THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 7, 1995 TAG: 9505070216
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: HAMPTON LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines
Shawn Balluzzo had visions of winning the first Late Model Stock feature of his career with 10 laps remaining Saturday night at Langley Speedway.
In the end, though, Balluzzo had another defeat and Phil Warren had another victory - his sixth in as many weeks.
``I got screwed,'' Balluzzo said after emerging from his Pontiac. ``Not once, either, but twice.''
On the last lap, Balluzzo was bumped and pushed from the groove by Bugs Hairfield, who took over second place and drop-kicked Balluzzo to fourth.
``Bugs nailed me,'' Balluzzo said. ``That's all there is to it.''
Earlier, on the 28th lap, just after Warren had passed him to take the lead, Balluzzo regained the lead and still led at the flagstand but was forced to give up the position because a slow car at the end of the field spun to bring out a caution. Balluzzo said he should have been allowed to keep the lead.
``I got screwed,'' he repeated.
Balluzzo had to share some of the blame, though, for his late collapse. When the green flag came out with 10 laps remaining after the final caution period, Balluzzo missed a gear. That allowed Warren to get a big jump and Hairfield to close up on his bumper.
Hairfield admitted tagging Balluzzo on the final lap, but felt he had reason to do so.
``He (Balluzzo) was losing grease from the rear end of his car, and it seemed to lock up on him the last lap,'' Hairfield said. ``He tried to block me on the back, and I just moved him out of the way.''
Balluzzo denied that there was anything was wrong with his car.
Ashton Lewis, Jr. finished third.
In other divisions:
Kevin Adams won the 25-lap Limited Stock feature over points leader Tod Carson starting on the pole and leading all the way. Carson, who started eighth, passed his brother, Kelly, to take second place on the sixth lap but never made a strong challenge for the lead.
Points leader Roger Bress drove to his fifth victory of the season, leading all 40 laps in the Grand Stock class. Bubba Johnston was second, followed by Jim Kenney, who had finished first or second in the previous six events.
Points leader Kevin Harrison led all 25 laps to win his second Mini-Stock race of the season. He finished a half-straightaway ahead of second-place Cathy Mosier.
In Pure Stock, Corey Fogelman won the first 20-lap feature by passing Rick Hurst on the last lap. Kevin Wagner won his first feature of the season in the second 20-lapper. by CNB