Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, May 19, 1994 TAG: 9405190115
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-4 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: M.J. Dougherty
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Long
And it couldn't have picked a better time to come out - the first 200-lap Late Model Stock Car race of the season in the Valley Rich/X-Press Markets 300.
The big race also brought a strong field to the track, including a couple of drivers who had not been at NRVS all year: Johnny Rumley and John Hall.
Rumley is a threat whenever he arrives at the track. The North Carolina driver won two of last year's 200-lappers and almost lapped the field in one of them. He is second on the track's all-time win list with 27 and has been among the top five in points the last several seasons.
This year, Rumley has been busy trying to boost his Busch Grand National career. ``That's up in the air right now,'' said Rumley, who is being replaced in the White House Apple Juice Ford after just two races.
At the start, Rumley looked strong. He started on the outside pole and led the first lap. But pole-sitter Jeff Agnew retook the lead on lap 2 and Rumley started moving backward. He dropped off the scoreboard (which shows the top four places) by lap 6. Rumley managed to stay on the lead lap but mechanical problems finally put him out of the race with about 50 laps to go. He finished 18th.
Meanwhile, Hall of Rocky Mount finished building his car and took it from the garage to the track. It was the first foray into Late Model for Hall, a veteran of the Mini Stock division at Franklin County Speedway.
``It's real different,'' said Hall, who got in about 15 minutes of practice before qualifying.
Hall's troubles began before qualifying when he was told his roof was too low. He got that fixed and started 20th but soon was back in the pits with problems. A flat tire finally put him out of the race after about 45 laps, the first car to retire in the 22-car field.
CARBURETOR UPDATE: Neither Frankie Pennington nor Ronnie Thomas was at New River Valley Speedway Saturday night to see a Dodge (Tink Reedy) win the race, a Ford (Stacy Compton) come in third and a Chrysler (Bobby Radford) finish fifth.
Pennington drove at Franklin County Speedway on Saturday night. He had trouble getting his Ford Thunderbird to run strong under the new carburetor rules: 50 pounds lighter than the GMs and the same size carburetor or 100 pounds heavier and the larger-on-top carburetors that were permitted last year without any weight penalty.
Pennington isn't yet prepared to change the car to a GM product. And he decided that he couldn't get the Chevrolet Lumina he drives on Fridays at Southside Speedway outside of Richmond ready for a second race every week.
Thomas previously had announced he was converting his Chrysler LeBaron into a Buick.
But for most of the top five drivers at NRVS last week, the rules made perfect sense.
"Being 50 pounds lighter over 200 laps helped," said Reedy. "A hundred pounds of [extra] weight would have torn the car up. NASCAR made these rules and we took advantage of them."
MID-ATLANTIC POINTS: Going into last weekend's action, the top driver from New River in the Mid-Atlantic Region points race was: Pennington.
Pennington had 636 points, good enough for 25th place. In five starts, Pennington has three top 10 finishes. Of course, two of those starts - but none of the top 10s - came at Southside.
Four-time winner Jeff Agnew is 50th at 540 points. He had three wins in three starts since the start of the Winston Racing Series season April17. He was tied with four other drivers for the top spot in victories.
Other drivers from the track in the top 100 included Tim McGuire in 69th with 490 points; Ray Young in 78th with 476 points; and Kenny Prillaman in 93rd with 448 points.
BETTER LUCKY THAN SECOND: The caution flag that beat the checkered flag in the Limited Sportsman race turned a sure second-place finish into a victory for Christiansburg's Bo Howell.
When the race was restarted for a two-lap finish, Rock Harris led Howell and Charlie Miles. But turn 2 undid Harris each lap and each time it cost him one position.
"Rock got a little loose and went up high and I was just able to get underneath him," said Howell, who turned the miscue into his third win of the season.
Meanwhile, Harris was so upset at the outcome - a certain win becoming a third-place finish - that he did not bring his car to the front stretch for the customary interviews with the top three finishers.
CATCHING THEM EARLY: The track inspectors decided to check the Late Model Stock Cars before qualifying last week instead of just looking at the top cars afterward.
"We think some of them have been fooling us," said Lynn Carroll, the track's chief steward.
However, the inspectors weren't fooling around. And three drivers, Dicky Wilson, Wes Adair and Jerry Godbey, received only one qualifying lap instead of the usual two because they twice came through the inspection with something amiss with their automobiles.
THIS WEEK AT NRVS: There will be racing under the sun on Sunday at New River Valley Speedway.
The entire show shifts a day so as not to conflict with The Winston Select all-star races at Charlotte on Saturday.
Also, there will be two chances for Late Model drivers as they are running twin 75-lappers. Both count for track points although only the first race carries Mid-Atlantic points with it.
Other races in the Cook's Clean Centers/Agee's Auto Parts 250 are a 35-lap Limited Sportsman race and 25-lappers for the Mini Stocks and the Pure Stocks.
The cost is $10 for adults and $1 for children 12 and under.
Gates open at 10 a.m. Practice starts at noon. Racing gets under way at 3 p.m.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB