Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, May 21, 1993 TAG: 9305200164
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-12 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: M.J. DOUGHERTY
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
Not Ronnie Thomas.
The former Winston Cup Rookie of the Year from Christiansburg says he has heard enough remarks to the effect that Fords have an unfair advantage.
"I continue to hear groaning up and down pit road," he said Saturday.
"It doesn't cost a dime more to run a Ford than it does a Chevy."
Thomas should know about racing various cars. The chassis on his current machine has held a Chevrolet, two Pontiacs and a Dodge since the end of last season - in addition to the Thunderbird.
In interviews after the race, Thomas pointed out that just because there were two Fords consistently running in the front of the field - Thomas' and Frankie Pennington's - the Thunderbirds were not dominating.
Several Fords, Thomas said, were running back in the pack. And other makes of cars were competitive.
The facts seem to back him up:
Michael Ritch has had nothing but problems this season with his new car - a Ford Thunderbird. The 1992 Mid-Atlantic Region points champion finished 29th in the 30-car field last week.
And the top five in the Valley Rich/X-Press Markets 300 included a pair of Chevrolet Luminas and and a Dodge Daytona besides the two Fords.
\ BIRTHDAY PRESENT: Orvil Reedy got to drive last week because Kerry Ernhardt decided not to race in the 300.
It looked as if the ride was going to be a consolation present when Reedy qualified 27th-fastest - putting him into the heat race for the final four starting spots in the Late Model field.
But things improved for Reedy. He led the entire heat race and claimed the 27th starting position for the main event.
Then he drove his Pontiac Grand Prix to a ninth-place finish in the 200-lapper.
"I don't know what happened when we qualified," said Reedy. "We were tight when we came off the corners and it wouldn't come up. But it worked out. We tore the thing down and changed the set-up. And we hit it right on the button that time."
Tink Reedy, Orvil's son, finished 11th, two laps down. After the race he had to go congratulate his father.
"I've been racing here 13 years and that's the first time he's lapped me," said Tink. "When he got it going, he passed me like I was standing still. And I didn't see him again until he lapped me. If you put a car underneath him, he can still do the job."
\ DOUBLE DUTY: There was a car No. 89 in both the Late Model and Limited races last week. And driving both of the black and green Chevrolet Camaros was Kenny Montgomery.
The Limited points leader fell back late and finished fifth in that 35-lap race.
He then jumped into another Camaro - the car Ray Young drove last season - for the Late Model event. But the driver from Parrott had to park the car when his engine started smoking on lap 163. Montgomery ended up 22nd.
\ CHANGING FORTUNES: Johnny Rumley never had a chance at making it three races in three starts this season. The Winston-Salem, N.C., driver never got his Chevrolet Lumina higher than fourth place. He came in seventh.
Junior Legans replaced Hank Turman in the No. 88 Chevrolet Lumina to see if he would have any more success. But Legans had to pit a couple of times for adjustments, spun late in the race and finished 20th.
\ CROWDED LEFTOVERS: The record crowd of more than 10,000 Saturday got to see six races instead of the usual five.
A heat race was held to qualify the last four spots in the 30-car Late Model field after 34 drivers registered for the race.
Other unusual sights at the speedway included four caution flags in the first six laps of the Limited Sportsman race.
And when Grump Wills crossed the finish line in the Pure Stock race to conclude the 330-lap program, it was two minutes into Sunday morning.
\ SATURDAY'S RACE: It's the regular slate of races for Saturday's Miller Genuine Draft-WPSK 200.
That means a 100-lap Late Model Stock main event, a 35-lap Limited Sportsman feature and 25-lap races in the Modified Minis, Mini Stock and Pure Stock Divisions.
There is a bonus: The country music band Broken Reins will play between the end of qualifying and beginning of racing - about 7:15-8 p.m.
Gates open at 2 p.m. Practice starts at 4 p.m. Qualifying gets under way at 6:15 p.m. and the green flag drops at 8 p.m.
Tickets are $8 for adults and $1 for children 12 and under.
M.J. Dougherty covers sports for the Roanoke Times & World-News' New River Valley bureau.
by CNB