Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, August 19, 1993 TAG: 9308180143
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-6 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: M.J. DOUGHERTY
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Long
Eight Late Model Stock Car drivers learned that the hard way Saturday night at New River Valley Speedway.
A post-qualifying inspection found that nearly half of the 21-car field had either their frame or roof set too low. And that meant they had to start in the field.
The situation had Lynn Carroll, the track's chief steward, perplexed.
"We just decided to run all the cars through the frame check," said Carroll. "We usually check them every two or three weeks. It's something we do. I don't know why they didn't have it right."
Carroll added that the drivers were told in their prequalifying meeting about the inspections. That would have given them time to make adjustments to get the cars right.
The biggest name sent to the back was the track's winningest driver - Ronnie Thomas.
"We were 1/16th of an inch low," Thomas said after driving through the pack to win the Late Model race in the Miller Genuine Draft/J-93.5 FM 200. "It [the car] wasn't right. But it's the same as being an inch too low. The car has to pass [inspection]."
Thomas also said there was no real advantage to being too low.
Thomas would have started on the outside of the front row had his car passed. Both he and Clay Highberger, who would have been on the outside of the second row, saw qualifying runs of under 17 seconds disallowed because their frames were too low.
Brian Meadows, Michael Ritch and Scott Hill also had frames that were too low. Randy Ratliff, Gary Richards and Jerry Godbey had roofs that were too low.
\ NO THREE-PEAT: For the first time in three years, the Late Model champion for the Mid-Atlantic Region will not come from New River.
Through races of Aug. 7, Barry Beggary of Orange County Speedway in Rougemont, N.C., led the competition with 3,600 points. He had won 25 of 40 races this season.
Only three New River regulars were in the top 30. Jeff Agnew was 25th with 2,798 points. Paul Radford was 26th with 2,781. And Ronnie Thomas was 30th with 2,685.
Farther down the list, Stacy Compton, who splits time between South Boston and NRVS, was 49th with 2,413. Tink Reedy was 56th with 2,333. And Frankie Pennington was 57th with 2,318.
The listing show Boyd Solt as the top driver from New River. He is 17th with 3,049 points. But Solt has only competed at NRVS once this season - finishing eighth on June 5. He has spent the rest of the year racing at Lonesome Pine in Coeburn.
\ FERRUM FLASHES: Paul Radford showed why he is leading the points championship when he moved from third to first on a single move during last week's Late Model race.
Running the outside groove, leader Kenny Prillaman and second-place Thomas came up on slower traffic on the backstretch. The pair was almost upon the car on the outside and had to slow down. Meanwhile, the car on the inside was about one car length ahead of them.
Radford took advantage of that small space. He dipped to the inside, passed the two leaders and moved back in front in the blink of an eye.
"I caught them looking," said Radford, also known as the Ferrum Flash for his driving ability. "That's what it was. I got lucky."
That move put Radford out front for the first time in over two months. And it would have given him the victory had it not been for a flat tire during the last caution.
Still, because of Prillaman's disqualification, Radford only lost four points on his lead over Thomas for the division championship. The lead is currently 422-396.
But will Radford be back next year to defend that title if he wins it?
"I'd like to be," he said. "But that's something you never really know about."
\ TWINS FINALE DETAILS: The season-finale will be the Huff Petroleum/Chevron 250 on Sept. 12.
There will be two 75-lap, singe-point Late Model races.
"That's the fairest way to do it," explained track promoter Ronnie Snoddy.
The other four divisions - Limited, Modified Minis, Mini Stock and Pure Stock - will have double-points races of their usual length that day.
\ THIS WEEK: Saturday is the Pontiac Excitement 250 at NRVS. And there will be a different source of excitement this week as the Goody's Dash cars make their annual appearance at the speedway.
The Dash cars will run a 100-lap race, as will the Late Model Stock Cars. Also on the card are a 35-lap Limited Sportsman race and 25-lappers in the Mini Stock and Pure Stock divisions. The Modified Minis will not be running.
Gates open at noon this week. Dash cars begin practice at 2 p.m. Other cars start their practice 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 Roanoke Times & World-News' New River Valley bureau.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB