Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 3, 1994 TAG: 9404030228
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-12 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: M.J. DOUGHERTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
The 1991 and 1992 Late Model Stock Car champion at New River Valley Speedway, Agnew won his first race in more than a year with a flag-to-flag victory in the season-opening double points FM 94 Radio 200.
"We've been running well," said Agnew, who has 13 career victories at the track. "We were hooked up last year, but we just didn't get any breaks. We had some tough luck then and at Martinsville [where a broken spark-plug wire put the car out of action in the first few laps].
"But Bruce and Barry [Sweeney, the car owners,] build a good car and the chassis is good, too."
Agnew started from the pole and, after almost sliding out of the lead on the first lap, he was untouchable.
Several times the Floyd driver built leads approaching two seconds, only to see caution flags - the race was slowed by five for 33 laps - bunch the field.
Once racing resumed, Agnew would start to pull away again. He finished seventy-five-hundredths of a second ahead of Tony McGuire of Roanoke.
"Jeff was running awfully good," McGuire said. "I don't think he has missed a race since the track opened."
Mike Dillon of Clemmons, N.C., the 1992 Late Model Rookie of the Year, finished third.
Roanoke's Tim McGuire, brother of Tony and the 1988 track champion in the Late Model Stock division, placed fourth.
Bristol's Kelly Deton and Salem's Dicky Wilson were fifth and sixth, respectively.
Ronnie Vaught of Pearisburg inherited the lead when Aaron Deplazes was involved in a wreck on lap 20 and Vaught went on to a first-place finish in the Pure Stock race.
The race was extended to 30 laps, five more than usual, because of two late caution periods.
Davis "Ducky" Phillips and Robbie Cundiff finished second and third, respectively.
Kevin Kenley of Radford moved into the lead on lap 13 and went on to victory in the 25-lap Mini Stock race.
Gene Duncan recovered from a midrace spin that knocked him out of the lead to edge Kevin Light for second place.
The Limited Sportsman and Modified Mini races were not completed by press time.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB