
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, September 25, 1993                   TAG: 9309250125
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MARTINSVILLE                                LENGTH: Medium

LATE MODEL STOCK FIELD A MASS OF CONFUSION

More than 70 regional stock car drivers tried to qualify for today's Goody's 150 Late Model Stock Car race at Martinsville Speedway, but the process of determining a 32-car starting field became a lot more difficult than tallying the results of time trials.

The qualifying runs of pole winner Wayne Patterson, of Richmond, and 12 other drivers were disallowed Friday after NASCAR inspectors found the driveshafts on their cars were too small in diameter.

The ruling decimated the top 20 qualifying results and allowed the 34th-fastest driver, Clay Highberger of Salem, to move up to 20th and qualify for the race. A half-dozen other non-qualifers on Thursday also moved into the top 20 by default.

And soon after pole qualifying Thursday, Ronnie Thomas of Christianburg lost the outside pole after his run was disallowed because the chassis on his car had was offset, a violation of NASCAR rules.

Tim McGuire of Roanoke had the third-fastest qualifying run Thursday at 87.707 mph, but after all the disqualifications, he ended up with the pole.

Among those disqualified was Tim's brother, Tony, who had qualified sixth. McGuire tried to make the field in one of the 25-lap qualifying races Friday, but his engine blew with two laps to go.

Rodney Sawyers of Ridgeway won the first qualifying race, while Danny Willis of Cluster Springs won the second race.

Other area drivers who will compete in today's race, which starts at 2 p.m., are: Jeff Agnew of Floyd (starting 3rd), New River Valley Speedway track champion Paul Radford of Ferrum (8th), Stacy Compton of Hurt (9th), Tink Reedy of Roanoke (12th), Frankie Pennington of Lexington (13th), Tommy Spangler of Abingdon (15th), Rodney Cundiff of Boones Mill (17th), Kenny Prillaman of Salem (18th), Rodney Sawyers of Ridgeway (21st), Ray Young of Collinsville (24th), Darryl Lacks of Goode (26th), Ronnie Thomas of Christianburg (29th), and Rick Sigmon of Rocky Mount (30th).

Only four of the 14 drivers whose qualifying runs were disallowed were able to make the field through the qualifying races.

Keywords:
AUTO RACING

by CNB