ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times

DATE: Sunday, March 9, 1997                  TAG: 9703110042
SECTION: SPORTS                   PAGE: C-7  EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: CHAD WILLIS THE ROANOKE TIMES


MARTINSVILLE RACE HAS DAYTONA FEEL LATE MODEL STOCK FIELD LOADED WITH BIG WHEELS

The Miller 300 features the top guns of the NASCAR Winston Racing Series.

The entry list for the Miller 300 shows why the spring Late Model Stock race at Martinsville Speedway has become known as the Daytona 500 of the NASCAR Winston Racing Series.

Eight Martinsville winners with 11 Late Model victories at the historic track between them, 10 track champions and names such as Earnhardt (Dale Jr.), Gibbs (J.D.), as well as defending Miller 300 champion Donnie Apple, illustrate the strength of the field assembled for the March 16 event.

``Making the field is tough, and running up front is even more competitive,'' said Clay Campbell, Martinsville Speedway's president. ``We want to reward teams for running up front, because charging to the front is what makes racing exciting.''

With a total purse of $90,000 and a potential $27,500 payday for the driver who can pull the Miller hat trick - winning the pole ($1,000), leading at the halfway point ($1,500) and winning the main event ($25,000) - the necessary elements are in place to give the Miller 300 that Daytona feel.

``This is the first race of the year, and if you can win it and win the big money, it's like you've already made your year,'' said Rodney Cundiff, a regular at New River Valley Speedway. ``But I'll tell you, it's a tough thing to do. It's almost as hard to make the show as it is to win the show. There are a lot of good cars that end up going home after qualifying.''

More than 100 drivers are expected for Saturday's qualifying session. The 20 fastest drivers gain automatic entry into the Miller 300 starting grid, with spots 21-32 to be decided by four 25-lap heat races held before Sunday's main event. Four provisional spots will complete the 36-car field.

Qualifying begins at 3 p.m. Saturday. Drivers will be chasing the track record of 89.876 mph, set in 1989 by Ronnie Thomas, a Christiansburg resident and the 1978 Winston Cup Rookie of the Year.

The Miller 300 starts at 12:30 p.m. March 16 with the four 25-lap qualifying races. The green flag will fall on the 200-lap feature approximately 30 minutes after the final heat race.


LENGTH: Short :   47 lines
KEYWORDS: AUTO RACING 

















by CNB