Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, August 26, 1993 TAG: 9308260007
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-6 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: M.J. DOUGHERTY
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Long
The first was the Dublin driver had changed the paint scheme on his red-and-yellow No. 37. The numbers were larger and moved back on the car's body.
The second was the competition. Smith's Toyota Celica was the only car among the 25 in the Dash race that was manufactured by a foreign automaker.
"They had heard it was coming, but they hadn't seen one yet," Mark Smith, Charlie's brother, said after the race.
The series rules allow 17 different car models by 10 different manufacturers. That includes two cars each by Japanese automakers Toyota (Celica and Supra) and Nissan (200-SX and 240-SC).
But because of bigger engine sizes - and thus more power - almost every race has nothing but Pontiacs, Chevrolets and an occasional Ford.
Only one other foreign car has been in a Dash race the last two seasons. Mike Leathers finished ninth in a Nissan in the Florida 200 in February.
"Our engine is 2,467 [cubic centimeters]," Smith said. "The limit is 2,700, and they push that. That's about 50 horsepower."
Thus, Smith tended to lose ground on the straightaways. But his handling enabled him to stay even - or in many cases, gain - in the curves. That was a testament to Smith and his crew, who had to figure out how to set his Celica on Goodyear tires after having run on Hoosiers, New River Valley Speedway's tire of choice.
"We couldn't get the car to handle right. It was like setting the car up from the beginning all over again," Smith said. "We got it figured out right after qualifying. Now we have to get it back [for the Modified Minis races]."
Smith's survival instincts and finding the proper setup allowed him to finish 10th after qualifying 18th.
It probably won't be the last time his name appears in the end-of-race summary at a Goody's Dash race. Smith hopes to run a limited schedule next year and is seeking help from Toyota to make his car more powerful.
\ MORE DASHINGS: The 25 cars that took the green flag were the second-largest field this season for a Dash race. The Martinsville race April 24 had one more car.
"The drivers love coming here," said Jerry Haislip, Goody's motorsports coordinator. "It's a nice facility, and it's a very forgiving race track. There's a long distance between the turns and the walls."
Haislip added that a change in the way the series' rookie status is determined also boosted the field. Drivers now are permitted to compete for rookie-of-the-year honors after running six races, instead of five the previous season.
The NRVS race would have equaled or bettered Martinsville had mechanical problems not sidelined two cars.
Kerry Earnhardt made a successful return to NRVS. He finished sixth, the last driver on the lead lap, in his Chevrolet Cavalier. And it wasn't hard to spot Earnhardt. His car had the same number, No. 3, and all-black paint job as the car his father, Dale, runs on the Winston Cup circuit.
Mickey York and Ernest Winslow both had engine problems after the last practice session. The repairs were so extensive that the qualifying schedule was moved around a bit to accommodate them. Both had performances worth the wait as York finished third and Winslow fifth.
Will Hobgood retained his lead in the series points with his second-place finish. He leads Johnny Smith, the flag-to-flag victor, 2,152 to 2,142, with two races left. Rodney Orr fell to third at 2,133. George Crenshaw (2,020) and York (2,008) round out the top five and are the only other drivers over 2,000 points.
\ SPEEDING AWAY: Junior Leagans became the first Limited Sportsman driver to break the 17-second barrier this season when he qualified at 16.98.
Ironically, the Late Model Stock Cars had one of their slowest fields. Only two cars were faster than Leagans'. And both the number of cars under 17 seconds, four, and Jeff Agnew's pole-winning lap-time, 16.92 (88.56 mph), tied for the second-worst of the season.
\ LONESOME PINE REPORT: Marty Tunnell won his first race in his new car in the Pure Stock division. That new car is the No. 02 Chevrolet Camaro that Grump Wills won with 10 times in 11 races at New River and went one-for-one with at the Coeburn track.
Meanwhile, in the Late Model race, NRVS regular Frankie Pennington finished second to Robbie Ferguson.
\ OFF WEEK: This week there is no racing at New River Valley Speedway because the Winston Cup visits Bristol on Saturday night for the Bud 500.
That doesn't mean all the drivers will be taking it easy. At least two of last week's top-five finishers in the Late Model race - Agnew and Rodney "Six Pack" Cundiff - will be on the track this weekend.
Agnew will race Thursday at Lonesome Pine International Raceway in Coeburn. Others possible entrants at Coeburn include Ronnie Thomas, Kelly Denton and Brad Teague.
Agnew also plans to run Saturday night at one of the short tracks in North Carolina.
Cundiff will be at at Franklin County Speedway in Callaway.
Stacy Compton will make his usual every-other-week trek to South Boston on Saturday.
Racing at NRVS will resume Sept. 4 with the Dooley Printing 200.
M.J. Dougherty covers sports for the Roanoke Times & World-News' New River Valley bureau.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB