DATE: Sunday, May 11, 1997                  TAG: 9705110201

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C4   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY FRANK VEH0RN, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: HAMPTON                           LENGTH:   51 lines

D. EDWARDS KEEPS A TRADITION ROLLING WITH HIS VICTORY HE BECOMES THE 5TH DIFFERENT WINNER IN 5 LATE MODEL RACES.

Under normal conditions, the mistake Phil Warren made in Saturday night's 100-lap feature at Langley Speedway probably would not have cost him a victory.

But in this stop-and-go, caution-plagued race, he felt it did.

Warren's miscue gave Poquoson's Danny Edwards the opportunity to take the lead on the 58th lap. Edwards held it the rest of the way despite a bump-and-grind finish.

Edwards maintained control of his car when he and Warren bumped in the third turn on the last lap to become the fifth different Late Model winner in as many races at the NASCAR-sanctioned track.

``When Phil got down into me there in (turn) 3, I got sideways and was lucky to save it,'' Edwards said.

Warren admitted he made contact in trying to salvage the victory.

``I got under him on the backstretch and I thought we both were going to spin,'' Warren said. ``We got together, but everyone kept cool.''

Warren took the lead from Greg Edwards on lap 9 and led until Danny Edwards took over on lap 58, just after the 10th of 14 caution periods.

``I let my tires get too cool during that caution. It was a mistake and probably cost me the race,'' said Warren, whose car was at its best during rare long runs.

With cautions coming so close together, Warren didn't have a chance to contest Edwards for the lead until the final 17 laps.

Danny Edwards said he didn't know what had happened to cause Warren's car to slow when he took the lead from Warren.

``I just had a better car at that time,'' Edwards said.

Early contenders Ashton Lewis Jr. and Charlie Bryant Jr. both were victims of the numerous cautions. Bryant came from the back of the field to finish seventh, but Lewis, who had won the previous event, parked his Chevrolet on about the 60th lap.

In other races:

Paul Lubno charged back from the rear of the field after a spin on the 20th lap to win the 40-lap Grand Stock feature.

Lubno crossed the finish line only inches ahead of Tod Carson, who had led since the opening lap.

The two battled side-by-side before Lubno shot off the fourth turn on the final lap to make the pass for the victory.

Kevin Barrett passed pole-sitter Denny Hamlin with five laps remaining to win a caution-free 25-lap Mini Stock feature. Hamlin led the first 20 laps.

Doug Warren started on the pole and led all the way to win the 25-lap Mini Truck feature.

Robbie Paul led all 25 laps to win the Pure Stock feature race. It was his third win of the season.

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