Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 3, 1994 TAG: 9404030222
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-12 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Staff report
DATELINE: CALLAWAY LENGTH: Medium
Lawhorn, the defending track champion and a six-time race winner last year, waltzed to victory Saturday night in the 100-lap Late Model Stock Car feature of the Crossroads Mall/AMBA 300.
Salem's Ronnie Newman was five seconds behind Lawhorn at the finish. Carl Dadian of Roanoke took third.
Lawhorn, who didn't pick up his first '93 victory until May 8, said he was somewhat surprised by his season-opening performance.
"The car didn't do right at all [in practice]," Lawhorn said. "We talked about it for half an hour; we made a couple of [chassis] adjustments. It worked out."
Pole-sitter Kenny Wagner, a Street Stock standout last year, led for the first quarter of the race, then Lawhorn took over. Wagner finished fourth, just ahead of Steve Lynch, who was last season's Mini Stock champion.
In the other divisions:
Chris Martin took the checkered flag in the Mini Stock opener. Front-runner Jimmy Cox blew an engine midway through the race, giving Martin his first victory. Steve Lam was second, just ahead of newcomer Gary Joyce.
Mike Dudley won the Street Stock race, taking the lead when Dale Marlowe and 1993 points champion Phillip VanDerVeer collided on lap 19. Mike Elkins placed second, and Marlowe, who was sent to the rear of the field after his spin, charged to a third-place finish.
Eric Bishop was the Pure Stock winner. Bishop, who placed 25th in limited action in the Pure Stock division last year, started on the pole and held his lead the entire race against 15 competitors. Red Hartman and Mike Owens finished second and third, respectively.
In the Rookie class, Chuck Floyd took the lead when Neal Amos spun out with four laps remaining. Floyd finished well ahead of Scott Foley (second) and Tony Perdue (third).
Floyd's Eric Janney won the Any Car race when leader Tommy Hall spun on the final lap and fell to second. Ernest Hylton placed third.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB