ROANOKE TIMES 

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, April 4, 1994                   TAG: 9404040028
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: HICKORY, N.C.                                LENGTH: Short

CRAVEN RACES TO GN VICTORY

Ricky Craven of Newburgh, Maine, took the lead with a daring three-abreast move late in the race and won the Sundrop 300 NASCAR Busch Grand National race Sunday at Hickory Motor Speedway.

Craven, the 1992 rookie of the year in the series, led the final 32 of 300 laps on the .363-mile track. The Chevrolet driver earned $14,005 with his first victory since joining the series on a full-time basis.

Randy LaJoie of Norwalk, Conn., finished second in a Chevrolet, eighty-two-hundredths of a second behind Craven. Pole-sitter David Green of Owensboro, Ky., was third, also in a Chevrolet.

Rookie Johnny Benson of Grand Rapids, Mich., finished fourth in a Chevrolet, with hometown driver Tommy Houston fifth in a Ford.

The race was slowed nine times for caution flags that consumed 55 laps. There were several multicar spins on the tight track, but no major accidents.

Craven's average speed was 63.191 mph in a race that lasted 1 hour, 43 minutes, 24 seconds.

LaJoie's second-place finish enabled him to take the series points lead through seven of 28 scheduled events.

Keywords:
AUTO RACING 


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