Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, June 18, 1993 TAG: 9306170176
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV10 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: M.J. DOUGHERTY
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
It had to be. A storm just before qualifying finished washed out Saturday's Jesse Jones 200.
But the rainout didn't prevent the latest flare-up in what's becoming the most hotly contested battle at the speedway - Chevy vs. Ford.
At the drivers' meeting, Bruce Sweeney of Floyd, owner of Mike Dillon's Chevrolet Lumina, asked about crankshafts.
Sweeney's contention was that the Fords were getting an unfair advantage by using non-stock rods in their crankshafts. To make his point, he read from the NASCAR rule book.
And it appeared that Sweeney's ire was directed at a particular Ford Thunderbird driver - four-time winner Ronnie Thomas.
When Thomas sensed that he was Sweeney's target, the Christiansburg driver issued a challenge: Thomas offered to put up $1,000 if Sweeney would do the same to protest Thomas' crankshaft with whomever was right getting the money.
Lynn Carroll, the chief steward at the speedway, stated both at the drivers' meeting and later in a television interview, that NASCAR allows the diameter of the rods to be shaved down by 2/100s of an inch. That is the difference in the stock size between the Ford (and Chrysler) rod and the rod from a Chevy.
Carroll added that crankshafts were scheduled for post-race inspection.
How those inspections and protests would have turned out last weekend will never be known though because of the rain-out.
But in an interview before the race was called off, Thomas said he was running straight Ford stock rods in his crankshaft and that the rods not been shaved down.
\ RAINY DAY RACING: The lack of tread on racing tires makes driving a stock car in even the slightest bit of rain an extremely dangerous proposition. So when drizzle started at about 7:15, the drivers found themselves in the same predicament as the fans - trying to fill up the time until the weather situation was resolved.
Generally, the drivers pass the time about the same way the fans do. They try to find a dry spot, a good conversation and hope for the weather to pass.
"We just sit around and tell lies," said Kelly Denton. "We just sit around and tell jokes."
Added Kenny Prillaman: "We wait and see what's going to happen, see if we're going to get racing or go home."
About the busiest people during the delay were the track officials. They tried to keep the pavement dry by having emergency vehicles do laps around the track. They kept checking the weather forecasts. They tried to figure out how much racing would be possible if the weather cooperated later in the evening. And they kept looking at the darkening sky above NRVS.
After about an hour of watching and waiting, Clay Campbell, the track's general manager, decided to cancel the night's activities, sending home over 80 competitors and a few thousand spectators.
Was the decision the right one? Well, just as the announcement was being made, the rain increased in intensity. It poured most of Saturday night. And the rain continued virtually nonstop until Sunday afternoon.
The rain-out was the first this year at NRVS. It made it a long drive for David Browning, Jr., the Jacksonville, Fla., driver who was at the track to prep for the second race in the Doughton's Racing Parts-Camaro Junction Challenge Series. It also meant a short night after a long ride for Steve Collins, a regular at South Boston Speedway.
However, a trio of drivers who normally run at New River and weren't there ended up picking a good time to be absent.
Frankie Pennington hadn't finished repairs to his engine. Johnny Rumley was racing in the Busch Grand National at Myrtle Beach, S.C., where engine failure doomed him to a 31st-place finish. And Michael Ritch took some time off to go the beach with family.
"It looks like we got lucky and picked a good weekend to take off," said Ritch, who plans on making his next Busch Grand National start on July 4 in Milwaukee.
\ THIS WEEK'S RACE: Racing will resume Saturday night at New River Valley Speedway with the Ford Dealers 200, weather permitting.
It is a regular schedule of a 100-lap Late Model race, a 35-lap Limited Sportsman race, and 25-lap races in the Modified Mini, Mini Stock and Pure Stock divisions.
Gates open at 2 p.m. Practice begins at 4. Qualifying starts at 6:15. And the green flag drops at 8 p.m.
Admission is $8 for adults and $1 for children 12-and-under.
M.J. Dougherty cover sports for the New River Valley bureau.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB