ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, March 31, 1996 TAG: 9604020008
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BRUCE STANTON STAFF WRITER
There are speedway promoters. And then there's Whitey Taylor.
Under the category of ``What Will He Think of Next?'' Taylor will turn Franklin County Speedway into something resembling a three-ring circus this season. From weekly motorcycle high jumps to ``rasslin' matches'' to costume bears and cartoon characters walking through the stands, Taylor said he's promoting a family atmosphere at the Callaway track.
Oh, and there will be plenty of racing - 29 dates, including four nights featuring the Southern Modifieds Auto Racing Teams (SMART). The season opens April 6 and runs through Oct. 12. All race cards in April will begin at 6 p.m., and all others will begin at 7 p.m.
``It's going to be entertainment city here this year,'' said Taylor, who is beginning his 19th season as FCS' owner. ``A race is only a small fraction of what's going on. Our main thing this year is we want to get more family-friendly.''
While there will be plenty of things to see in the infield and stands, there will be plenty of things to watch on the track, too.
In the Late Model Stock division, Taylor will pay $200 to the last-place car in every race, which has nearly doubled the number of entries since last year, when the typical payoff for last place was $50. The Late Models had been averaging 12 to 14 cars per race, but this year Taylor expects 20 to 22 every race night. The winners of Late Model races will receive $1,200 for 100-lap events and $2,000 for the 150-lap races.
In another change, the top six qualifiers will be inverted at the start of each race, making it tougher for the driver on the pole to run away from the field.
``They'll have to pass at least five people,'' Taylor said of drivers who win the pole position. ``If they start heads-up, sometimes they don't have to pass no one.''
Bobby Radford of Ferrum, last year's track champion, will be seeking his third Late Model title at FCS. This time, he's going after it in a Chevrolet after winning last year's crown in a Dodge and the 1994 championship in a Ford.
Pursuing Radford will be several drivers, including former track champ Dudley Lawhorn of Rustburg; Kelly Kingery of Roanoke, who is moving up from the Pure Stocks; Steve Lynch of Rocky Mount; and Chris Hatchett of Snow Creek, who is moving up from the Truck division.
Among the new faces competing in the Late Model division are Dickie Wilson and Gary Richards of Salem and Randy Kingery of Roanoke.
``This division is definitely going to be more competitive than it was last year,'' Taylor said. ``We're taking a bit off the top of the purse and spreading it throughout the field, and we're picking up more cars. Not everyone can win, but they've got to feel like they're at least paying for a few tires.''
Franklin County Speedway also will hold weekly competition in the following divisions: Limited Sportsman (formerly the Street Stocks), Mini Stocks, Pure Stocks, Rookies and Any Cars.
As for the Southern Modifieds, Taylor picked up four dates for the traveling circuit after holding two races last year. SMART races will be run April 20, July 4, Sept. 21 and Oct. 12. Two of the races - the ones in April and September - are held on the same weekends as Martinsville Speedway's Winston Cup races, and Taylor is hoping that will boost attendance.
Jay Foley of Stuart finished in the top 10 in the SMART points standings last year, and Radford plans to compete in all four SMART races at FCS. Admission to the SMART races is $15. Admission to other racing nights is $7 for adults and $5 for students. Children 10 and younger are admitted free.
LENGTH: Medium: 69 lines KEYWORDS: AUTO RACINGby CNB