Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, September 11, 1995 TAG: 9509110140
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CHRIS KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
Nathan Buttke won the Late Model Stock Car portion of the Heritage Olds, Buick, Pontiac, GMC 200 and Jeff Agnew secured his fourth track championship Sunday afternoon.
In one of the most dramatic races of the year, Buttke, in only his second appearance at the speedway, slipped by Ronnie Thomas for second place and then Tony McGuire for the lead on lap 96. The Randleman, N.C., native then led the rest of the way to capture the race, which was extended to 106 laps because of a late caution.
Buttke started the race fifth and worked his way through the field, taking over third place on lap 61.
``It seemed like everybody was getting looser in the corners [as the race went on] and they were sliding,'' said Buttke, who has run 20 races on the Busch Grand National circuit. ``I just got better traction coming off the corners. I didn't know we could run that fast.''
McGuire, who led the race's first four laps, recaptured the lead from Thomas on lap 82 and led the field until Buttke passed him. After losing the lead, the Roanoke native concerned himself with holding onto second place.
``I would have liked to have caught the lead car but we got a little loose after the last caution,'' McGuire said. ``There was nothing I could do about it.''
Floyd's Agnew finished third to capture his second consecutive track championship and his fourth in five years.
For much of the race it appeared that Agnew was going to surrender ground to Ray Young in the chase for the track crown. But on lap 61, Young, who was running third, was black-flagged because his car was leaking fluids.
The time spent in the pits cost Young five laps and relegated the Bassett native to 21st place. The results allowed Agnew's lead to swell to an insurmountable 82 points with only one points race remaining.
``It's a shame that Ray got black-flagged but that's the way luck goes sometimes,'' Agnew said. ``It's nice for the guys [on the crew]. They worked really hard.''
Christiansburg's Thomas, who sat on the pole and led 57 laps, finished fifth.
Christiansburg's Tommy Allie took the lead on lap 17 and rolled to his seventh victory of the season in the 25-lap Pure Stock race.
Madison's Randy Taylor finished second, Pembroke's John McMahan was third and Tony Rogers was fourth.
Wayne Moore took his weekly visit to Victory Lane. The Radford resident took the lead on lap 3 and led the rest of the way to win the crash-filled 25-lap Mini Stock race.
Moore has now won the past 10 races he has entered and has 12 victories this season.
Floyd's Ray Sowers finished second and Jeff Manning of Christiansburg took third. Galax's Randy Bell finished fourth.
Narrows' Mark Akers sat on the pole and led every lap en route to winning the 35-lap Limited Sportsman race. The win was Akers' third of the year.
Wytheville's Tam Topham finished second. Aaron Deplazes, of Newport, nudged his way by Indian Valley's Hank Turman for third.
Tim Dohm held off Topham to win the 25-lap Legends Cars race.
Dohm overtook Topham on lap 24 and held on to win by a car-length. Royce Peters finished third.
Christiansburg's Jimmy Hinkley held off a charging K.J. Bishop to win the 25-lap Modified Mini Stock race. The win was Hinkley's second of the season.
Bishop, of Riner, finished second and Gene Duncan, of Radford, was awarded third place, after Salem's Tim Maiden was disqualified.
by CNB