ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, May 4, 1996 TAG: 9605060024
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
COLUMN: Racing
DATELINE: RADFORD
SOURCE: CHAD WILLIS
Webster's defines dominant as "exercising the most control or influence" or being the "most prominent in position or prevalence."
For more information, readers also may refer to words such as "ascendent" and "Jeff Agnew."
Agnew extended his mastery in the New River Valley Speedway's Late Model Stock division with his third victory of the season last week. Agnew also captured the pole, his first of 1996, turning in a time of 16.42 seconds (91.21 mph) - the division's fastest qualifying lap of the season.
"Jeff has gotten off to a really good start this year," track owner Ronnie Snoddy said. "The races have all been really competitive but he keeps winning. Last week he even admitted that Phillip [Morris] had the better car, but he still won."
Agnew's torrid start has put him in firm control of the division's points race, leading second-place driver Tony McGuire by 28 points, and third-place Rodney Cundiff by 44.
The long haul: Today's Wilco 300 race lineup features 25-lap Mini and Pure Stock races, a 35-lap Limited Sportsman affair and the first of three scheduled 200-lap LMS races on the '96 NRV Speedway calendar.
Unlike the July 27 WDBJ-7 250, where cars will be allowed to stop at the race's halfway point for tires and fuel, cars in today's race will run a continuous 200 circuits.
"We allow the drivers to make changes and get gas on the 250-lapper because it's a televised race and some drivers complain they can't go that long on one tank," Snoddy said. "But with a 200-lap race, all the cars can make it. We don't want to have any problems with safety, so the cars won't be able to get gas or change tires."
Snoddy added that the race length should give LMS drivers their best chance at knocking off the unbeaten Agnew.
"It's going to tell the tale of how the rest of the season will go," Snoddy said. "A lot more goes into winning a race like this. He has said in past weeks that other cars have been as strong as his; he has just caught some breaks with caution flags. The length of this race will be a factor."
As is normally the case with NRV Speedway's longer races, drivers from distant areas will attempt to make the field. Snoddy said one such driver will be J.D. Gibbs, the son of NASCAR car-owner and former Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs.
Truckin': Snoddy said the new Truck division still is looking for more competitors in hopes the classification will soon begin racing. Already Tim Arrington, Daryl Cash and Tony Rogers have announced plans to drive in the division, and Snoddy said Limited Sportsman driver Ronnie Byrd is putting the finishing touches on a truck chassis.
"I hope to have a few more entries soon so we can begin running some exhibition races," Snoddy said. "Hopefully by July we'll be into real racing. Once people see the trucks actually racing, I think interest will begin to pick up. I think it's going to turn out to be a really good class."
Keeping it clean: In response to a recent rash of temper flare-ups among drivers, most notably incidents involving Pure Stock drivers Tommy Allie and Randy Taylor and LMS competitors Morris and Johnny Rumley, track officials have sought to clean up the racing.
Two weeks ago Allie and Taylor were sent to the infield after a wreck in turn one took both out of contention late in the race. It was a culmination of two weeks of bumping between the two in later laps of races. Morris and Rumley's night ended in much the same fashion, with a spin in turn three.
"We tell the drivers in the meetings that it's OK if they get inside and root the other driver out of a spot, but we're not going to tolerate spinning someone out," Snoddy said. "We've told them we're going to send them to the rear of the field, then when the race is over, we're going to have a talk. We don't want innocent cars getting busted up in the process."
LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: GENE DALTON/Staff. Jeff Agnew extended his mastery inby CNBthe New River Valley Speedway's Late Model Stock division with his
third victory of the season last week. color. KEYWORDS: AUTO RACING