Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, September 21, 1994 TAG: 9409230008
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: M.J. Dougherty
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Long
Nobody actually sang that song this weekend at New River Valley Speedway, but it would have been appropriate.
The elements won and the drivers lost Saturday.
Early in the afternoon, an hour before the gates were scheduled to open, track officials decided that rain, not racing, was in the forecast.
That meant the Heritage Olds, Buick, Pontiac, GMC 200 was history. And the double points that were supposed to go to that race were shifted to the season-ending race Oct. 1.
The rainout means points races in three divisions will be decided by the final race.
Jeff Agnew of Floyd will capture his third Late Model title in four years if he finishes 12th or better in that race.
Charlie Miles also has to finish 12th or better to add the Limited Sportsman crown to his 1992 Pure Stock championship.
And Gene Duncan of Radford will take home the Mini Stock title if he finishes fifth or better Oct. 1 - regardless of how he fares in the extra race in that division Oct. 2.
Davis "Ducky" Phillips of Plum Creek clinched the Pure Stock championship when the inclement weather took away Saturday's race. It is his first track title.
Tony Howell of Christiansburg previously had sewn up the Modified Mini crown. It was the second straight track title for Howell, who won in Mini Stock last year.
MORE FROM THE SKIES: A few pieces of weather-related racing trivia before moving on:
NRVS has had three rainouts this season, but makeups were scheduled for the other two.
Rain delayed the initial Enduro race at the track. Instead of starting the season March 27, the race was held May 8.
The regular race May 7 was a victim of the elements. That race is the one scheduled for Oct. 1.
Weather delayed practice and/or qualifying several other times during the season. April 9 and Aug. 20, cars in at least some of the races had to be started by points in order to get things going close to on time.
Last year, only one event at NRVS was rained out. That was June 12.
Lonesome Pine International Speedway in Coeburn lost two dates this year to rain: May 7 (the same night as the NRVS rainout) and July 16. Its season ended earlier this month.
Franklin County Speedway in Callaway had avoided weather problems until Saturday night, when its streak of 27 straight races ended.
On those nights FCS has been the only track with clear weather, it has benefited with some of its largest fields of the year.
MID-ATLANTIC REPORT: Barry Beggarly successfully defended his Winston Racing Series Mid-Atlantic title. The Pelham, N.C., driver won 18 of 43 starts at Ace Speedway in Altamahaw, N.C.; Orange County Speedway in Rougemont, N.C.; and South Boston Speedway.
However, Beggarly did not defend his national title. He finished fifth.
The WRS national champion is David Rogers of Orlando, Fla., and the Eastern Seaboard Region. Rogers was a perfect 22-for-22 at Volusia County in Barberville, Fla. He is the first national champion with a season-long record of perfection and the first to come from a "one-night-per-week region."
Agnew was the only driver from New River to finish in the top 10 in the Mid-Atlantic and earn a trip to the post-season banquet in Nashville on Nov. 5. Agnew ended up fourth.
Complete results and places for all drivers are being audited by NASCAR and are not yet available.
NRVS ALUMNI REPORT: Kelly Denton of Bristol, who started the season racing at New River, finished it with his second win of 1994 at Lonesome Pine. Denton finished seventh in the points at LPIR.
Also in the top 15 were a couple of other drivers who began the year at NRVS. Wes Adair of Yeager, W.Va., was 10th; Darrell Holman of Abingdon was 12th.
Mike Porter of Princeton, W.Va., who races at New River occasionally but at Lonesome Pine full time, was fifth.
Agnew ended up 14th on the strength of his performance in just a few races at LPIR.
Tommy Spangler of Bluff City, Tenn., won the track title.
Mike Dillon never could seem to make it into the winner's circle at New River. But the fortunes of the Clemons, N.C., driver - and the NRVS 1992 Late Model Rookie of the Year - changed when he started staying closer to home.
Racing at Hickory Motor Speedway in North Carolina and Tri-County Motor Speedway in Hudson, N.C., Dillon has won nine times since leaving New River in the middle of the season. He is battling for the track championship at Tri-County and finished in the top 10 in the Mid-Atlantic Region points.
Brad Teague of Bristol, Tenn., has run half a dozen Winston Cup races and is in the top 50 in points on the major league circuit. Last year, Teague finished 13th in points in Late Model at New River while running a partial schedule.
THE SEARCH IS ON: While many drivers are looking for rides this time of year, New River Valley Speedway is looking for something else - a queen.
Applications for Miss New River Valley Speedway 1995 - the official representative of the track - are being accepted.
The duties of the position include presenting trophies during the season to race winners and representing the track at parades and special events throughout the area.
The new Miss NRVS will replace Gwynne Poff of Fairlawn, who is retiring after her five-year reign. Others who have served in the position are Monica Hylton of Radford, Becky Epling of Rich Creek and Nancy Gibson of Pulaski.
For more information or to get an application form, call the track at 639-1700 during business hours.
THIS WEEK AT THE TRACKS: New River Valley Speedway does not race this weekend.
Instead, the Late Model attention will be focused on Martinsville Speedway for the Goody's 200. Qualifying on Thursday at 3 p.m. will set the top 20 positions. Friday heat races beginning at 4 p.m. will fill out the 30-plus car field.
The race Saturday starts at 2 p.m. The purse is $41,070, with $8,000 to the winner. Eddie Johnson of Ashland captured the race last year.
The race will be telecast on a tape-delay basis by ESPN. It is scheduled to air Tuesday night at 9.
M.J. Dougherty covers racing and community sports for the Roanoke Times & World-News' New River Valley bureau.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB