THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 1, 1995 TAG: 9510010207
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY REA FARMER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines
His car was battered, but Phil Warren didn't care.
``It was a little rough out there for a while,'' Warren said after he survived a wreck-plagued Late Model race at Langley Speedway Saturday. ``Early on, I didn't think I was in a good car, it was too tight. I rode for a while, then I decided if I would run it hard it might overheat the rear and loosen it up. It seemed like it was working.''
It worked well enough for the win under caution.
Warren became just the second driver to win four points titles at Langley by topping the 1995 Late Model division.
Warren's dominance upheld a family tradition. The last person to tally four titles was Bruce Warren - Phil's uncle.
Phil Warren also grabbed the title in 1986, '88 and '94. His win Saturday night was just a formality. He entered the race with 1,088 points, more than 150 ahead of top contender Charlie Bryant Jr.
Jody McCormick was poised to take the race, powering to the front, but broke his transmission on lap 78.
The next 77 laps were a fight for second. Buddy Malish commanded the position until lap 129, when he was overtaken by Charlie Bryant Jr. Buddy Dozier tailed Bryant throughout the race, climbing into third on lap 138.
Malish dropped into the pits on lap 140 and stayed there for four laps. On lap 147, Danny Ray Baker got into Warren in turn four and the caution flag came out. Away from the action, Bryant lost his front tire and sparks flew across the track. Pit row opened and when the cars emerged from the pits, Greg Edwards had taken the lead, followed by Warren, Bryant and Barry Strathmann.
On lap 178, several cars piled up and Bryant was tagged. After the caution, Warren held the lead, followed by Edwards, Jimmy Humblet and Dozier. Bryant remained on the track.
The cars ran under caution until lap 187. A final crash on lap 197 caused the field to finish under caution. Warren was followed by Edwards and Mike Buffkin.
Although it was the final points race night at the speedway, almost every division had a dominant driver and trophies were handed out prior to the racing.
The only points challenge, the mini-stock showdown between Jimmy Adkins (1,044 points entering Saturday) and Kevin Harrison (1,018) ended in disappointment. Harrison did not show up to fight for the title and Adkins won based on his four-win season. Harrison grabbed 13 checkered flags during the regular season.
The Pure Stock feature set the tone for a lengthy night with seven caution flags in the 25-lap event. by CNB