Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 20, 1995 TAG: 9504200104
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-6 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: M.J. DOUGHERTY
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Long
The Legends cars are durable. A multicar accident on the front stretch as the cars came around to complete the first lap left the coupe driven by James Runyons upside down. But he wasn't down-and-out. After being towed to the pits, Runyons made some repairs to his car and got it back on the track. He finished 28th in the 32-car field.
The Legends cars are light. Gary Rager spun on the front stretch in the early race melee. He was done for the night. While the track's two tow trucks were busy trying to unpile the cars around Runyons at the start-finish line, one of Rager's crew members found a way to get his car back to the pits. The crew member came out with a specially designed two-wheel hand dolly, placed it under the front of the car and pulled it away.
The Legends cars have a sound all their own. The sound coming from larger race cars has been compared to jet planes. The sound from smaller, four-cylinder racers has been likened to lawn mowers. But the sound from the Legends cars was reminiscent of bees. And on restarts, as three and sometimes four cars raced side-by-side, they sounded - and looked - like a swarm of killer bees.
The Legends cars may be small, but the travel is big for the drivers. Not one of the top five finishers was from Virginia. And some of the motor homes parked in the infield belonging to the Legends teams were as large as the units that serve Winston Cup drivers.
The Legends cars are hard to tell apart, even with a program. The field of 32 cars featured only 23 different numbers. Six numbers were shared by at least two cars, although some of the cars had letters after their numbers to help identify them. For example, there were four No. 7s, two No. 71s and a No. 77. Of course, the No. 77 was easy to spot. It was the Chevy Flatback of 14-year-old Timothy Peters, the race winner.
IF YOU LIVE BY THE SWORD: Limited driver Hank Turman of Indian Valley was the first driver to win a race on a disqualification at New River this season in the season-opener. Last weekend, Turman was among the first drivers who had their qualifying runs scratched for being too low or too light.
Rock Harris of Yadkinsville, N.C., and Kevin Light of Pilot turned in top 10 performances after having to start in the back. Harris worked his way up to finish eighth in the 23-car Late Model field. Light went from 19th on the grid to seventh at the finish line in just 25 laps in Mini Stock.
Other drivers weren't so fortunate. Harvey Harrison of Renick and Jon Tolley of Radford were 20th and 21st, respectively, in Late Model. And Turman bowed out with problems and ended up 17th (and last) in Limited.
MY KINGDOM FOR AN ENGINE: Blown engines are becoming contagious for Late Model drivers.
Roanoke's Tink Reedy hasn't started a race at NRVS yet. The engine seized up on his Chrysler at the Lowes 150 at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway the afternoon of the New River season-opener. This continued the bad luck for the Chubby Arrington team, which went through about half a dozen engines last season. Reedy is expected back this week.
Last weekend, Salem's Kenny Prillaman fell victim to the blown engine bugaboo. Prillaman had his engine die in the first practice session Saturday, reducing his team to spectators after they prepped his Chevy Lumina for this week's engine work.
Meanwhile, Prillaman led every lap he drove. He pinch hit as the pace car driver.
Limited driver Wilton Cromer of Christiansburg was out before racing began last week. The eight-cylinder engine in his Pontiac was felled by overheating problems. Cromer plans on putting his old six-cylinder engine back in the car.
Mike "Monk" Marion of Fairlawn made his first appearance in Pure Stock with another classic Chevy Monte Carlo. But the car was not cooperative and would not stay fired. In the race, it ran for about three laps before a flame was visible underneath and the car virtually stopped.
OLD HABITS DIE HARD: Operating every week may not be as easy for South Boston Speedway. The "New" Orange County (N.C.) Speedway opened last weekend and apparently enticed most of that area's top drivers to the Rougemont facility, even though Orange County does not have a NASCAR sanction this year and the Winston Racing Series season started last weekend.
About the only ``name'' drivers at South Boston last Saturday were Elliott Sadler of Emporia, the runner-up in the 1994 Southwest Chevy Dealer Shootout at NRVS; Stacy Compton of Hurt, the defending South Boston champ; and Bubba Urban Jr. of Glen Allen, the 1994 Rookie of the Year at Southside Speedway in Richmond.
Not surprisingly, that trio went 1-2-3. But only 12 cars made the show as Orange County reportedly had a high purse and free tires for drivers willing to make the less than 40-mile trek southward on U.S. 501 to Rougemont.
ELK CREEK REPORT: Charlie Linkous of Radford and Tony Minnick of Parrott both placed last weekend at Elk Creek Dragway.
Linkous, driving a big block 1987 Buick Somerset, made it to the semifinal round in the Pro Class. Tommy Plott of Old Town, N.C., won the division.
Minnick was the runner-up to Robbie Copenhaver of Wytheville in the Sportsman class. Minnick drove a 1974 big block Chevy Nova.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB