Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, August 24, 1993 TAG: 9308240649
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: BRIAN DeVIDO STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
Tony Howell never met a dangerous stunt he didn't like.
Skiing down treacherous mountains? He did it. Waterskiing unknown waters at death-defying speeds? He's done it. Canoeing river rapids? OK, but only if they're a certain level of danger.
"Class fives," Howell said. "I love 'em."
Then there's another Howell favorite.
How about stock-car racing on a track less than a half-mile long, with sharp curves to boot, every Saturday night for four months?
Piece of cake.
Howell, 30, leads the Mini-Stock division at the New River Valley Speedway this year with 10 wins and 12 poles in 17 races. The Christiansburg driver holds a 40-point lead over Jay McCray of Salem and could be on his way to a first-ever track title.
It's been a mixture of things, though, that has brought Howell success this year at the speedway, and not just his daredevil attitude.
Consider:
\ HIS BROTHER: Bo Howell, 32, has been a key member of Team Howell this year. He's third in the Limited Sportsman division at the speedway, and he and Tony are each other's prime motivators.
"I'm the last one to touch him - we shake hands - before a race," Bo Howell said. "I don't know why we do it. Call it superstitious or whatever, but we've done it ever since we've been racing. I like to have him be the last person to shake my hand and tell me to be smart and stay safe."
The bond between the two can be traced to their birthdates. Bo Howell was born Oct. 18, 1960. Tony Howell was born Oct. 18, 1962.
"I learn a lot from Bo," Tony Howell said. "He's given me a lot of helpful tips on and off the track."
\ THE CREW: Howell's father, Lawrence Howell, 62; Les Akers of Christiansburg; and Bo Howell all put in overtime on the car, a blue '89 Nissan SX.
"It's a lot of hard work and dedication," Tony Howell said. "A lot of midnight oil. There's just some hard work going on in that garage. We've worked up until 3 or 4 in the morning getting the car ready on Friday nights. Then we'll sleep until the race starts."
\ THE MOTIVATION: Bo Howell has won two track championships at the Pulaski County speedway - the Mini-Stock division in 1988 and the Modified Mini-Stock in 1990. Tony Howell hasn't fared as well. He finished second in the Mini-Stock in 1989, and third in 1990. Last year, he finished ninth in that division.
"I don't even think about the points through the year," he said. "I'm not concerned with the points. If they come, they come. I could be 30 points ahead going into the last race of the season and blow my engine, and that could be it."
\ THE ATTITUDE: It's not a cocky one, though. Howell is more like the kid down the street - you know, the one who would do anything you dared him to.
"I'd describe him as a Dale Earnhardt," said Lawrence Howell. "He's a go-getter."
Said Bo Howell, "Tony is pretty much wide open. He tries whatever he can and runs as hard as he can."
And Tony Howell's response?
"Cool," he said, laughing. "I'm an aggressive driver."
\ THE FUTURE: Next year, Howell said he plans to move into either the Limited Sportsman division or the Modified-Mini division. He has run about 10 races in the Modified-Mini this year, on the same night he races Mini Stock. The aftermath of a race is usually celebrated by the Howells in grand fashion.
"There's usually a big party by my mobile home," he said. "We build a big bonfire. There's usually quite a crowd."
Howell said he hopes to have something big to celebrate at the end of the racing season. There are two words that he would like to be associated with his name.
"Track champ," he said. "Big-time, small-time, it doesn't matter. I just want a championship."
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB