Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, May 5, 1994 TAG: 9405060075
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-17 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: M.J. Dougherty
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Long
After Eddie Johnson won back-to-back races at Southside Speedway and Langley Raceway in a Ford Thunderbird and Ronnie Thomas led almost half the race here at New River Valley Speedway in a Chrysler LeBaron on the weekend of April 22-23, NASCAR has again changed the rules on the carburetors and weight allowances.
This time, though, tracks are being allowed more leeway in establishing their rules as NASCAR searches for a way to make all the cars equal.
At NRVS, that means the non-GM drivers have two options: run the larger carburetor and 100 pounds of extra weight (55 on the left and 45 on the right) or run the smaller carburetor and be 50 pounds lighter than the standard weight of 3,100 pounds.
"We've had a time trying to get this one right," said Lynn Carroll, chief steward at NRVS. "Everyone thinks we're being wishy-washy. But we're trying to fix something and get it right. We're trying to come up with something that is fair for everyone, equal for everyone. We know we can't make everyone happy. But we want to do the best we can."
Carroll held a meeting with the drivers Saturday afternoon to explain the situation and ask for suggestions. Given their options, Thomas and Bobby Radford, who also drives a Chrysler LeBaron, used the small carburetor and ran light. Ford Thunderbird drivers Frankie Pennington and Chad Harris and Dodge Avenger driver Tink Reedy took the large carburetor and the 100 pounds of extra weight.
The result - all but the rookie driver Harris finished in the top 10. Harris started back in the pack and his Chrysler was damaged beyond repair in a multiple-car spin on the second lap.
Roanoke's Reedy had the best finish. After starting 14th, he worked his way up to sixth place.
Meanwhile, Thomas had the best qualifying run - 16.75 seconds (89.41 mph) - and started sixth. The Christiansburg driver got as high as third place before falling back to seventh.
Pennington finished eighth, the last car on the lead lap. Radford ended up ninth, one lap down.
However, the long-range impact of these rules is still unknown. Some drivers may decide to switch rather than fight. Chubby Arrington, owner of Reedy's Dodge, has looked into buying a Chevy. And Pennington practiced the Lumina he runs at Southside on Friday nights at NRVS before the race last Saturday.
NRVS DRIVERS ON TOUR: Michael Ritch of High Point, N.C., finished ninth, two laps down, in the Pantry 300 Busch Grand National race at Orange County Speedway in Rougemont, N.C. Ritch started his Pontiac fourth. On April 23, Ritch made his first appearance of the year at NRVS and finished second to Jeff Agnew in the Late Model race.
Modified Mini driver Charlie Smith of Dublin wasn't at the track last week. He was busy getting his Toyota Celica repaired from rough racing April 23 so it would be ready for the Goody's Dash race May 14 at Caraway Speedway in Ashboro, N.C.
"We just got the sheet metal in yesterday," Smith said Sunday afternoon. "We started working on it to get it back together."
Smith might not be the only NRVS-alumnus in the field at Caraway. North Carolinian Scott Brawley also is expected to enter the race. Brawley won 10 of the 19 Mod Mini races last year at New River.
LESSONS TO BE LEARNED: Wayne Lawson of Indian Valley ended up fourth in the Modified Mini Stock race, even though he was black-flagged and apparently had lost two laps. Reports from the pit of first-time driver Steve Parker indicated that Lawson was spraying oil on Parker's windshield. When Lawson was not found to be leaking oil and Parker had a clean windshield after the race, track officials reinstated the two laps Lawson had lost - and penalized Parker two laps.
Apparent Mini Stock second-place finisher Kevin Light of Pilot was disqualified because he used a non-stock distributor. It was the third week in a row at least one top finisher lost his place after the post-race inspection and the second time over that span that Light was penalized.
THEY SAID IT: "I don't know if I could have held him off. But I would have liked to have led a lap instead of just a turn." - Ray Young, the eventual third-place finisher in the Late Model race, about briefly sneaking ahead of pole-sitter and eventual race winner Jeff Agnew at the start of the race.
"I'm to the point if I can't be competitive, I'm not going to run. I don't want to get run over out there." - Boyd Sult, whose engine developed a flutter in practice, on why he decided not to drive in the Late Model race.
POWER TO THE P.A.: After an upgrade over the winter and fine-tuning during the early season, the public address system at NRVS is functioning loudly and clearly.
The system now has 2,050 watts of power for the amplifiers - up from just 450 watts last year. Each section of the track is controlled by a separate amp that has its own independent volume control.
The entire system has been rewired with 14-gauge wire to handle the extra power. All the speakers have been replaced or reconditioned. And the remote microphone for track-side and pit interviews is the same type used by performers in concert.
"I would dare say there is not a Saturday night Winston Racing track in the country with a state-of-the art sound system like we have here," said track announcer Art Boothe.
UPCOMING AT THE TRACK: There will be two days of racing action this weekend.
On Saturday, it's the Wade's/Campbell Soups 200, which has a special 35-lap Mini Stock race.
Also on tap are the 100-lap Late Model feature, a 35-lap Limited Sportsman race and a 25-lap Modified Mini Stock race.
Gates open at 2 p.m. Practice begins at 4. Qualifying starts at 6:15. And the green flag drops at 8.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $1 for children 12 and under.
On Sunday, it's the first Enduro race of the year. The race will last 100 laps or two hours - whichever comes first. This is the second in a series of six races between Lonesome Pine International Raceway in Coeburn and NRVS. Stacy Vanover won the LPIR race April 9. It had a field of 22 cars.
Also, there will be a 50-lap Pure Stock race and a 25-lap Mini Stock race. Both races count in the points standings for their respective divisions.
Gates open at 10 a.m. and racing begins at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $1 for children 12 and under. Half-price tickets - $5 - are available to those who have ticket stubs from Saturday's race.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB