THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 1, 1996 TAG: 9609010238
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BRIAN J. FRENCH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: HAMPTON LENGTH: 55 lines
Controversy was the biggest winner at Langley Saturday night.
Mike Buffkin, the Late Model Stock points leader, won for the first time since July 13, holding off a spirited challenge from John Staton in the final 10 laps.
``This was a big uplift for us,'' said Buffkin. ``We really needed a good run tonight, and maybe this will turn our fortunes around.''
But despite Buffkin's win, which solidifies an evaporating points lead, and Staton's performance - the best in his Langley career - the buzz after the race was about Greg Edwards.
Edwards, who had won five of the last six races to creep within two points of Buffkin in the season standings, was sent to the back of the field on lap 87.
The reason: Edwards had a small fire under the hood, and he had to hit a small pond of water on turn three to put it out.
When he did, water splashed onto the track itself, prompting track officials to send Edwards to the rear of the field and eliciting an angry reaction from Edwards' crew.
``I was trying to hit the dirt (around the inside of the track's turns) to put the fire out, but I was getting stuck in the ruts,'' said Edwards. ``I had to hit the water, and it followed me onto the track. I didn't mean to get water on the track, but I think it was a very stiff penalty.''
The combination of Buffkin's win and Edwards' penalty (he finished 10th) gives Buffkin breathing room heading into the season's homestretch.
Buffkin agreed with Edwards' punishment: ``He had to get the fire out, and he had to hit the water, but he didn't have to get the water on the track. They (track officials) had to do something.''
Lost in the shuffle was Staton, who ran neck-and-neck with Buffkin for the final laps, taking the lead on lap 92 before his car became loose.
``My car's handling was pretty good most of the night, and Mike was good inside,'' Staton said. ``I ran about as well as I could without winning. Hopefull we can build on this for next year.''
In other action Saturday:
GRAND STOCK: Trevor Falls spent the entire race in second, but was awarded the victory when original feature winner Rhett Bussler and fourth-place Kevin Wagner were disqualified for having tired with illegally wide treads. Points leader John Hicks ended up second, increasing his lead over Jimmy Kenney, who finished fifth after the DQs. Kevin Goe finished third. The original top-four - Bussler, Falls, Hicks and Wagner - spent the enitre race in that position.
In the Limited Stock, Paul Lubno passed Jerry Scott on turn 4 with two laps remaining to win his seventh race of the season. The win extends his lead over Scott to 10 points with three races remaining.
In Pure Stock, Sam Zoellner avoided a rash of cautions in the 25-lap race to pick up the win. Zoellner, the points leader, never trailed. Seven cautions were called in the race, all in the first 17 laps, but Zoellner was never challenged.
In Mini Stock, Points leader Joe Lupton continued his hot streak, winning his fourth race of the season in the 25-lap race. by CNB