Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 17, 1990 TAG: 9006170161
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JEFF MOTLEY SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: DUBLIN LENGTH: Medium
Thomas won a 50-lap race and finished second to Roanoke's Tink Reedy in the other 50-lapper in the Miller Genuine Draft/K92 200 on Saturday night to increase his Late Model Stock points lead.
After the top six finishers were inverted to start the second race, Thomas was forced to start fifth. He worked his way toward the front, passed Johnny Rumley on the outside on lap 32 and held off a charge from Jeff Agnew at the finish.
"I think Johnny just got too conservative," Thomas said. "He was trying to protect his position by staying down low, so I had to take him on the outside. The guy I was worried about was Jeff Agnew."
However, Rumley, by his own admission, didn't have the horsepower for Thomas or Agnew.
"I was just holding them up," Rumley said. "There is something wrong somewhere and I don't know what it is. But the car just didn't have the power."
In the first race, Reedy started from the pole and led every lap. The key for him was a battle for second between Stanley Akers and Thomas. By the time Thomas could find a way around Akers, Reedy had a comfortable lead.
"Stanley Akers probably won the race for me," Reedy said. "Ronnie had to battle him so long that I only had to race with him on the last few laps. When it got down to 10 laps to go, I put it down on the inside and decided the only way he would pass me would be on the outside."
Reedy did have an anxious moment just six laps from the finish. Joe Lucas spun and brought out a caution that allowed Thomas to catch up to him. Reedy said he knew Thomas was strong on restarts and that was his biggest concern.
"I was a little worried but I think I fooled him because I started as soon as I got to the first line," Reedy said in reference to the two lines in turn three that the leader must accelerate between. "He wasn't expecting me to go that soon, and from there it was my race."
The pole position was the place to be in the other races Saturday night.
Mark Akers started from the point in the Street Stock race and led all the way to take his third-straight feature. Akers had to hold off a tough Mason Ayers, who placed second. Darian Durham was third.
Another pole sitter, Ricky Jefferson, had an easy time of it in the Modified Mini race. All that prevented Jefferson from possibly lapping the field were a couple of caution flags that bunched the field. Tim Walker finished second, but he was no match for Jefferson. Dale Sutphin was a distant third.
Kenny Prillaman started first and stayed there to pick up the Mini Stock win. Tony Howell was second, and Charlie Smith was third.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB