Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, July 12, 1990 TAG: 9007110326
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV11 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: JEFF MOTLEY SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: DUBLIN LENGTH: Long
Prillaman dominated the early races in the division, but drivers began complaining that he was cheating - running with illegal parts. Those charges led to an official protest two months ago by fellow driver Tony Howell. But Howell wasn't the only competitor involved.
Only the second-placed car can lodge a protest against the winner, but in order for Howell to file the protest, the entire field contributed money to pay for a complete breakdown of Prillaman's car.
NASCAR officials spent almost two hours removing everything short of the paint from Prillaman's car. After the inspection was completed, a closed-door meeting was held in the truck of Prillaman's car owner, Butch Wallace. Prillaman's car was certified as legal, but the incident only added fuel to a fire that raged out of control Saturday night.
On the first lap of the race, Prillaman, who started from the pole, hit second-place driver Wayne Lawson and drove him into the wall on the back straightaway. As the cars entered turn four, Lawson lost control and smashed into the wall again, inadvertently taking out Mark Smith.
As Prillaman circled the track, Lawson ran toward his car pointing and Wallace left the pit of his other car, Ray Huff's Late Model Stock entry, to confront Lawson. Track President Steve McMurray and chief steward Lynn Carroll stopped the race to calm the principals.
"I find it totally embarrassing when I have to stop a race just to talk to the drivers over something like that," McMurray said.
But the talk - and a one-lap penalty to Prillaman for putting Lawson into the wall - apparently had little effect. On the restart, Howell began weaving in front of Prillaman to prevent him from passing. After Prillaman practically knocked Howell aside, Howell stuck his arm out of the driver's side window and pointed at Prillaman. Then, it was Larry Hooper's turn to try to block Prillaman, and he was penalized a lap for his tactics.
At the end of the race, Prillaman, Wallace, Howell, Lawson and Hooper were fined by McMurray.
"Eventually their pocketbooks will be empty," McMurray said. "I am trying to run a family facility here, and even though some may like that beating and banging, I am not going to have that kind of conduct at my race track."
What has caused the animosity among the drivers?
"From my perspective, I think they are just jealous," said Prillaman, who denied intentionally putting Lawson into the wall. "Last week Wayne took me out, and I finally decided that if they want to play hardball that I can, too. The last two weeks tempers have been running high.
"We work hard on our car, and maybe we have a little more money to spend on our car because of my dad and my car owner, Butch Wallace. It's not my fault these other idiots won't spend the money. But if they want to tear up some cars, I can guarantee you that we can get ours back the next week.
"But right now, I'm going to quit worrying about it. I trust that the chief steward will take the proper course, and if that doesn't happen, then we may have to take matters into our own hands."
That's Prillaman's side of it, but the other drivers deny they are jealous, and Lawson, who has been challenging Prillaman for first place the past few weeks, said he sees no reason to be.
"I just wish the guy would get out here and race with the rest of us, but it just seems that he doesn't want to," Lawson said. "I don't completely blame him because his car owner is kind of overbearing, too, but now [Prillaman] has the whole field against him.
"He has the fastest car, but we're not jealous. That is part of the challenge - to be able to work hard and catch up.
"But week after week he beats and bangs on us to pass us. That's not necessary and it's just not racing. I really hate this because the fun is going out of it. If the guy would just race with us, everything would be all right."
Smith is another driver who isn't happy with Prillaman's driving.
"The rest of us could get out here and run for 30 laps side-by-side, bumper-to-bumper and never touch each other," Smith said. "If 14 [Prillaman's car] drove like the rest of us, there wouldn't be any problem. I know that occasionally there will be a little contact, but that's OK. What's happening here is ridiculous, and I just don't like the way he drives."
Howell, another key player in this game of hardball, refused to comment.
McMurray said he isn't taking sides in the dispute; he just wants it settled.
"There is always one winner and 20 losers, and those 20 people have to have an excuse," McMurray said. "If a guy dominates, people want to know why. We have checked his car and some of the things didn't amount to a hill of beans, but we have probably made Prillaman change 50 percent of his car.
"I really don't know why they are picking on the 14 car, maybe it's because [Prillaman's] attitude is a bit different. But I don't really care whether they like it or not, they are going to follow the rules. They may like what they are doing, but I will not have hatred among drivers."
What seems to bother McMurray most is the fact that the entire Mini Stock field seems to have teamed up against one driver.
"If I find anyone leading a gang - whether he is a driver, crewman, owner or sponsor - I will make an example out of him. That's a promise."
Even though McMurray has held countless meetings with the drivers and taken money from their wallets, he doesn't see the situation improving soon.
"It's a recurring problem," he said. "They may be just fine next week, but it will surface again - I'm sure it will - and we will take the proper action when it happens."
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB