Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, May 5, 1994 TAG: 9405060074
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-12 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By M.J. DOUGHERTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
"They [car owners Bruce and Barry Sweeney] had a winning car sitting in the garage all along," said Agnew, who started driving for the Sweeney brothers in the middle of last season.
Agnew has driven the Chevrolet Lumina - last year's back-up car for the Sweeneys - to four victories and a second-place finish in the first five Late Model races of the season. That gives Agnew 16 wins at NRVS for his career, third-best all-time.
"Everything has come together for us this season," said Agnew, who has started from the pole three times and won each of those races. "The guys have worked real hard with the [new Goodyear] tires, the chassis, the motor. Everything is just going real good for us right now. And a few people have struggled with the tires - they haven't gotten a handle on them yet."
Everything has fallen into place so well that the 28-year-old body shop mechanic from Floyd has a 32-point lead over Tim McGuire in the standings as he goes for what would be his third track championship in four years.
"It's just been hard work and a lot of testing," said Bruce Sweeney. "If there is something that could have been done, it seems like we've done it. But we've been pretty lucky, too."
And this year's success comes in sharp contrast to last year. After winning titles at NRVS and Lonesome Pine in 1991 and 1992, Agnew was winless in 1993.
"Winning the four track championships just took a toll on the car," said Agnew, referring to his old red-white-and-blue Chevrolet Lumina. "The last year, we only had one car and we ran it at both tracks. We must have run 120 races over those two years."
So, when things were going badly last season, Agnew needed some help. Meanwhile, fellow Floydians the Sweeney brothers had had nothing but bad luck and they and their driver, Mike Dillon, had parted ways. So, they were in a position to help Agnew.
The partnership put Agnew in the black No. 1 Lumina for the first time. And although Agnew didn't win races, he did capture a pole and finished fourth in the points.
This year, things have worked out even better as they have become the team to beat at NRVS.
"Jeff has gotten to the point where he has matured as a driver," said Sweeney. "He knows a lot about chassis and handling. He's been racing long enough that he knows what to do in the car."
Of course, Agnew would like to achieve something with his new team that eluded him during his years as track champion - the regional title. To that end, the team has made a visit to Tri-County Speedway, a Friday night track in Hudson, N.C.
"We're going to try to go after the Mid-Atlantic championship," said Agnew, who finished ninth and sixth in the region the years he won the track titles. "We're going to start running at another track in a week or so and see what happens."
Of course, this surge of success by Agnew shouldn't come as a surprise. After all, this isn't the first time he and the Sweeneys have worked together. After dominating the Family Class at Franklin County Speedway in 1986, Agnew jumped all the way to Late Model for the 1987 season.
The Sweeneys weren't working with anyone in the Late Model ranks at the time. So, they were able to give Agnew the assistance he needed to get going. That season, Agnew won his first Late Model race. And Agnew choose No. 05 for his car because that was the number the Sweeneys used for their Busch Grand National cars.
In time, Agnew would make No. 05 well-known. In 1990, he finished second at NRVS in Late Model and won a pair of races. During the track championship years of 1991 and 1992, he had four and six victories.
Ironically, the Sweeneys' cars this time around have No. 1 on them. But Agnew never thought about changing his new ride to his old number.
"That was what was painted on there and we just left it on," said Agnew, who describes himself as someone who doesn't like to fix what isn't broken.
And the number has turned out to be an omen because, so far this season, the number is what Agnew has been at NRVS - No. 1.
by CNB