ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, July 6, 1996 TAG: 9607080023
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: RADFORD
SOURCE: ANGIE WATTS STAFF WRITER
But what happens when the lights go down at the speedway and the drivers turn into regular people? If you ask the members of the New River Agency for Persons with Mental Retardation, that's when they become true heroes.
Late Model Stock Car drivers Jerry Godbey and Tim McGuire and Limited Sportsman driver Ronnie Byrd took time to share a bit of their lives with about 35 children from the agency June 26. It was a memorable day.
"I can't take the credit for this day," said Sheila Roope, the agency's executive director. "Someone who brought a group [to the speedway] last year from another camp told me about it and I called up and they said, 'Sure.' I never would have thought of it but it was a great idea. The kids were so excited ... a lot of them are racing fans."
The agency is a non-profit organization which receives most of its funding through the United Way. The group serves people ages 7-20 throughout Montgomery County and boasts a 20 percent increase in participation over the past year.
"We provide recreational, educational and social events to serve the valley," Roope said. "In addition to the annual day camp, we host other programs and activities to keep the kids busy throughout the year."
Speedway marketing director Eddie Clark and office manager Stephanie Carroll opened the day by introducing the drivers to the children. The rest of the agenda included a tour of the speedway tower, a closer examination of Godbey's No.00 Late Model car and Byrd's No.42 Limited car, and a trip around the track in the pace car.
At least that was supposed to be the agenda, but Godbey and Byrd had their own plan.
"They were riding the kids around in the pace car and me and Ronnie Byrd said why not ride these kids around in real race cars," Godbey said. "So we backed out the cars, loaded the kids up one at a time, and took them around.``
Even more than the trips around the track, it was the time the drivers spent talking with the children that was special.
"It was so amazing what kinds of questions these kids came up with," Godbey said. "They wanted to know how much the tires cost, how much the engines cost, what age you have to be to drive race cars, and if you'd ever wrecked, how hard is it to repair a car afterwards.
"So after answering all their questions we decided it was our turn, and we asked some of the kids who their favorite drivers are. Most of them said Rusty Wallace or Dale Earnhardt, but then one of the boys said, "the double zero"
McGuire was there not only as a driver but also a representative of his key sponsor, WSLS Channel 10. WDBJ Channel 7 was represented by sports reporter Steve Mason. The two reporters spent time talking to the children while handing out T-shirts, pictures of Tim and Tony McGuire's Late Model cars, pencils and buttons.
"I've always been involved with children, especially handicapped children, and I'd like to see more activities like that involving handicapped children and the community," Tim McGuire said. "Being with those kids was so special because they hug and kiss you and tell you they love you and it just makes you feel so special.
"And I have to give credit to the speedway for taking the time to do something like that. That they would take the time out to organize an afternoon like that is really something."
Carroll said track officials enjoyed the day as much as the children and look forward to setting up another activity with the agency. Before the end of the season, Carroll said, she hopes to bring the children in for some Saturday night racing action.
"To me, [having the children here] was probably the greatest thing I've done since I've been here," she said. "It's so rewarding to be able to have a facility and the opportunity to give something to the kids - to give a little back to the community."
LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: Members of the New River Agency for Persons with Mentalby CNBRetardation look over a race car at New River Valley Speedway.
color. KEYWORDS: AUTO RACING