THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, April 20, 1995 TAG: 9504200620
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 85 lines
NASCAR legend Richard Petty has lived his racing life as a role model. He has represented how a racer should conduct himself on and off the track.
And as Petty, 57, recovers from prostate cancer surgery at Moses H. Cone Regional Cancer Center in Greensboro, he and his wife, Lynda, hope to use the experience to educate other men his age about the need for regular physical examinations.
``We just thank God we detected it in the early stages,'' Lynda Petty said Wednesday. ``We encourage any man over 50 to take advantage of this test.''
Richard Petty was in good condition following the two-hour operation Tuesday morning and hopes to be released as early as Saturday. He will not have to undergo chemotherapy or radiation treatments, Lynda Petty said.
``The surgery went great and the doctor felt like he got everything,'' Lynda said. ``He said Richard's health is really good, he's really strong, and the doctor doesn't see any problems for him.
``Any man over 50 would be foolish not to take advantage of this test,'' she said. ``When you detect things in the early stages, there's a lot of things you can do. This is an example. Richard has been faithful to go every year for a checkup.''
Lynda said she and Richard ``didn't say anything to anybody about it except our children,'' adding, ``We've learned a lot about this prostate cancer in the last two months.
``Richard will be out of commission for probably about a month,'' she added. ``He probably won't be back to the track until the last of May at Charlotte. But our team is doing great and I feel like they'll keep right on going.''
SAWYER IN HOOTERS CAR: Elton Sawyer will drive Junior Johnson's No. 27 Ford Thunderbird in Sunday's Hanes 500 at Martinsville Speedway.
Sawyer, a native of Chesapeake who now lives in Greensboro, on Wednesday night agreed to drive the Hooters-sponsored car on a part-time basis. He will not run more than five races in it this season so as not to jeopardize his future rookie status in the Winston Cup series, according to Randy Laney, publicist for Sawyer's Busch Grand National series team.
Laney said that the arrangement with Johnson would not affect Sawyer's ride in the Bush series, and that Sawyer's Grand National sponsor, Ford Credit, has agreed to the arrangement.
The No. 27 team, led by crew chief Mike Hill, is still looking for a permanent replacement for Loy Allen Jr., who resigned prior to the Bristol race.
BODINE'S WOES: After winning three races last season, Geoff Bodine is still looking for his first top-10 finish in the 1995 Winston Cup season.
Part of his slow start is due to the end of the tire war, which forced Bodine to switch back to Goodyear after a successful season with Hoosier.
But in a frank interview with Ford's Wayne Estes, Bodine admitted that the sudden breakup of his marriage to wife Kathy after 22 years has had a lot to do with his troubles as well.
``Talking about it helps me,'' he said. ``You've got to understand this wasn't a mutual agreement, or something that was building for a long time. I got blind-sided. This was a shock, so unexpected, that it's been hard to deal with.
``The bomb dropped Aug. 28, the day after Bristol,'' he said. ``I didn't really want to tell anybody, but I had to tell the guys on the team, because they thought I'd gone nuts and didn't care anything about the team anymore. I canceled tests, quit going to the shop . . .''
``You think Hoosier's pullout was devastating to me? That wasn't as unexpected as Matt and Barry's mother leaving. For a while, I didn't want to (race), but I had to, because I had too many responsibilities. Forty people depend on me. I got in the car, even though I hated it, despised it.''
About three weeks ago, Bodine said he was returning home from his shop when he realized he had really enjoyed the day there.
``Before that, I felt bad going to the shop, and I felt bad staying home,'' he said. ``Now I feel I'm past the turning point.''
Bodine said his 17-year-old son Barry drove his Winston Cup car for about 15 laps during a test at Martinsville Speedway earlier this month and ``was driving in deeper (into the corners) than I was.'' Bodine said he expects Barry to race in several NASCAR truck races this season.
$25 MILLION MAN: Dale Earnhardt, who has earned more money racing cars than any other American, is only $43,001 away from reaching the $25 million mark in career earnings. His official earnings stand at $24,956,999 after his victory at North Wilkesboro.
A win at Martinsville (first place pays $55,445) would put him over the top. by CNB