ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, September 7, 1996 TAG: 9609090013
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
COLUMN: racing
DATELINE: RADFORD
SOURCE: CHAD WILLIS STAFF WRITER|
It's relatively easy for New River Valley Speedway fans to watch the work of drivers and pit crews as they hurriedly prepare their brilliantly painted cars to do battle on the .416-mile Radford oval.
Not so readily apparent is the sacrifice and loving understanding of a group of people who are as important as any pit crew - the wives of those who race or work at the track.
Most sit in the stands on weekends for the races and home alone during the week as their husbands tinker away in the garage. Some take a more active interest by working beside their spouses in the pits.
Donna Akers is one of a handful of wives who prefer to work in the daily racing operation. Donna Akers has been such an important part of her husband Mark's success that former track public relations director Morris Stephenson tagged her several years ago with the nickname of ``crew chief.''
"It's been kind of like a running joke around here," Donna said. "It's pretty much just been the two of us working on the car, so Morris listed Mark as the driver and me as the crew chief. I've never claimed to know nearly enough about the car to be a crew chief."
It would be hard to tell by watching Donna in the pits.
Push the car to the scales? Done that. Set up the stagger on Mark's Limited Sportsman race car? Child's play. Carry 10-gallon gas cans? Please. She's even got to hoist two winner's trophies in 1996.
"I've just tried to help Mark out as much as I can," Donna said. "Before a race he's got so many other things to think about. ... I just try to take some of the strain off him. You look at a lot of the other crews and they have an engine person, and someone who does tires and someone who takes temperatures. It's harder for us because it's just Mark and I."
Because the odds are stacked against the Akers team, Donna said the excitement of a victory or a good finish is like "a natural fix."
"We're both very competitive people," Donna said. "He's a driver and I run in road races. We both have a desire to win and when we get out there on Saturdays, it comes through. If we finish out of the top five, we consider that a bad day."
Fortunately for the Akerses, who have been married for 23 years, good days have outnumbered bad. Mark Akers captured the 1990 points title in the old Street Stock division, winning nine races and eight poles.
Another racing family that has enjoyed a good deal of success, particularly this season, is the Highbergers. Clay Highberger is enjoying a campaign that wife Connie called "his best to date," winning two races and three poles in the Late Model Stock division. He has been ranked among the Winston Racing Series' top 50 drivers most of the season.
Connie has been there as Clay performed a number of racing roles over the past two decades ranging from driver to crew chief .
"I don't get as nervous as I used to," Connie said. "Back when I used to score races for Clay, I was always kind of holding my breath. Now that I sit in the stands with the car owner's wife, I'm a little more relaxed because I can focus better on his car."
One scary night some six years ago, Connie had any wife's worst fear realized when she saw Clay wreck in a spectacular flipping crash that launched his race car sliding in a shower of sparks down the straightaway on its roof.
"I was in the tower scoring for him when it happened," Connie said. "Then I saw the sparks and it scared me to death. I know that the cars are built so that a driver can survive almost anything ... but you might not survive a fire."
Clay walked away from the incident, while Connie said she nearly passed out.
"If Clay would have walked away from racing and gave it up forever it would have been fine by me," Connie said. "But I know how much it means to him. As silly as it sounds, it's his way to relax. I understand that and I know the Lord is looking out for him."
Religion has been a constant in the Highbergers' 24-year relationship. Connie said every Sunday morning following a race, the Highbergers have attended Sunday school and worship service despite arriving home as late as 2 a.m. the night before.
"Church is a big part of Clay's life," Connie said. "We've been involved with the teen group at the church for the last 12 years. Every Sunday, a lot of people will ask how he did the night before. This year has been great because he can say with a lot of pride he's been winning races or poles or finishing in the top five."
Not all husband-wife teams at the speedway are found on pit row. Lynn and Stephanie Carroll represent another aspect of racing. Lynn Carroll is the track's chief steward and Stephanie is the speedway's office manager.
"It's pretty well known that racing is one of the toughest sports to be involved with and still be married," Stephanie said. "The time and the travel can be pretty tough."
That is unless you're employed by the same track. For the Carrolls, the chance to work together on weekends offers a chance to maintain a harmonious marriage.
"I was introduced to Lynn by Karen Sifford in 1993," Stephanie said. "I started working at the speedway in 1994 when Karen went to work at Martinsville [Speedway]. A year later, I got married to Lynn.
"It's a perfect situation for us because we both love racing and we like to be together. Working here has given us that chance. And [speedway owner] Ronnie [Snoddy] has been great to work for because he understands what it means to us."
As with any job, there are stresses. As chief steward, Lynn has the final say on race rules and regulations. The routine discharge of those duties may upset people who may later call Stephanie in the office.
"When we leave the track, we leave all the things that go on at work there," Stephanie said. "We don't really talk about the conflicts. When I took the job, I told Ronnie that I was just going to have to learn to accept that not everyone is going to like Lynn because of what he has to do. Lynn is kind of like a policeman - he's everybody's buddy until you get a ticket."
Interestingly enough, Stephanie said that she was one of those people before she got to know Lynn.
"Oh yeah, I used to sit in the stands and yell at him when he came down the steps after a race," Stephanie said. "I used to hate him because of some of his decisions. Now I share a bed with him at night. Kind of funny how things change."
LENGTH: Long : 116 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: GENE DALTON/Staff. Donna Akers keeps records in the pitsby CNBamong a variety of other jobs. KEYWORDS: AUTO RACING