THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 16, 1995 TAG: 9504160217
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DENISE MICHAUX, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: HAMPTON LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
Could there be a Chevrolet Monte Carlo controversy brewing at Langley Speedway?
The Late Model Stock cars have run 450 laps at Langley this season and defending track champion Phil Warren has led 384 of them, including all 250 of Saturday night's Oyster Point Dodge 250 to post his third win of the year in a Monte Carlo.
Bugs Hairfield was second in a Pontiac, followed by Mike Buffkin in another Pontiac. Charlie Bryant Jr. and Buddy Dozier were fourth and fifth, both in Chevrolets.
Ashton Lewis Jr. spun on the backstretch on lap 243, taking Buddy Malish with him to bring out the 10th and final caution of the night. After a couple laps the race was red-flagged to clear the track and set up a two-lap sprint to the finish.
``I didn't want to see that,'' Warren said. ``The car was better the longer it ran. I didn't know how much Bugs had left, but it seemed like he was better on the restarts.''
Not this time.
Hairfield closed in on Warren going into the first and second turns on the first green-flag lap, but that was as close as he would get as Warren pulled away for a three-car-length triumph.
``Anybody can be beat any time,'' Warren said. ``But as long as the sun is shining on us, we are going to keep getting tan.''
The race was destined to be a five-car contest from the get-go, with the top five starting spots separated by just seven-hundreths of a second. Warren took the pole with a qualifing lap of 16.928. Eddie Johnson was on the outside pole with a lap of 16.930, followed by Hairfield (16.942), Malish (16.950) and Buffkin (16.986).
Warren led Hairfield and Buffkin through the first 100 laps, while Johnson and Malish sat a few lengths behind.
Buffkin let Johnson by on lap 124, and Johnson set his sights on Hairfield.
By lap 139, Johnson took the outside line and passed Hairfield down the backstretch to set up a duel with Warren.
It took Johnson only five laps to reach Warren's bumper, and that was where he stayed until lap 154, when Barry Strathmann spun to bring out the fifth caution.
The leaders pitted to take on four tires and while Warren won the race out of the pits to retain his lead, Johnson fell back to fourth behind Buffkin and Malish, with Hairfield in fifth.
Johnson and Hairfield got by Malish on the restart, but tires were just what the doctor ordered for Buffkin, who was all over the rear end of Warren's car. Buffkin took a charge at the front spot going into turn 3 on lap 176. He tapped Warren and turned him sideways, but Warren recovered and Buffkin fell back a car length and found Johnson filling his rear-view mirror.
Ten laps later, Johnson's car started dropping oil on the track and he retired for the night, leaving Hairfield, Buffkin and Malish to try to reel in Warren.
In Saturday's other events:
Roger Bress led from flag to flag to capture his third win of the season in the 40-lap Grand Stock event. He cruised to a six-car-length victory over Jim Kenney, who has been second to Bress in all three races this season.
Chris Weatherford survived a late-race challenge from Kevin Harrison, who rebounded from a spin on lap 3 to gain a half-a-car-length win over Harrison in the 25-lap Mini-Stock race.
Corey Fogelman was awarded the victory in the 25-lap Pure Stock event after Kevin Wagner, who had led all 25 laps, and Vince Pope were disqualified.
Tod Carson took his second win of the season to take sole possession of the points lead in the Limited Stock division. by CNB