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

DATE: SUNDAY, April 24, 1994                   TAG: 9404240246
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: C-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: By M.J. DOUGHERTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RADFORD                                LENGTH: Medium

AGNEW GETS BACK TO HIS WINNING WAYS

The Floyd driver took the 100-lap Late Model Stock Car feature of the Fire Saftey Products 200 on Saturday night at New River Valley Speedway.

It marked the second consecutive week and third time in four weeks that Agnew has won the Late Model race.

"It's getting harder, too," said Agnew, who has 15 victories at the track. "There's a lot more competition to beat each week. I've had to race Tony [McGuire, the only driver to beat Agnew], Tim [McGuire] . . . everybody. Then you have Michael Ritch flying tonight. It gets more difficult each start."

By the end of the caution-free race, though, Agnew and his Chevrolet Lumina had made it look easy. Only eight of the 20 cars that started finished on the lead lap.

Ritch ended his first appearance of the season at NRVS in the Chevy Lumina that Paul Radford used to win the 1993 track title four seconds behind.

"The car ran really well right off the bat and I thought we had a chance of winning," said Ritch, from High Point, N.C. "After I caught Jeff, I stayed behind him a few laps. But he was beating us up off the corners. It was his night.

"The car was loose. If we were a little tighter, we might have been able to catch him."

For the first half of the race, it looked like Ronnie Thomas might end the jinx that has plagued him this season. He qualified second and quickly jumped into the lead, where he stayed for 49 laps.

But the chronic overheating problems that have plagued Thomas' Chrysler LeBaron led to him being black-flagged. Thomas had to pit and relinquished the lead to Agnew.

Then, Agnew pulled away from Ritch and the rest of the field.

Tim McGuire of Roanoke finished third in a Chevrolet. He was followed by Mike Dillon of Clemons, N.C., in a Pontiac, Dicky Wilson of Salem in a Buick and Darrell Holman of Abingdon in a Chevrolet.

Rock Harris of Yadkinville, N.C., drove his Pontiac Firebird away from the field to win his third consecutive 35-lap Limited Sportsman race.

Bo Howell finished second, Tam Tophan third, Rick Cook fourth and Ronnie Byrd fifth.

Only eight of the 18 cars that started were running at the finish. Six cars went out after an accident during a restart on lap 7. The wreck caused the race to be stopped for five minutes.

Gene Duncan of Radford started from the pole and led all the way in the 25-lap Mini Stock race. Kevin Kenley held off Kevin Light for second place.

Pole-sitter Davis "Ducky" Phillips of Plum Creek held off early- and late-race charges by Aaron Deplazes to win the Pure Stock race. Mike "Monk" Marion was third. The race was extended to 27 laps because of a late-race accident.

Tony Howell of Christiansburg inherited the lead on lap 20 when leader Dale Sutphin spun and went on to win the 25-lap Modified Mini Stock race. David Huff was second and Tim Maiden third. The top two qualifiers - Jimmy Hinkley and Ricky Jefferson - collided on the start and could not continue.

Keywords:
AUTO RACING