THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, April 16, 1996 TAG: 9604160431
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 82 lines
When Phil Warren was asked a couple of weeks ago if he knew the reason Langley Speedway officials had ordered Late Model Stock teams to use a softer, less durable tire this season, he shrugged and replied, ``Maybe they don't want me winning as much.''
If that was the case, and it may well have been, the new tires accomplished their purpose in a controversial season-opener and speedway promoter Wayne Wyatt said Monday he will not switch back to last year's tire which Warren used to win 19 races and the track championship.
Warren finished eighth in the opener after the handling on his car went away in the final 30 laps.
Wyatt had promised to re-evaluate the new tire after several drivers complained during and after Saturday night's race, which Poquoson's Greg Edwards won from the pole without a serious challenge.
Wyatt contended Monday, however, drivers he talked to following the race were divided ``about 50-50'' on whether they wanted to stay with the new tires or go back to the old ones.
``If I did switch back, and Phil started winning everything again, what would happen?'' Wyatt asked. ``I am really in a no win situation.''
Numerous competitors and fans last season claimed Warren's domination was because he had found a perfect set-up for tires that were used.
Warren doesn't deny that.
``We hit on a combination that really worked well and carried us through the season,'' he said. ``We'll go back to work and try to get set up for these new tires.''
Wyatt last week said the change was based on ``economics,'' and the softer tire was less expensive.
However, teams say they are paying the same price for the soft tire as they did for last year's model. They also say it is going to cost them more money trying to find a combination that will work with the softer tires.
``The drivers who ran well Saturday night were the ones who had the money to test the new tires,'' Shawn Balluzzo said.
``I couldn't afford to test, so I didn't know what to expect from the tires when I bolted them on.'' Balluzzo qualified third fastest, but dropped off the pace quickly once the race began. He said the tires began giving up after only 10 laps in the 100-lap feature.
``They were really gone after 80 laps,'' he said. ``There was nothing there.''
Wyatt contends the tires did not wear out and were not unsafe.
He said drivers meant that as the race wore on the tires became slick because they did not have their cars set up properly.
``I looked at the tires after the race and there was plenty of rubber still on them,'' Wyatt said.
``It is just going to take time and work for the teams to get used to them. Drivers who had tested with them didn't have problems.''
Jody McCormick, who finished second to Edwards, said the new tires worked fine for him.
``You have to take care of them, and not abuse them too early in the race,'' McCormick said. ``I took it easy for the first part of the race, and my tires worked well.''
Edwards didn't have a problem, either, but he admitted he never had to drive his car hard because no one was pushing him.
Balluzzo said there was not much opportunity for racing Saturday.
``At the end of the race, everyone was so bad on those tires that they were all over the place,'' he said. ``You couldn't do any racing, and the only way to pass someone was for them to fall back.''
Norfolk's Roger Bress, in his first Late Model race, had a strong run aborted in the final laps when his tires gave out.
``I had noticed the tires giving up after 50 or 60 laps. It was like trying to drive on ice,'' he said.
With about 10 laps left, Bress was trying to get to the the finish when the tires gave out completely.
``I thought something in the rear end had broken,'' he said. ``I couldn't get in the corner or on the throttle. I've never had a car change so dramatically.''
Bress went over the car thoroughly after returning to his garage. Nothing had broken on the car.
``It was just the tires,'' he said. by CNB