THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, June 23, 1995 TAG: 9506230635
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 83 lines
When Ashton Lewis Jr. aborted a highly promising career as an open-wheel racer a couple of years ago and jumped into a stock car at Langley Speedway, some observers suspected he was only trying to please his father, a longtime NASCAR fan, and eventually would return to the fast lane on the world's road courses.
But that hasn't happened, and the 22-year-old Chesapeake driver and Old Dominion University student says it won't.
``I am happy with the decision I made,'' Lewis said recently. ``I used to watch Indy and Formula One races on television and wish I was doing that. Now when I see them on television, I think, `Man, I must have been crazy.' ''
Lewis, who became the youngest driver to win a race on the Saab Series three years ago, still has not graduated to Victory Lane at Langley, where he is in his second full season.
But, under the guidance this season of former Langley champion Roger Sawyer, Lewis has showed considerable improvement and last week won his first pole position.
He'll skip Langley this weekend, hoping to get his first NASCAR Busch Grand National start in Sunday's Lysol 200 at Watkins Glen, N.Y., where qualifying begins today.
Lewis will be driving his own car and using his own crew, which Sawyer directs. Just making the field under the circumstances in such a competitive event, which includes some Winston Cup regulars and will be televised nationally by CBS, would be quite an accomplishment for Lewis.
He came close to making the field for a couple of Grand National races last year, losing out to weather once and by four-thousandths of a second in qualifying for another.
Lewis says there are two reasons he is hopeful of making Sunday's field. The race is on a road course, where he has had his best success, and he's considerably more confident than he was last year.
``Confidence is the biggest difference for me this year,'' Lewis said. ``That is something I have gained by racing at the front of the field this season at Langley. I haven't won yet, but I have felt comfortable while racing with the leaders.''
Lewis credits much of his improvement at Langley to Sawyer, who gave up driving to begin a career on the other side of pit wall.
``Roger has helped tremendously,'' Lewis said. ``Before I was driving the car too hard early in the race and wearing out the tires. The car was still fast at the end of the race, but the tires were gone.''
Lewis plans to enter a couple of more Grand National events this season, probably at South Boston and Richmond, but it was his decision to concentrate on Late Model Stocks this year instead of doing more with his Grand National car.
``I told my dad it was better to build a second Late Model car and run at Southside in Richmond on Friday night as well as Langley on Saturday than to run more Grand National races right now,'' he said.
Lewis plans to stay with the Late Models and run a few more Grand National races next year while finishing work on an engineering degree from Old Dominion. He expects to complete his studies in December 1996.
By then, both Lewis and his team should be ready for a full Grand National season.
CHANGE AT SOUTHAMPTON: Reed Panasiti of Virginia Beach has resigned as promoter and general manager at Southampton Speedway, the 3/8th-mile dirt oval near Capron.
Panasiti cited ``philosophical differences'' with track owner as the reason for his departure.
Panasiti became the third promoter at the four-year old track last December, replacing Jule Matthews, who left after one season. Kos Jackson was the promoter for the first year and a half.
AT THE TRACKS: A 100-lap Late Model Stock feature tops a five-race program at Langley Speedway on Saturday night. Qualifying begins at 5 p.m., followed by the first event at 7. Enduro racing is scheduled for Sunday, beginning at 3:30 p.m.
Feature races are scheduled for Southampton Speedway's five divisions Saturday night. Time trials begin at 5:50 p.m., with the first heat race at 7.
Virginia Motorsports Park in Dinwiddie will be open Friday and Saturday for drag racing. High school racing is scheduled for Friday with 1/8-mile E.T. racing Saturday. The tracks opens at noon each day.
Dixieland Speedway in Elizabeth City will feature All-Star, Mini Stock, and three Bomber classes Friday night. Racing begins at 8 p.m. by CNB