Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, October 12, 1995 TAG: 9510120051
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BRUCE STANTON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Please forgive Ronnie Thomas if he winces a bit when he hears the words ``Martinsville Speedway.''
It's not that the Christiansburg resident doesn't know how to drive the famous half-mile track. He holds the Late Model Stock qualifying record (89.876 mph in 1989), has won three poles and has a first-place and a second-place finish in Late Model events there.
But in every other Late Model race at Martinsville besides those two (10 of 12), the former Winston Cup regular has turned in the dreaded DNF - did not finish.
On Sunday, Thomas gets another chance to cross the finish line with his car in one piece as Martinsville hosts the Taco Bell 300. He'll have plenty of competition along the way; more than 150 drivers have entered the race, which pays $25,000 to the winner and has a purse of more than $90,000.
Qualifying gets under way at 3 p.m. Saturday. Sunday's racing action begins at 12:30 p.m. with four 25-lap qualifying races followed by the 200-lap feature.
``The problem I have is getting into accidents,'' said Thomas, the 1978 Winston Cup rookie of the year. ``I run into accidents. If I miss an accident in front of me, I'll run into the curb or someone gets into me from behind. I just need to get through without getting into a wreck.
``If I stay out of problems, I feel very good about my chances of winning at Martinsville.''
Like most of the weekend drivers who will be competing in the event, Thomas is caught up in the mystique of racing at Martinsville. He said this Late Model race is very different from the ones held every weekend at local tracks.
``I don't think it's the $25,000 as much as it is the lure and prestige of being in the so-called presence of Martinsville Speedway,'' he said. ``Maybe that's a spooky term, but it's one of the few Winston Cup tracks the Late Models compete at. And when you get 30,000 to 35,000 fans in to see a race, and these guys are in the presence of Martinsville Speedway with that many fans and cars and everything, it just naturally gets everybody pumped up.''
But getting too pumped up can cause accidents, Thomas said.
``If you crash early in the race, look at all you stand to lose,'' he said. ``You're not talking about $1,000 or $2,000. You're talking about tens of thousands of dollars. Everybody needs to be a little more patient there. ...
``You give a guy room when you go into the corner because you know it's a long race, but the guy behind you spins you out. I don't know what some of these guys are thinking about. You've got some intelligent drivers in the field, and you've got some real knuckleheads. Sunday, I might become one of them, but I usually try to keep a level head.''
As for Thomas' preparations for the Taco Bell 300, he said it is just like his approach would be for a Winston Cup race.
``This deal is the one time when we run a Late Model race where we're on the same level as the Winston Cup guys,'' he said. ``When they get to the race, it doesn't matter if it's Dale Earnhardt, Mark Martin or Darrell Waltrip, they'll tell you the first thing on their mind is qualifying for the race and then worrying about racing. On Friday nights, we usually go to the race and the main thing we're concerned about is getting our car set up to race good.
``At Martinsville on Saturday, you've got to have that car set up so you can run two good laps. The way I look at it, I don't feel I'll have any problems. ... When I go to Martinsville, I set my sights real high.''
Thomas also has his sights set high for the 1996 racing season. A regular at New River Valley Speedway since 1988, Thomas said he is ready for a new challenge. He won the NRVS track title in 1990 and is closing in on 100 Late Model victories overall.
Now, the 40-year-old is hoping for a shot in one of NASCAR's big three divisions - SuperTrucks, Busch Grand National or Winston Cup. But this time around, Thomas said he must have the financial backing he didn't have during his Winston Cup days.
``The thing I've done is I've gotten into something I can be a winner in,'' he said of the Late Model division. ``But I feel like it's time for me to move on. I want to do something different. But it takes money. It doesn't cost much money to go out here to a local golf course and play golf, but it takes a lot of money if you want to go pro.
``It's the same way in racing. The only way I can move up is to get some financial assistance. I think I've proved my abilities. I've finally established a good resume.''
Thomas said that while he has won only one track title at New River, his focus has been winning races - not championships. He also said his relationship with the fans there shows he has done what he set out to do - be the best.
``I proved my point in Late Model Stock racing,'' said Thomas, who was forced to reduce the size of the carburetor in his Dodge this season by NRVS officials. ``I can win poles, I can win races, I can win championships. I can do all of that. Everyone will tell you I'm either the most-liked or most-hated guy [at NRVS], because we're so dominant. ... But that tells me I'm doing my job.''
Thomas said he's working on a deal to get a SuperTruck ride for next season. If that doesn't pan out, he said he plans on getting reacquainted with the NASCAR scene, track by track.
``I went to North Wilkesboro a couple of weeks ago, and some of the Winston Cup officials got me credentials,'' he said. ``I saw people I hadn't seen in years. They told me I need to start hanging around, so I need to start letting them see my face and show them I'm interested. I'm ready to cover some new ground, because I've torn the [expletive] out of this one [Late Model Stock].
``We sowed a lot of corn, and we reaped a good harvest over the last few years in the sense of racing. I've accomplished what I wanted to accomplish in it. If [another opportunity] comes, it comes, and if it doesn't, I'll buy a grandstand ticket like everyone else. I guess I'd be a good armchair quarterback.''
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB