THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 22, 1995 TAG: 9510220175
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY REA FARMER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: HAMPTON LENGTH: Short : 44 lines
Mike Cope played it safe for the first 50 laps of the 250-lap NASCAR Slim Jim All-Pro race Saturday at Langley Speedway.
Cope languished in the middle of the pack, pitting at every caution to make minor adjustments.
On lap 143, Cope, of Pinellas Park, Fla., entered the top four and stayed there. He led briefly but was riding Toby Porter's tail with five laps to go.
``These are long-distance races,'' Cope said. ``These guys don't realize that. The car wasn't running quite right, so we kept making adjustments.''
Cope trailed Porter following a caution on lap 237. The two got caught in traffic with less than five laps to go, and Cope saw his chance. He slipped into a practically nonexistent opening with two laps left, then streaked across the finish line just ahead of Porter.
``It was time to take the hole or not,'' Cope said. ``Take that hole or finish second.''
Although most of the drivers were strangers to the track, one who wasn't was Newport News' Terry Harris. Harris took the pole but his advantage was short-lived. Hal Goodson overtook him in turn one of the opening lap. Harris' race ended with a crash on lap 154.
Rick Crawford was third, followed by Goodson and Ron Barfield.
In Saturday's Late Model race, Phil Warren posted a start-to-finish lead for his 19th win on the track this year. Jody McCormick, who was winless this season, ran second the entire race.
Buddy Malish provided the main excitement of the event, battling Roger Bress, who made his Late Model debut after winning the 1995 Grand Stock title, then McCormick. Malish was challenging McCormick when a caution on lap 143 packed the field. The drivers ran under caution until lap 146.
Warren and McCormick gunned through the green flag and prepared for a final showdown. Another spinout on lap 147 brought out the yellow flag again and Warren won under caution.
McCormick finished second, Malish third and Bress, racing in a car borrowed from Warren, was fourth. by CNB