THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, August 12, 1995 TAG: 9508120189
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: By KEVIN DOEPP, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 69 lines
A major car wreck last Saturday night at Langley Speedway while the cars were under a caution flag has led to tension between Phil Warren and Charlie Bryant Jr.
Warren, of Norfolk, was leading the Late Model Stock Race at lap 66, but as the cars were anticipating the green flag for the race to resume, some of the cars in the back started a bit before the front cars did and a major wreck occurred.
Warren was forced to pit and when the race resumed he was sixth. He was unhappy about the outcome.
``He (Charlie Bryant, Jr.) got a little anxious on the restart and picked my rear wheels off of the ground,'' Warren said. ``He is a rookie and he can make a mistake. My problem with him is that he thinks it is some kind of a joke.
``Me and the other drivers might have been a bit more forgiving if he had a better understanding of what he did. If you do something wrong you have to be able to take the heat for it.
``Fortunately my car wasn't tore up, but some of the other drivers got their cars tore up.''
When asked about a possible retaliation today, Warren said, ``I ain't gonna take him out. But after the race last Saturday night I told him I wouldn't forget what happened.''
Bryant, who asked for a sheriff to escort him and his girlfriend after the race, has a different story.
``I got real close to Phil's bumper as we were getting ready for the restart,'' said Bryant. ``I knew that in order to win a race I would have to stay close to him on the restart because with all of the traffic on the restart I would have a hard time catching him.
``As we got to turn four on the restart he hadn't begun to accelerate: He delayed the restart.
``All of the guys started when they saw me accelerate. I know that I was in the wrong. It was a rookie mistake. I would not try to take him out.
``I hope it doesn't happen again. I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize him.''
``If they (other drivers) take me out, they do it. I'll fix my car and keep coming back.''
SAWYER RETURNS: Roger Sawyer, who finished third in the Late Model race last Saturday is back for good. He has left the Ashton Lewis, Jr. team and plans on running the rest of the season.
``I started missing driving,'' said Sawyer, brother of Elton Sawyer. ``We accomplished all of our goals and I have a lot of respect for Ashton Lewis and Ashton Jr. Not driving for so long was wearing on my attitude.''
GRAND STOCK REPORT: Last Saturday night Norfolk's Roger Bress won the 75-lapper - so it seemed.
After a post-race inspection, Bress was disqualified for a lightened flywheel. Bress feels that he was done wrong.
``The rules state that a flywheel can't be lightened, but it doesn't give a weight limit,'' said Bress. ``The flywheel weighed 14 pounds and I feel that it was a touchy call.''
General Motors states that its flywheel weighs 15 pounds.
``These things have been made since 1955,'' said Bress. ``I ain't saying it wasn't lightened, I am just saying that I didn't do it. I am a straight and honest guy. I wouldn't have put it on there if I knew it was bad. They compared it to two other flywheels and that is how they made their decision. There is too much at stake for me. It really hurts because it cost me 50 points.'' by CNB