THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 7, 1996 TAG: 9607070302
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: HAMPTON LENGTH: 62 lines
Danny Edwards Jr. has spent much of the season developing his Busch Grand National team, but he showed Saturday night that he still is on top of things at Langley Speedway.
Edwards, in only his fourth Late Model Stock race this season at the track, drove under Phil Warren for the lead on lap 14 and led the rest of the way to win the 100-lapper.
Roger Sawyer, in his best run of the season, passed Warren on lap 87 to finish second. Warren was third, followed by division points leader Mike Buffkin.
Greg Edwards, who started on the pole, faded to finish fifth, but he could claim an assist in his older brother's first win of the season at Langley.
``We run in a team,'' Danny Edwards said. ``I've been running around the country a lot with the Busch Grand National team, but Greg has kept me informed on what's going on here.''
Danny Edwards said he was not surprised that he was able to make a such a strong run from start to finish. Most drivers who have tried that this year have experienced tire problems.
``The car was hooked up good and the tires worked great,'' he said. ``We've got great balance on the car right now, and we are going to ride this out and see if we can win some more.''
Edwards' next Grand National race is on Aug. 2 at Indianapolis Raceway Park.
Sawyer, a former champion, said a series of late caution flags worked against his hopes of overtaking Edwards in the final laps.
``My car worked better in the long runs, and if not for those cautions, I might have had a chance,'' Sawyer said. ``We finished second once before this season, but I could taste this one because we had a fast race car at the end.''
Warren, who passed Greg Edwards for the lead on the first lap, was told after the race that his right front tire had a leak.
``I knew the car got loose, but I didn't know it was a tire going down,'' Warren said. ``Danny was really strong, though. I didn't want to run as hard as he did early. I thought I could get back to him, but it didn't work out.''
Most of the fireworks in the final laps came in an exchange between Mike Conner and Doug Godsey. Conner twice backed into Godsey during a caution period and finally was ordered off the track. NASCAR officials said Conner was fined $200 and suspended for two weeks.
In other divisions:
Mini Stock rookie Jeff Falk of Virginia Beach, in only his third race, drove to an easy win after Mike Gordon and Glen Smith crashed while dueling for the lead on lap 8. Falk, the 19-year-old son of former NASCAR driver Joe Falk, led the final 17 laps of the feature.
Grand Stock driver Rhett Bussler of Norfolk sped by pole-sitter Rick Hester on the first lap and pulled away for his third win in a 40-lap feature.
Kelly Carson of Chesapeake was declared the winner of his second Limited Stock race of the season after the top two finishers were disqualified in postrace inspection. Points leader Paul Lubno drove under pole-sitter Jerry Scott on the 16th lap and held firm to take the checkered flag in the 25-lap feature. Scott crossed the line second, but both drivers were disqualified for rules violations.
Pure Stock driver Woody Vance held off a strong last-lap challenge by Kenny Phares to win his first 25-lap feature of the season. Vance had a safe lead when Gary Ferber, Sam Zoellner, and Chris Russell - running second, third and fourth - were involved in a wreck with three laps remaining. by CNB