DATE: Sunday, June 22, 1997                 TAG: 9706220250

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C9   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: HAMPTON                           LENGTH:   52 lines

WARREN WINS WRECK-STREWN LMS FEATURE AT LANGLEY

Norfolk's Phil Warren drove through a sea of wreckage Saturday for his third Late Model Stock victory in the most destructive race of the season at Langley Speedway.

Only 10 of the 23 cars that started finished the 100-lap feature.

Warren was blamed for the most violent wreck, on the 46th lap, and was challenged in Victory Lane by one of the victims.

Craig Eastep jumped the pit wall and had to be restrained by NASCAR officials and members of Warren's crew.

``I just want to talk to him. I'm not going to him,'' Eastep said before being restrained.

The incident began when Warren tried to lap a car driven by Albert Falk. As Warren drove high to pass, Falk went high, too.

``I came up on him and he was in the middle of the groove,'' Warren said. ``I tried to go to the outside, and he was covering that. I gave him a little bump. Maybe he was real loose or something, but he spun out.''

When Falk spun, he collected the cars of Greg Edwards and Ashton Lewis Jr., who were running second and third. Several other drivers, including Eastep, also became involved.

``It was bad for a lot of other people, unfortunately,'' Warren said. ``But Albert just wasn't giving me any room. I didn't know if his radio had quit working or what, so I just gave him a little bump to let him know I was back there.

``Maybe I gave him a little harder bump than I thought. I don't know.''

Danny Edwards Jr., who bent a rear fender in the big crash, finished second but never challenged Warren for the lead.

After two early cautions, Warren sailed under Lewis for the lead on lap 5 and led the rest of the way. There were a total of seven caution flags, and only 11 cars were still running at the halfway point.

In other races:

Pure Stock points leader Robbie Paul was declared the winner of a 25-lap feature after Dude Gibbs refused to allow NASCAR officials to inspect his car. Gibbs started on the back row of the 24-car field after spinning out during qualifying. He ripped the sheet metal off his rear fender while scrambling to the front, finally passing Paul with six laps remaining. NASCAR official Butch Lassiter said Gibbs also was fined $200 and suspended for one week for refusing to allow the postrace inspection. Paul and Gibbs were tied with five victories each entering the race.

Paul Lubno led all 40 laps to win his sixth Grand Stock feature and stretch his lead in the championship standings.

Joe Lupton also won his third Mini-Stock feature by leading all 25 laps.

Randy Ross won the 25-lap Mini-Truck feature after pole-sitter Doug Warren encountered a mechanical problem on the first lap. It was the first win of Ross' career.

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