THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 14, 1996 TAG: 9607140211
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: HAMPTON LENGTH: 57 lines
Mike Buffkin gave his Late Model Stock championship aspirations a much-needed boost Saturday night by winning the 100-lap feature in his backup car.
Buffkin broke free from a mid-race duel with Phil Warren to make his fourth win of the season a relatively easy one.
Warren, who trails Buffkin in the championship standings by only eight points, finished second. Roger Sawyer was third.
Buffkin brought both of his race cars to the track and decided after practice to go with the one he drove last year instead of the one he drove to victory only two weeks ago.
``We tested the older car earlier in the week and it felt better than the one we had been using,'' Buffkin said. ``I think I will stay with it for awhile now.''
In the first half of the race, though, the Yorktown driver may have had second thoughts about the decision while being pressed through the turns by Warren.
The two veterans pulled away from the rest of the field and Warren tried for five laps to pass Buffkin on the high side.
Warren jumped ahead twice but could not prevent Buffkin from popping back to the front on the inside.
The duel was interrupted by a series of caution flags before Shawn Balluzzo pulled up to make it a three-car battle near the midway point.
But the final 50 laps belonged to Buffkin. He had opened a 10-car-length lead over Warren before a final caution period on lap 97.
Buffkin said his car was a little tight in the corners during the first part of the race but eventually loosened up to give him the edge.
Warren said his car got loose, too, but with different results.
``I've had that problem most of the season,'' he said. ``But Mike's car was really good. I tried to pass him on the outside early, but I found out he was just doing what he had to do to stay in front and make me use my tires.
``So, I just followed him and figured we would find out after awhile who had the best car. It looks like he did.''
In other races:
Rhett Bussler of Norfolk led from pole to checkered flag for his third straight Grand Stock victory and his fourth of the season. Points leader John Hicks was involved in spin midway through the 40-lapper but came back to finish fourth.
Paul Lubno passed pole-sitter Jerry Scott four laps from the finish to win the 25-lap Limited Stock feature. Scott finished second. Kelly Carson, who entered the race with a 16-point lead over Lubno in the championship standings, experienced an early problem and finished 16th.
Jeff Falk led all 25 laps to win his second straight Mini Stock feature in only his fourth race at Langley.
Gary Ferber led all 25 laps to win his second Pure Stock feature of the season. Kenny Phares came from a fifth-place start to finish second.
Dale Lemonds passed Jason Rudd with one lap remaining to win the 25-lap Legends feature. Lemonds started on the pole but lost the lead to Rudd, nephew of Winston Cup driver Ricky Rudd, on the ninth lap. Rudd led until Lemonds drove inside of him lap 24. Rudd slipped back to third on the final lap. by CNB