THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 23, 1996 TAG: 9606230209
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JAMI FRANKENBERRY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: HAMPTON LENGTH: 38 lines
Shawn Balluzzo took control after 80 laps and held off Greg Edwards for his second straight victory in the Late Model Stock division at Langley Speedway on Saturday night.
Balluzzo took the lead from Mike Buffkin coming out of turn 2 on lap 80 of the caution-filled 100-lapper. Edwards was second, followed by Ashton Lewis Jr., Jimmy Humblet and Jody McCormick.
``Shawn had quite a bit tonight,'' said Edwards, who moved up to second after Mike Buffkin and Phil Warren tangled and spun out on lap 87. ``If I could have got closer to him, he probably would have showed us more.''
Said an ecstatic Balluzzo, who hadn't won at Langley since 1989 before last week's victory, ``I just drove it.''
Buffkin, who dueled with Balluzzo for most of the race before the incident on lap 87, finished eighth, while Warren ended up 10th.
Buffkin started on the pole and led until Balluzzo got the lead on lap 14. The two then traded the lead three times and stayed side-by-side until lap 80.
A 10-car pileup in turn 2 on lap 6 knocked Albert Falk and Mitch Sarvis out of the race. Then, it took nearly 30 minutes to complete lap 39, which saw three cautions. Fred Siebert crashed in turn 2 and Mike Conner hit the back straightaway wall before McCormick got loose and also bumped the wall.
In other races Saturday night:
Jimmy Kenney was awarded the victory in the 40-lap Grand Stock feature after Rhett Bussler was disqualified. John Hicks moved to second while Trevor Falls took third.
In the 25-lap Limited Stock race, pole-sitter Jerry Scott won for the seventh time. Paul Lubno and Jammie Goode finished second and third.
Chris Phelps led all 25 laps of the Mini Stock feature, finishing in front of Joe Lupton and Glenn Smith II.
In the 25-lap Pure Stock feature, Kenny Phares led from start to finish for his fourth victory of the season. Woody Vance was second, follwed by Gene Smith. by CNB