ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, September 2, 1996 TAG: 9609040013
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-7 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: RADFORD
SOURCE: ANGIE WATTS STAFF WRITER
Crowd favorite Rodney Cundiff captured his first pole of the year at the New River Valley Speedway and turned it into victory. Cundiff led the last 70 laps of the Chevron/Eagle Petroleum/Turbo Food Marts 100-lap Late Model Stock race Saturday for his fourth win of the season.
"We worked real hard this week on getting the car right for qualifying," Cundiff said. "We felt if we had qualified better, we would have won last week, too."
With the adjustments, Cundiff turned his qualifying lap in 16.49 seconds, but said he felt the effects during the race.
"We were tight all race, especially at the beginning," Cundiff said. "If it had been a 200-lap race I think we would have been all right, but with only 100 laps we were lucky to hold on. But we'll take it hey, this is what racing is all about."
Challenging Cundiff were Chad Harris and Philip Morris. Harris led laps 4-29 before being overtaken by Cundiff in turn 3 of lap 30. He stayed close to Cundiff until lap 78, when Cundiff pulled away, leaving Harris to focus his attention on a hard-charging Morris.
Morris pulled even with Harris on lap 82 and took second place two laps later on the back straightaway. Last week's winner, Johnny Rumley, and Roanoke's Tony McGuire rounded out the top five.
With just two races remaining - one at 4p.m. today and the other Sept.9 - Harris' third-place finish pulls him within 16 points of leader Jeff Agnew for the track championship. Agnew has 928 points heading into today's race, Harris has 912 and McGuire is in third with 900.
In the 35-lap Limited Sportsman event it was Morris who took the checkered flag in his first race in the division this year. Morris said he ran in Limited to try out a new car, one that will be converted for Late Model competition as early as today. Morris said he will not decide until after warmups which car to run in today's race. Points leader Tam Topham took second and Hank Turman was third.
Christiansburg's Tommy Allie bounced back from last week's seventh-place finish in the 25-lap Pure Stock race and returned to familiar territory - the winner's circle. Allie had captured 14 straight races before Randy Taylor won on Aug.25. Radford's Dean Young finished second and John McMahon was third.
Unofficially it was Marty Moore who won in the 25-lap Mini Stock division, with Robert Cox and Kevin Snyder taking second and third, respectively. The results will not be official until after today's race because the cars were held over for inspection by track officials.
In the final Enduro race of the year it was Calvin Harmon who was first to cross the line, with Mark Harris second.
LENGTH: Medium: 56 lines KEYWORDS: AUTO RACINGby CNB