Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, September 28, 1994 TAG: 9409280040
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: M.J. Dougherty
DATELINE: MARTINSVILLE LENGTH: Long
The race was won by Mid-Atlantic Regional champ Barry Beggerly of Pelham, N.C., who passed pole-sitter and former New River Valley Speedway regular Johnny Rumley of Winston-Salem, N.C., on the first lap.
However, the active New River drivers weren't as fortunate. Only two of the 10 drivers from NRVS in the 36-car field avoided trouble. And both came home with top 10 finishes.
Tony McGuire of Roanoke was fourth despite almost being overcome by exhaust fumes that seeped into his car from a hole in the floor board.
Jeff Agnew of Floyd was consistent all day and ended up eighth.
Bassett's Ray Young finished 19th, one lap down. He survived having to change his engine before the race, handling problems and a flat tire right before the 10-minute pit stop break at the halfway point of the race.
Kenny Prillaman of Salem got caught up in an accident on lap 25 and lost several laps making pit stops trying to fix the handling on his car. He finished 21st, 12 laps down. The others in the wreck - Christiansburg's Ronnie Thomas and Oakwood's Randy Ratliff - finished 30th and 33rd, respectively.
That accident came on a restart after a wreck involving Mike Porter of Princeton, W.Va., and Michael Ritch of High Point, N.C., on the 19th lap. Porter (34th) was out of the race immediately; Ritch raced a while before damage forced him out on lap 60 (27th).
Mechanical trouble felled Tink Reedy, Stacy Compton and Tim McGuire. Salem's Reedy (31st) dropped out at lap 25 with a transmission-seal leak. Rear end problems knocked out Hurt's Compton on lap 61 (26th). And Roanoke's McGuire parked his car after 146 laps because of ignition and handling problems (23rd).
ALUMNI REPORT: Former New River regulars Kelly Denton of Bristol and Mike Dillon of Clemmons, N.C., finished 15th and 16th, respectively. Denton was the last car on the lead lap. Dillon lost a lap on lap 85 when he had to pit to replace his hood after an accident.
OTHERS NOT SO LUCKY: Several area drivers tried but failed to make the field through qualifying runs or heat races.
The only two who weren't in the pits and had qualifying runs in the top 40 were Dicky Wilson of Salem and Chad Harris of Stuarts Draft. Wilson got caught up in traffic during an accident and lost several positions in the second heat race. Harris hit the wall late in the first race.
Both of the heat races featured red-flag periods because of accidents.
Others regulars at area tracks who did not reach the "show" included Steve Lynch, Billy Daniel, Kenny Wagner and Rick Sigmon of Rocky Mount; Kevin Simmons of Narrows; Frankie Pennington of Lexington; Darryl Lacks of Goode; and Bruce Brown of Asheboro, N.C.
REPORTS FROM ELSEWHERE: Rock Harris won another big race at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway, Thomas just missed a win there and Rumley came back from a wreck for a good finish at South Boston Speedway to highlight racing action last week.
Harris worked his way up from the 29th starting position to take the lead with 10 laps to go and win the Street Stock Division 50-lap race in the Coca-Cola 300.
The Yadkinsville, N.C., driver and New River regular drew the position near the back of the 35-car field after rain washed out qualifying.
Wilton Cromer of Christiansburg had a strong run and finished third. Draper's Anthony Barnes was 12th. The Spangler brothers of Floyd, George and Brian, came in 16th and 32nd, respectively.
Scott Kilby of Statesville, N.C., won the 150-lap Late Model race in the Coca-Cola 300. Thomas was charging toward the front as the race drew to a close but he got caught up in lapped traffic a couple of laps from the end and ended up second.
Among NRVS regulars, Agnew was seventh, Ritch was eighth and Wilson was 20th. Ratliff was 28th; Reedy was 34th.
Dillon captured the pole and ended up fourth.
Wayne Patterson of Chesterfield beat Carl Long of Roxoboro, N.C., to claim the $12,000 first prize in the Winston Select 300 at South Boston.
Behind them came a couple of familiar names in the richest Late Model race ever at SBS.
Compton finished third and took over the track points lead in the process.
Rumley battled back to finish fourth. He started from the pole but was involved in an accident on lap 104 that heavily damaged the front end of his Chevrolet Camaro.
THE VOTE IS IN: For his final radio show of the regular season, Brian O'Donnell of Radford's WRIQ (CD Country, 101.7 FM) took a poll of listeners on the top driver this year at NRVS. O'Donnell received more than 30 telephone calls during his half-hour program. The winner: Pure Stock champion Davis "Ducky" Phillips of Plum Creek.
THIS WEEK AT THE TRACKS: Ken Schrader comes to New River Valley Speedway on Saturday to test the Late Model drivers. He is scheduled to compete in one of Bruce and Barry Sweeney's Chevrolet Luminas - Agnew's back-up car.
Double points are also on the line for the Wade's/Campbell Soups/Winston/Heritage Buick, Olds, Pontiac, GMC 200.
The feature is a 100-lap Late Model race. Also on tap are a 35-lap Limited Sportsman race and 25-lappers for the Pure Stocks, Mini Stocks and Modified Minis.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $1 for children 12 and under.
Gates open at 2 p.m. Practice begins at 4. Qualifying gets under way at 6:15, and the green flag drops at 8.
Sunday is the final Enduro race of the season. The 100-lap event (with a two-hour time limit) ends the six-race series between NRVS and Lonesome Pine International Raceway in Coeburn.
There also will be a 50-lap Pure Stock race and a 25-lap Mini Stock race.
Tickets are $10 for adults - $5 with a ticket stub from Saturday night - and $1 for children 12 and under.
Gates open at 10 a.m. Practice begins at noon. And the green flag drops at 8.
M.J. Dougherty covers racing and community sports for the Roanoke Times & World-News' New River Valley bureau.
Memo: ***CORRECTION***