ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, April 15, 1996 TAG: 9604150131
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CHAD WILLIS STAFF WRITER RADFORD
THE DEFENDING TRACK champion wins the first race of the season at New River Valley Speedway.
Floyd's Jeff Agnew began the 1996 season Saturday at New River Valley Speedway in a familiar place - at the head of the Late Model Stock field.
Agnew, the defending track champion, outdueled Tim McGuire (Roanoke) to take the checkered flag in the season-opening FM 94/Ginger's Jewelry 100.
``That's the best way to do it when you're defending a title,'' Agnew said. ``Winning the first race is great for our team. It took a while for the car to find a groove, but I was finally able to get up front and pressure Tim.''
Agnew overtook McGuire on lap 90 coming out of turn three. The two bumped briefly entering the turn, giving Agnew enough space to squeeze by on the inside.
``We came together for a second in the turn, but it was just good racing,'' McGuire said. ``If I were in [Agnew's] position, I would have done the same thing.''
McGuire dominated the race's early stages, leading 87 of the first 89 laps, before Agnew's move. McGuire took the lead on lap 3, passing brother and pole-sitter Tony McGuire.
``I'm pleased with my performance tonight,'' Tim McGuire said. ``I got to run with my brother for a while. It's a good thing I got by him early or I would have had to watch a long line of cars go by me.''
Rodney Cundiff (Boones Mill) finished third, moving up four spots from his qualifying position. Tony McGuire finished fourth and Clay Highberger (Salem), racing for the first time in two years, was fifth.
Agnew wasn't the only defending champion to reach victory lane Saturday as Hank Turman (Indian Valley) won the 35-lap Limited Sportsman race.
The 1995 Limited Sportsman champion passed Tam Topham (Wytheville) in turn two of lap 33. Turman fought off a last-ditch effort by Topham in the race's final turn to take his first win of the year.
Aaron Deplazes of Newport made the division's biggest run, improving six spots from his ninth-place qualifying effort to finish third.
In the 25-lap Mini Stock affair, Floyd's Ray Sowers passed Kevin Kenley (Radford) for the lead on lap 21 and held on for the victory.
Kenley led the first 20 laps before giving way to Sowers, the '95 Mini Stock runner-up. Christiansburg's Kevin Snyder finished second and Kenley was third.
The evening's closest finish came in the 25-lap Pure Stock race. Christiansburg's Tommy Allie led only one lap, but it came when it counted most.
Allie passed defending champion Randy Taylor (Madison) coming out of turn two on lap 25 and edged Taylor for the victory. Tony Rogers finished third.
The night's final race was the 100-lap Enduro race. Frank Kelly led 41 laps, including the final 28, en route to the victory. Kelly finished as the only driver on the lead lap.
Chris Cromer placed second and Mark Harris rounded out the top three.
LENGTH: Medium: 59 linesby CNB