M.J. DOUGHERTY
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
\ BEST LINES: From a race winner: "Any time you beat an Earnhardt, you've had a good night racing" - Ronnie Thomas, Late Models. Of course, it was Kerrie Earnhardt, Dale's son, making his first appearance at NRVS. That's why the younger Earnhardt added, "Just as long as you don't tell which Earnhardt you beat."
Again, from a race winner: "I lucked it" - Junior Legans, Limited Sportsman. Legans raced for the first time in almost a year and, of course, won. He took the lead on the first lap and led three-race winner Kenny Montgomery for the rest of the 35-lap race.
From a runner-up: "Maybe that's it. If we don't lead a lap, we'll finish" - Frankie Pennington, Late Models. For the first time in three starts, Pennington didn't lead a lap. But he also finished his first race of the year.
From a track rookie: "The first time you race [at a track], you see how the competition is. The second time, you race with them" - Kerrie Earnhardt. Dale's son finished 20th in the Late Model race.
\ CHANGING PROBLEMS: Jeff Agnew switched motors last week in an effort to get more power. Mike Dillon went one better: He changed engines after arriving at NRVS.
However, neither finished strong. Agnew started fifth and was in fifth place when he was forced to retire on lap 88 because of an oil leak. He finished 20th.
Dillon never really got started. He qualified 17th and ended up 26th in the 27-car field.
\ GRAND NATIONAL UPDATE: Michael Ritch was busy last Saturday. He drove in two races, including the Busch Grand National portion of the Miller 500 at Martinsville.
Ritch avoided encounters with other cars and worked his way up to 10th place late in the race. But his luck ran out on lap 262 when Steve Grissom's tire went flat. Ritch tried to stop, couldn't because of brake problems, was tapped by Joe Bessey, and spun into the turn 4 wall. The car was so banged up it took two wreckers to remove it from the track. Ritch ended up 19th.
Ritch then came to NRVS and finished 13th in the Late Models.
Not racing in Martinsville was Johnny Rumley. His Grand National car was severely damaged when an encounter with Bobby Dotter put Rumley - who was running fourth at the time - into the wall at the Rose's Stores 300 at Orange County Speedway on May 1.
Rumley said he went crazy not being able to race last weekend. But he expects the car to be just about repaired by this weekend. And Rumley anticipates making his next Grand National start at Myrtle Beach on June 12.
\ RULE CLARIFICATION: The speedway's two-lap sprint after a late-race caution happens only if the yellow flag comes out on the last lap. That rule applies in all divisions.
However, in the Late Model Stock Car division, if the race would have ended under a yellow flag that came out before the last lap, the race extension will have only one lap of green flag racing.
This case is unique to the Late Models because it is the only division at the track which counts caution laps toward the lap total.
M.J. Dougherty cover sports for the Roanoke Times & World-News' New River Valley bureau.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB