ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, June 29, 1996 TAG: 9607010034
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
COLUMN: Racing
DATELINE: RADFORD
SOURCE: CHAD WILLIS STAFF WRITER
The much-anticipated return of the New River Valley Speedway's all-time most winning Late Model driver could come as early as today's Commonwealth Concrete 100.
Christiansburg's Ronnie Thomas, winner of 58 races at the Radford speedway and 1978 Winston Cup Rookie of the Year, has hooked up with car owners Eddie Kimbleton and Larry Bratton and will pilot the car previously driven by Kenny Prillaman.
Thomas conducted his first practice runs of the season Tuesday, Kimbleton said. Running on old tires, Thomas recorded speeds in the low-to-middle 80 mph range.
"The car ran really good but it was the first time I've been on the track this year, so the times were a little slow," Thomas said. "Probably a lot of that has to do with the driver, not the car. But we'll be ready when we get out there ... those guys are paying me to drive the car and win races and that's what I'm going to try to do."
Thomas said one of the reasons for the partnership with Kimbleton and Bratton is his desire to drive in either the All-Pro or Hooter's Cup circuits, a goal shared by the co-owners.
"I don't want to talk a lot about what I want to do because I've had some deals fall through on me and then people think you're full of baloney when you mention a new one," Thomas said. "For now, I'd like to get back into running some Late Model and then just see where it goes from there."
Televised race: The NRV Speedway received word Thursday that the July 27 WDBJ-7 250 would be taking on an additional sponsor. Margie Burgess, promotional manager for WDBJ, said the Kroger Co. would be coming on board as a co-sponsor and the race will be renamed the Kroger/WDBJ-7 250.
The addition of Kroger to the sponsor lineup means that this year's televised race will feature the largest winner's purse in the four-year history of the race. Late Model Stock drivers will be competing for a total purse of $28,000, with $15,000 going to the winner.
"That's a pretty hefty chunk of cash," Late Model driver Rodney "Six Pack" Cundiff said. "That kind of payday could make a racer's season."
In addition, $1,000 will be paid to the leader at the halfway point and $500 will go to the pole sitter. The two sponsors will also pay $50 to each pole sitter in the other race divisions.
"This is our first venture into a motorsports event," Archie Fralin of Kroger said in a prepared release. "We realize that it is one of the most popular sporting events in this area."
Burgess added that Kroger's involvement and the possibility of a $16,500 payday should help attract more of the area's top Late Model drivers to the July 27 event.
This will be the sixth race televised from the NRV Speedway by WDBJ. The live telecast will begin at 9 p.m. with Mike Stevens handling the play-by-play. The station is currently undergoing tests with an onboard camera that will provide live action shots from within Tony McGuire's vehicle.
Close call: Cundiff's disqualification in last week's Dick Price/ Skyline Ford 100 double-points race may have angered Cundiff's legions of fans, some of whom have said they will boycott today's race, but the Boones Mill driver maintains it was just an unfortunate incident.
"The officials showed me the gauge and the rear camber read three-quarters of a degree and the rules allow for one-half degree camber," Cundiff said. "We've been checked three times earlier this season and passed every time. I just can't figure out why we didn't pass the fourth time when we haven't done anything to the rear of the car since the third time we were checked ... but rules are rules and they were right in what they did."
The disqualification nullified Cundiff's third-place finish and more importantly dropped him from second to fourth in the season points race, 132 points behind leader Jeff Agnew.
"Yeah, it really hurts us that this happened in a double-points race because now we have really no chance to win the championship," Cundiff said. "Now were just trying too see how many races we can win. We'll even consider running some other places on Saturday if there's a bigger race somewhere."
Proud papa: The McGuire racing family recently welcomed a new addition as Late Model driver Tim McGuire and his wife, Rhonda, celebrated the birth of their first child, Michael Allen, June 15. Tim said Michael weighed in at a healthy 7 pounds, 0.8 ounces - arriving the day before Father's Day.
"Everything with the child is just great," Tim said. "We're not getting as much sleep lately, but besides that, not a lot has changed around the house."
McGuire has experienced a few changes with his racing team in the last month, moves he called "a little reorganization."
"We made some moves with people and with the car, but nothing major," McGuire said. "We started the season off really well and then we went into a bad slide. I felt we had to put the brakes on the skid before it got too bad. But things are all right and I'm back to finish the year out."
Numbers game: Only three Late Model drivers have driven their way to victory lane in 1996, Agnew (six victories), Cundiff (two) and Tony McGuire (two). Cundiff noted that a common thread exists between the drivers - each is driving a car with a zero for the first number. Only Jerry Godbey, No. 00, and Steve Lynch, No. 08, are bucking the trend.
"You've got Jeff with oh-five, I drive oh-nine and Tony drives the oh-seven car," Cundiff said. "Maybe everyone should switch to an oh-something."
Cundiff also said to watch out for Clay Highberger and Chad Harris as the next drivers to break into victory lane. Harris has run at the front of the Late Model field all season long, recording eight Top-10 finishes. Highberger has come on strong as of late, finishing fifth and third the last two weeks.
Monster mash: The NRV Speedway will host a monster truck competition July 4 featuring the Carolina Crusher, Virginia Giant, West Virginia Mountaineer, Executioner, Devil's Dodge and Thunderdog.
"There will be no comparison between the show you will see here and the shows at the Roanoke Civic Center," NRV Speedway co-owner and promoter Ronnie Snoddy said. "The jumps are higher, the track is longer and it will be much faster. The trucks have the whole length of pit road, which is twice the length of the Roanoke Civic Center."
Also on the Independence Day card is a 100-lap Enduro race, a 25-lap Mini Cup event, fireworks and motorcycle daredevil Robbie Dawson will attempt to jump five monster trucks without the aid of a landing ramp.
Gates open at 3 p.m., with the first round of the monster truck competition beginning at 6:30 p.m.
LENGTH: Long : 119 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: Gene Dalton. Ronnie Thomas, winner of 58 races at theby CNBRadford speedway and 1978 Winston Cup Rookie of the Year, will race
a car owned by Eddie Kimbleton and
Larry Bratton. color. KEYWORDS: AUTO RACING