Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, July 9, 1995 TAG: 9507100102
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: E11 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: M.J. DOUGHERTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
The Christiansburg driver started from the pole and led every lap of the first 50-lap Late Model Stock Car race in the Dooley Printing/Skoal Racing 200.
The second half of the Late Model doubleheader was not completed by press time.
It appeared the race would be a duel between the Dodge of Thomas and the Chevrolet Camaro of Michael Ritch of High Point, N.C. Both qualified with the idenitical time of 16.60 seconds (90.2 mph). Thomas started on the pole only because he qualified first.
The battle was there in the first lap as Ritch briefly pulled in front. But by the time they crossed the start-finish line, Thomas was back in front to stay.
Meanwhile, after about 15 laps, Ritch was moving the other way. He fell to third on lap 19, fourth on lap 20 and fifth on lap 22. Eventually, Ritch finished outside the top 10.
``I don't know what happened to Ritch,'' Thomas said. ``It looked like the same thing that happened to us three weeks ago when we fell back.'' That was a problem with the car's set up.
Instead, the race turned into a duel between Thomas and the guy who passed Ritch, Philip Morris of Ruckersville.
With 15 laps to go, Morris began to make his move. His Camaro handled better in the turns than Thomas' car and he was able to pull to the inside heading into the straightaways.
But all that changed when Scott Millington and Scott Hill tangled in turn 4. Millington spun, bringing out out the only caution of the race.
``We didn't need that caution to come out when it did,'' Morris said.
In the 10-lap sprint that ensued after the caution, Thomas had no problem holding on for the win.
``The 81 [Morris] was running real good; he raced us clean,'' said Thomas. ``When two cars are as quick as one another, you have to run your line, let him run his line and see what happens.''
Thomas' win was his sixth of the year and 54th of his career. Morris' finish was his best of the year.
Tim McGuire of Roanoke was third in a Camaro, Jeff Agnew of Floyd fourth in a Chevy Monte Carlo and Rodney Cundiff of Boones Mill fifth in a Ford.
Randy Taylor of Madison took the lead on the first lap and stayed there the rest of the way to win the caution-free 25-lap Pure Stock race. It was Taylor's third win of the season. Christiansburg's Tommy Allie finished second while points leader Tony Rogers of Cloverdale was third.
The 25-lap Legends race, the 35-lap Limited Sportsman race and the 25-lap Mini Stock race were not completed until after press time.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB