THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, April 29, 1996 TAG: 9604290140
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Short : 36 lines
Racing friendships normally go only so far.
The basic rule is that a driver will help a struggling friend enough to beat everyone else, but not enough to beat himself.
Jody McCormick broke that rule Saturday night at Langley Speedway and it probably cost him what would have been the first Late Model Stock victory of his career.
The friend in need, and who often had helped McCormick, was veteran Mike Buffkin, who won Saturday's 100-lapper by beating McCormick to the finish line by less than a second.
``Jody gave me a few tips, and I don't think I could have won the race otherwise,'' Buffkin admitted.
What was the tip? Buffkin smiled.
``You don't think I would tell, do you?'' he asked. ``I'm not letting everyone else in on it.''
It was the second straight week McCormick had come out second-best in a late shootout. He lost the previous week by about two inches to Greg Edwards.
Edwards, who had won the opening two races, had the pole. But defending Late Model champ Phil Warren didn't let Edwards save his tires as he had done previously, but charged to the front on lap 15.
Meanwhile, following a pattern of the past two races, McCormick was making his way to the front, too, and eased into second on lap 80. He pressured Buffkin but couldn't force the veteran into a mistake.
FRANK VEHORN by CNB