ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, April 7, 1997 TAG: 9704080021
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: RADFORD
SOURCE: ANGIE WATTS THE ROANOKE TIMES
MEMO: NOTE: Shorter version ran April 6, 1997.
Jeff Agnew won the pole, then won the race, finishing ahead of Philip Morris in the Late Model feature.
He may have been wearing new racing colors, driving a new car and sporting a new number at New River Valley Speedway, but the results for Jeff Agnew were anything but new.
Agnew, of Floyd, started the season much the same as he did in 1996 and unofficially took the checkered flag in comfortable fashion in the Late Model feature.
Agnew won the pole in a time of 16.36 seconds (91.8 mph) and led the field from start to finish. Despite building nearly a three-second lead midway through the race, it wasn't as smooth as it looked.
``That's the first race for us here in this car,'' said Agnew, who is driving Clarence Pickurel's Chevrolet Monte Carlo. ``It was too tight in the center. Fortunately, we had enough to stay in front of [Philip] Morris.''
Morris, of Ruckersville, took over second place on lap 64, passing Jimmy Mullins coming out of turn 3. Morris then began closing the gap on Agnew.
A caution flag was dropped on lap 75 when 1996 track champion Chad Harris spun unharmed on the front stetch, pulling the field together. The caution was just the opportunity Morris was waiting for.
Morris brought the crowd of approximately 8,500 to its feet on lap 93, pulling ahead of Agnew on the back straightaway after repeated unsuccessful attempts. But the advantage lasted mere seconds for Morris, who couldn't hold on coming out of turn 3.
"Morris was quicker than us,"Agnew said, "but when we got together coming off the corner he lost a lot of ground and I was able to stay up in front of him."
The two cars bumped, and a slight hesitation by Morris gave Agnew the space he needed to pull ahead.
"I thought the contact we had was because I had a flat tire on my right front tire," Harris said. "I was almost sure it was flat because it felt lower on the inside. So basically I backed off and let him go, instead of trying to get in too deep. I wasn't going to take a chance on taking him out if we weren't going to have a chace to win it.
"[Jeff] and I are going to racing all year," Morris added. "And hopefully he'll show me the same courtesy I showed him tonight."
Mullins held on for third, with Ray Young and Randy Ratliffe rounding out the top five.
TRACK NOTES: Stacy Compton of the Craftsman Truck Series (and a former Late Model driver at New River) made a promotional appearance to sign autographs caution flag just two minutes into the race ... Christiansburg's Kevin Light stormed from sixth to first13 laps into the Mini Stock race, pulling ahead comfortably for his first official win of the year ... Eddie Walls led from start to finish in the Limited Sportsman Division. Hank Turman ran behind Walls for 33 of the 35 laps to take second ... Crowd favorite Rodney Cundiff became loose on the back straightaway on lap 5 of the Late Model race, bringing his first night back at New River to an early end. ... A treacherous wreck on lap 15 sent four Late Model cars spinning. Hardest hit was Harvey Harrison, who lost his hood and passenger-side door in the crash ... Radford's Dean Young won the inaugural Late Model Truck class. ... Tommy Allie, who won 19 of 22 Pure Stock races a year ago, was at it again, breezing to a first-place finish.
LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines KEYWORDS: AUTO RACINGby CNB