THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 4, 1995 TAG: 9508040605
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 82 lines
Buster Tittle was never a big winner at Langley Speedway.
In fact, the Pure Stock driver from Norfolk was a middle-of-the-packer who raced because he loved the sport and the friends he had in it.
``If you were leading the points and Buster was second, he was the kind of guy who would give you his car to drive if you had trouble,'' Langley promoter Wayne Wyatt said. ``He would do anything in the world to help other people.''
Now Tittle is the one who needs help, and Wyatt is organizing efforts to help him.
Tittle suffered serious injuries while removing a part from his Pure Stock car to put on his wife's Enduro car last Sunday.
Wyatt said Tittle was sitting under one of the cars when it fell on him. His spine was shattered and his spleen ruptured.
``It was touch and go as to whether he would survive or not for awhile,'' Wyatt said. ``He is still paralyzed from the waist down.''
Wyatt has scheduled a media race for Aug. 12 to benefit Tittle and has opened an account at Central Fidelity Bank for contributions.
``The response from other drivers and fans who want to help has been overwhelming,'' Wyatt said.
MAKING PLANS: The final Late Model Sportsman race of the season at Langley is scheduled for Sept. 23, but the big climax for Norfolk's Phil Warren is Sept. 10, the end of NASCAR's Mid-Atlantic championship points race.
Warren, on top of a three-way regional battle with Max Prestwood and Elliott Sadler, already is making contingency plans for the final weekend.
``If necessary to hold on to the lead, we could run three or four races that final week,'' Warren said.
The regional title is determined by a driver's best 20 finishes. Warren said he might enter races at tracks where Sadler and Prestwood are competing in hopes of blocking them from winning.
Warren got a bad break when no race was scheduled on Sept. 9 at Langley, where he has rung up 15 victories this season.
The track is not open on that weekend because of the Winston Cup race in Richmond.
BOILING POINT: Warren, known for his cool, noncontroversial manner, admits he came close to blowing that reputation last week at Southside Speedway in Richmond.
Warren and Bug Hairfield were racing for second place behind Eddie Johnson when Warren apparently irritated Hairfield by beating him to an inside groove. Hairfield retaliated by spinning out Warren.
``My car stalled, and I guess it was a good thing I couldn't get it started right away,'' Warren said. ``If I could have got going, I would have driven over the top of Hairfield's car.''
Warren and Hairfield have had several tight but clean battles at Langley this season, with Warren prevailing each time.
ON THE GOE: Virginia Beach driver Kevin Goe was understandably pleased with the debut of his new Chevrolet Monte Carlo in the Grand Stock division at Langley last Saturday.
Goe, in his first year of racing at Langley, had only a couple of practice laps in the car before finishing fifth in the 40-lap feature.
Meanwhile, Grand Stock points leader Roger Bress of Norfolk continues to work to solve some problems with his new car.
Bress won 11 races and built a big lead in the championship standings before switching to the new car.
He has not been as strong since making the switch, but remains determined to get the new car up to par with the old one.
``It's a challenge, and we are making progress,'' Bress said.
JUMPING CLASS: Southampton Mini Stock drivers Keith Edwards and David Fowler were allowed to compete in the Limited Stock division last week. Although their cars had only half the cylinders (4) as the Limited Stockers, they finished sixth and seventh on the lead lap.
Track officials plan to continue inviting two top drivers from a lower division to test their skills and equipment in a higher division.
AT THE TRACKS: Late Model Stock drivers will compete in a 100-lap feature Saturday night at Langley Speedway in Hampton. Regular features are scheduled in the other four classes. Time trials begin at 5 p.m., and racing begins at 7.
All five weekly classes will be in competition Saturday night at Southampton Speedway in Capron. The longest event is a 40-lap feature for Late Model Sportsman drivers. Time trials begin at 5:50 p.m., and racing begins at 7. by CNB