Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 24, 1994 TAG: 9403240283
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-6 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By M.J. DOUGHERTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
It's that time of year. The racing season opens this weekend at New River Valley Speedway.
The first of three Enduro races begins Sunday at 2 p.m.
The feature event is 100 laps (or two hours, whichever comes first) for virtually any car - as long as it meets the safety requirements and its driver does not have a NASCAR license.
To add to the excitement, there will be a 35-lap Pure Stock race and a 25-lap Mini Stock race on the card.
Gates open at 10 a.m. for the Sunday feature. Tickets are $10 for adults, $1 for children
The season officially gets under way the day before with the first open practice of the year.
Saturday's practice runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Gates open at 9 a.m. Admission is free to spectators.
MORE SCHEDULING DETAILS: The entire schedule for 1994 has been set at NRVS.
Races begin at 8 p.m. and include a 100-lap Late Model Stock Car race, unless noted.
APRIL: 1, open practice (4-8 p.m.); 2, FM-94 Radio 200 (Double Points); 9, Pepsi-Cola 200; 16, Kool 100 Radio 200; 23, Fire & Safety 200; 30, New River Valley Mall 200.
MAY: 7, Wade's/Food Time/Deli Marts 200; 14, Valley Rich/X-Press Markets 300 (200-lap LMSC); 22, Cook's Clean Center/Agee's Auto Parts 200 (3 p.m., Twin 75-lap LMSC); 28, Budweiser 200.
JUNE: 4, Jordan Oil-Marathon/Cloud's Cleaning 250 (Twin 75-lap LMSC); 11, Jesse Jones 200 (Double Points); 18, Shelor Chevrolet 300 (200-lap LMSC, Fan Appreciation Night); 25, Area Ford Dealers 200.
JULY: 2, Wicker Basket 200 (NASCAR Souvenir Night); 9, Q-99 Radio/Tombstone Pizza 200; 16, Basham Oil/F&L Oil/Pennzoil 300 (200-lap LMSC); 23, New River Valley Pontiac/Nissan/GMC 200; 30, WDBJ-TV 7 300 (Twin 100-lap LMSC; live TV coverage on WDBJ).
AUGUST: 6, WSET-TV Virginia's 13 300 (200-lap LMSC); 7, Enduro/Pure Stock/Mini Stock (2 p.m., no LMSC); 13, Hoechst/Celanese 200 (Driver's Gatorade Night); 20, Dooley Printer/PSK Radio 300 (Goody's Dash Series); 28, Miller Genuine Draft/J-93 Radio 250 (3 p.m., Twin 75-lap LMSC; Fan Appreciation Day).
SEPTEMBER: 3, Winston 200; 11, RGM Erectors/Huff Petroleum-Chevron 250 (3 p.m., twin 75-lap LMSC); 17, Heritage Buick/Pontiac/Olds/GMC 200 (double points).
OCTOBER: 1, Enduro/Pure Stock/Mini Stock (2 p.m., no LMSC); 2, makeup date (not a scheduled race); 22, Southwest Virginia Chevy Dealers Shoot-Out (250-lap LMSC, 3 p.m.).
MARTINSVILLE REPORT: The New River Valley Speedway regulars probably would like to forget what happened in Sunday's 203-lap Late Model race at the Miller Genuine Draft 500 (the event was extended three laps because of a late caution period).
Darryl Lacks, a part-time NRVS driver from Goode, had the best performance from the track's contingent, finishing 12th, one lap down. He was fifth after 50 laps but had to pit after being involved in a spin that caused body damage to his right front.
Lacks, who splits driving duties in the family-owned and sponsored Coverlets with his brother Donnie, got the nod for the Martinsville race because he has more experience.
Besides Lacks, only Johnny Rumley and Stacy Compton appeared on the leader board. Rumley started second and led laps 27-39, but then started falling back. A three-car accident on lap 57 put him out of the race. He finished 29th.
Compton got as high as fifth place on lap 77 but a late spin relegated him to 17th.
Tony McGuire had a top 10 run going until he was involved in a three-car accident on lap 193. Not only did that cause the race to be extended three laps, but it knocked McGuire back to 13th.
Several other drivers were still running at the end but were a few laps off the pace. Mike Porter was 16th, one lap down. Richard Goodwin was 19th, two laps down. Dicky Wilson was 21st, two laps down. And Tink Reedy, who had to use a provisional starting spot to get into the race, ended up 22nd, four laps behind.
Ray Young was also still running when the checkered flag fell. But he completed only 88 laps after his Pontiac lost its right front wheel on lap 73, just four laps after Young had spun in turn 3.
Jeff Agnew and Michael Ritch had early exits. Agnew's engine died after 38 laps, and he finished 32nd. Ritch spun out on lap 13 and managed just four more laps before the damage forced him to retire. He ended up 34th - and last.
Of course, these were the lucky ones who made the field.
Among the drivers who were on the sidelines when the green flag fell were 1993 race winners Kenny Prillman and Frankie Pennington; 1988 track champ Tim McGuire; Randy Ratliff, who moved to NRVS late last year from Lonesome Pine; Rick Sigmon, who is taking over the No. 88 ride after running at Franklin County Speedway last year; and Limited driver Bo Howell, whose qualifying time was 0.05 seconds too slow to make the field.
And then there was Ronnie Thomas. The only active NRVS regular with a career Late Model win at Martinsville was a ``no show'' for qualifying Friday. Thomas tested at NRVS late last week but was still awaiting a new engine for his Chrysler.
Rumley and Ritch had better luck in the first race, the 300-lap Busch Grand National event.
Rumley started and finished eighth. In between, he moved up as high as sixth, fell back as far as 17th and spun coming out of turn four on lap 175, setting off a multi-car melee.
Ritch finished 11th after having more than his share of missteps. He qualified 29th but was sent to the rear of the 34-car field because he missed the drivers' meeting. Ritch slowly worked his way up to eighth place, only to spin when trying to come into the pits after being black-flagged.
AIR WAVES: Three radio stations will feature the happenings at New River Valley Speedway this year.
WPSK (107.1 fm) in Pulaski will return with its live broadcasts from the track on race day, including winner's circle interviews.
WRIQ (101.7 fm) and WRAD (1460 am) will do a half-hour weekly interview show every Thursday at 5:45 p.m., starting today. They will also air three-minute mini-interviews with drivers throughout the week.
And WFNR (710 am), WNRV (990 am) and WBNK (100.7 fm) will have a 30-minute call-in show Tuesday nights at 6:30, just before the stations broadcast NASCAR live.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB