DATE: Monday, April 7, 1997                 TAG: 9704070151

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C10  EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: HAMPTON                           LENGTH:   53 lines

A TIRE CHANGE HAS PUT WARREN BACK ON TRACK

Despite opening a new racing season at Langley Speedway with a double dose of misfortune - a flat tire and a wreck - Norfolk's Phil Warren still had reason to smile Saturday night.

Warren came back to finish second after running out of time in his bid to catch Mike Buffkin in the 100-lap feature

``I was a little better than (Buffkin), but he won,'' Warren said. ``The race was 100 laps, not 105.''

It was the first race on Langley's recently paved surface, which was as fast as advertised. A dozen drivers broke the old qualifying record, 16.107 seconds, set by Billy Smith on July 15, 1989.

Most drivers praised the new surface, and Warren was especially pleased that it allowed him to race flat-out again at the track where he has collected four championships.

After a highly successful season in 1995, Warren had a highly frustrating season last year. The soft tires used last season did not suit his car, or the cars of others who tried racing hard.

A firmer tire is being used this season, and racing was noticeably improved.

``There was no sissying or baby-sitting the car this time. I raced hard all night,'' Warren said.

Some teams had feared that the new surface would cause blistering and had asked NASCAR for a caution at halfway.

Tire problems weren't as serious as believed. Track promoter Wayne Wyatt inspected the tires on the front five cars and recommended that NASCAR allow drivers to change two tires without penalty. However, NASCAR director Butch Lassiter ordered the cars back to green-flag racing, and there were no accidents resulting from tire problems.

Warren didn't have a blistering problem but he cut down a right rear tire just before the halfway point.

He was moving to the front again when he sped into a collision with Charlie Bryant's disabled car in the second turn on the 62nd lap. Bryant had been leading until he tagged a slower car in the fast groove to spin out. Warren hit the brakes and slowed but still made contact with the side of Bryant's door.

In other races:

Tod Carson of Chesapeake took the lead when leader Jamie Goode hit the wall in turn 2 two laps from the checkered flag to win the 40-lap Grand Stock feature.

Steve Mendenhall led the final 19 laps to win an accident-marred 25-lap Legends feature.

Sixteen-year-old rookie Denny Hamlin of Chesterfield led all 25 laps to win the Mini-Stock feature.

Dude Gibbs, last season's rookie-of-the year in the Pure Stock division, regained the lead five laps from the end to win a 25-lap feature.

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