Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, July 6, 1995 TAG: 9507060030
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: M.J. DOUGHERTY
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
The 45 minutes of rain, heavy at times, and wind, combined to wash all the rubber off the track. And because it took more than an hour to dry the speedway, each division got only one round of practice after the rains.
The result was a green track.
The pole speeds for the Late Models and Limiteds in the Commonwealth Concrete Products were the slowest of the season.
The format that was used to qualify the Late Models for the twins 50s accounted for part of their slowness. Though the cars ran their usual two laps, the time for the first lap set the field for the first race and the time for the second lap set the field for the second race. Usually, the fastest of the two laps sets the qualifying order - and that usually is the second lap.
The fastest time was posted by Jeff Agnew. His second lap was 16.65 seconds (89.95 mph). Roanoke's Tim McGuire won the pole for the first race with a lap of 16.81 seconds (89.09 mph).
The Limiteds had no excuse. For the first time this year and only the second time in the last two years, the pole-sitter did not break 17 seconds. Christiansburg's Terry Lawson did post a 17-flat (88.09 mph) to win his first pole of the year.
Also in qualifying laps, four Late Models and two Limiteds were disqualified. In Late Model, Tink Reedy, Rick Sigmon, Rodney Cundiff and Bob Komisarski were sent to the back because their front and rear tread width did not agree. In Limiteds, Davie Stephens and Melvin Smith were put to the back for being too low.
TRAFFIC REPORT: Race car drivers occasionally have accidents on the track. It is a part of racing. But the truck hauling Komisarski of Athens, W.Va., to the track last week was involved in a fender bending at the Draper exit of Interstate 81.
No one was injured but the accident did back up traffic on the highway.
Komisarski got to the track in time to qualify for the twin 50s - although he didn't get any chance to practice. Then he was plagued by an oil leak early in the first race but still posted a pair of 13th-place finishes.
YELLOW LIGHTS: Pure Stock driver Tony Giles of Pulaski has become the first driver to install a Race Safe Systems warning light, in his Pontiac LeMans.
"We've been involved in some accidents this year," said Giles. "If it saves a couple of tires and rims it will pay for itself."
Car owner Hansford Giles, his father, added: "Or if it saves a radiator, it will pay for itself. That is as long as no one hits us in the rear end because they didn't slow down."
The Giles also said the bonus pool for drivers using the system this year and the possibility of the system becoming mandatory in the next couple of years were factors in their decision.
Track promotor Ronnie Snoddy announced before the beginning of the season the top driver in each division with the little yellow light on his dashboard would get half the cost of the safety system back.
The track finished installing the safety system, which will allow cautions to be thrown from the tower as well as from the flag stand, last week. Unfortunately for Giles, he got to see how the system worked firsthand when he spun in the smoke and grease put down when by Sam Sayers blew his engine. Giles ended up eighth.
CURTIS TURNER UPDATE: Through the first two months of the racing season, only Rock Harris of Yadkinsville, N.C., has won the Curtis Turner Memorial Award twice.
Harris earned the Late Model's hard-charger award for improving by 13 positions on April 15 and by 11 spots on June 24.
The biggest position improvement of the season won Mike Porter the award on May 21. He made up 25 spots in the TV race that had a 34-car field. And Ronnie Thomas won on June 10 for the track's only late-race pass for the lead so far in 1995.
Other winners so far this season have included Cundiff (a seven-place improvement April 8); Frankie Pennington (a 15-place improvement April 22); Tony McGuire (his late-race challenge for the lead April 29); Ray Young (his late-race challenge for the lead May 6); and Reedy (a seven-place improvement June 17).
ALUMNI REPORT: Kevin Simmons of Narrows made the field and made it through the race of the Busch Grand National Sears Auto Center 250 on Sunday.
Simmons qualified 37th - the last car to make the field based on qualifying time. He finished 30th, 15 laps down.
THIS WEEK AT NRVS: Once again this week, it will be double-trouble for the Late Model Stock Cars.
The second set of the three twin 50s lappers to make up the Mid-Atlantic Regional points races lost to the rain will be Saturday in the Dooley Printing/Skoal Racing 200.
The Legends make their third appearance of the year at NRVS and 14-year-old Timothy Peters will try for his third NRVS win in the 25-lap race.
Also on the schedule are a 35-lap race for the Limited Sportsman and 25-lap races for Mini and Pure Stocks.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $1 for children 12-and-under.
Gates open at 1:30 p.m. Practice starts at 3:30. Qualifying starts at 6, and the green flag drops at 8.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB