THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 3, 1996 TAG: 9605030690
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines
Several area drivers are entered in the NHRA Virginia Nationals this weekend at Virginia Motorsports Park in Dinwiddie.
Pro qualifying sessions are scheduled for 3 and 7 p.m. today and noon and 3 p.m. on Saturday. Final eliminations begin Sunday at 11 a.m.
The meet began Thursday with Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol qualifying sessions.
Among Top Alcohol Funny Car entries are MeLinda Green of Norfolk, Donna Duncan of Chesapeake, and William Fulford and Butch Kernodle of Virginia Beach.
Entered in Super Comp are Richard Tabor, Wayne Curtis, Ken Roach, and William Brown of Chesapeake, and Randy Midgett of Virginia Beach.
Other entries include Tommy Porter of Chesapeake (Competition Eliminator) and Glenn Brunner of Chesapeake (Super Gas).
Defending champions in the pro classes are Cory McClenathan (Top Fuel), John Force (Funny Car), Warren Johnson (Pro Stock) and Dave Schultz (Pro Stock Bike).
The dragstrip is located on U.S. 1 between Petersburg and Dinwiddie. For ticket information, call 1-804-862-3174.
AT LANGLEY: Late Model Stock driver Mike Buffkin, who has won dirt-track championships at Dixieland and Saluda, would like to add Langley to that list.
But Buffkin says he needs help to do it. ``I've got to win every race or find a sponsor to be able to run the full season and go for the title,'' he said after winning last week's 100-lap feature.
Buffkin hopes to impress potential sponsors with a second straight victory in another 100-lap feature Saturday night.
Also on the schedule are races for Grand Stock, Limited Stock, Mini Stock, and Pure Stock drivers.
Qualifying begins at 5 p.m.; racing starts at 7.
AT SOUTHAMPTON: The most impressive part of Speck Edwards' record-tying 33 victories at Southampton Speedway is that he drove a Ford Thunderbird in all of them.
Edwards tied Wade Hollingsworth's record for most wins at the track by winning the Late Model Stock race last Saturday.
Only one other driver, Robbie Madron, has ever driven a Ford to a feature win in an 8-cylinder race at the five-year-old track.
Meanwhile, Hollingsworth seems determined to give Edwards a battle for the record. He debuted a new Ford Mustang in last week's 4-cylinder race. Twenty nine of Hollingworth's wins were in that division.
All six of the track's weekly classes will be competing Saturday night. Time trials begin at 5:45 p.m.; racing starts at 7.
AT DIXIELAND: Children 15 and younger will have an opportunity to ride around the track before tonight's races at Dixieland Speedway.
Competition is scheduled in all of the regular weekly divisions. Gates open at 5 p.m.; racing begins at 8. by CNB