ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, October 20, 1996 TAG: 9610220020
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-11 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: RADFORD
SOURCE: ANGIE WATTS STAFF WRITER
MEMO: ***CORRECTION***
Published correction ran on October 22, 1996.
The winner of Saturday's Legends race at New River Valley Speedway
was reported incorrectly in Sunday's Sports section. Clay Hair won the
race.
THE N.C. DRIVER bounces back from a disqualification at Martinsville to win the second-richest race of the year at the Radford track.
Jay Fogleman revved up the engine in his bright yellow car at New River Valley Speedway four times this season. His first two races proved to be mere warm-ups.
In his past two outings, Fogleman has won the two biggest purses the track had to offer in 1996. He took home the checkered flag and $10,000 in winnings Saturday from the PMI/Stop In/Winston 250 on an unseasonably cold and windy afternoon at the speedway. Fogleman also drove away victorious from the WDBJ-7 250 on July 27, earning a $15,000 check.
Fogleman was the apparent winner of the Taco Bell 300 on Oct.13 at Martinsville before being disqualified for illegal angle-milled cylinder heads. That first-place finish would have been worth $25,000, with an additional $5,000 for leading at the halfway mark.
``We've had a great run this year and the majority of that has come at the Virginia tracks,'' the Durham, N.C., driver said after the Martinsville race.
Fogleman had more than just a great run Saturday, he also had great luck. Running seventh at the halfway point, the top eight drivers drew for second-half starting positions. Fogleman drew first.
``I certainly came off well in the drawing,'' he said. ``But really, my car has run awfully well here lately. I'm just glad the bad deal that happened in Martinsville is over. I told the guys, `Let's put that behind us and go win some money,' And it looks like we got some.''
Fogleman led the first five laps coming out of the break before being passed by Floyd's Jeff Agnew coming out of turn 2 on lap 131. Agnew, who initially qualified eighth, climbed his way into second in the first half of the race and drew the same position at the halfway mark. His lead was solid for the next 60 laps, but then Fogleman began to close the gap.
Working down low in the turns, almost to the point of running in the grass, Fogleman edged closer and closer to the lead. He pulled even with Agnew as they crossed the start-finish line on lap 201. He took the inside line - and the lead - in turn 2.
``My car was just tight and I could make it turn better down low,'' Fogleman said. ``I found that during the TV race [July 27] and knew it would help tonight, too.''
Fogleman held the lead for the remaining 48 laps, crossing the line nearly two seconds ahead of Agnew and the rest of the field at the finish.
``It's simple: We just weren't hooked up right there at the end,'' said Agnew, a four-time track champion at NRVS. ``We were running better in the first half than we were in the second. I just wish we could have had a little better showing. We really had high hopes for tonight.''
Bassett's Ray Young ran solidly throughout the race, holding off a hard-charging David Blankenship for third place. It was Young's seventh trip to the speedway this year and his sixth top-five finish. Dexter Canipe of Claremont, N.C., completed the top five.
``I tell you what; I've got a hell of a crew,'' said Young, a two-time track champion and previous rookie of the year at NRVS. ``They worked their butts off to get the car back together after Martinsville.
``This place up here is home to me,'' Young said. ``I always run good here.''
Another North Carolinian, David Hyder, came away with $1,500 for winning the pole and leading the race to the halfway point. Hyder drew seventh coming out of the break and had climbed back into the fourth spot before dropping out on lap 187 with engine trouble.
In a special 30-lap running of the Legends division, Wytheville's Myron Irvin took the ride to Victory Lane. Irvin was followed by Greg Scholz and Hollis Tabor.
Dean Young (Radford) led from start to finish in the 25-lap showing of the Truck division. Tim Arrington and Tony Rogers finished second and third, respectively.
LENGTH: Medium: 81 lines KEYWORDS: AUTO RACINGby CNB