Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, August 5, 1993 TAG: 9308050053
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-7 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: M.J. DOUGHERTY
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Long
His car was running well, recording 17-second (88 mph) laps during early practice sessions. And more importantly, he could keep his car ahead of the winningest Late Model driver, Ronnie Thomas.
Francis drove even faster in qualifying, making his way around the .416-mile oval in 16.92 seconds. It looked like he would have the pole, but the last two cars waiting in line to qualify just happened to be the two fastest cars the last couple of weeks - Johnny Rumley and Thomas.
So Francis ended up starting third. He was passed by Rodney "Six Pack" Cundiff on the first lap and ran fourth the rest of the race.
The second race didn't go so well, however. Francis started third again, as the top six cars were inverted. He got up as high as second for a few laps about one-quarter of the way through the race.
Francis started falling back. On lap 78, he was involved in a nine-car spin in turn two. His Regal was the only car in the melee that had to be towed from the track.
\ A FIERY BEGINNING: Jeff Agnew brought his red-and-blue No. 05 Chevrolet Lumina to the track. But he didn't drive the car that he has used to win the Late Model championships at NRVS and Lonesome Pine the last two years.
Instead, Agnew was in the black No. 1 Chevy owned by Bruce Sweeney and driven until a few weeks ago by Mike Dillon. Agnew qualified well - 16.98 seconds - and ran near the front for 37 laps.
Then the back end of the No. 1 car caught fire as Agnew drove into the first and second turns. Agnew wasn't seriously hurt, but the car was out for the night.
\ RETURNS TO THE TRACK: A driver and a car made their 1993 Late Model debuts at the speedway in the doubleheader - with limited success. Meanwhile, a familiar face turned up in a new division - Limited Sportsman.
The driver was Ronnie Newman of Salem, who drove his Pontiac Grand Prix to a 16th-place finish in the first race. He then let Brad Teague, whose had engine trouble in the initial race, drive the Grand Prix in the nightcap. Teague finished seventh, the last car on the lead lap.
The car was the Tink Reedy-owned red No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro which last raced in 1991. Orvil Reedy, Tink's dad, drove the car in what was hoped would be a couple of shakedown cruises. Orvil finished 15th in the first race, six places ahead of Tink, but was the first car out of the second race.
And back in a new division was Grump Willis. A 10-time winner in Pure Stock, Wills qualified fifth and finished sixth in his new No. 02, a bright orange Pontiac Grand Prix.
\ FULL-MOON MADNESS: The Pure Stock drivers seemed possessed. Of the 14 cars that started the 25-lapper, only two did not receive noticeable body damage during the race.
The winner, Davis "Ducky" Phillips, survived being tagged when Tommie Allie spun as the two raced side-by-side during the first dozen laps.
On the restart after the accident, Aaron Deplazes made contact with Garry Davis in turn three. Davis hit the outside wall, got out of his car, ran across the track and tried to hit Deplazes.
The decision to take matters into his own hands could be costly for Davis, who along with Allie and Mike Marion is involved in a battle for the points championship with Wills out of the picture. Lynn Carroll, the chief steward, said disciplinary action would be determined later.
The scariest accident occured a couple of laps later when Brian Chinault hit both the outside and inside walls. The top of his Chevy Camaro was cut off to remove him from the car, in case he had suffered neck or spine injuries. He hadn't; he was treated at Radford Community Hospital and released.
Not even the end of the race could escape harm's way. Only six cars remained running, but two of them - Barry Davis and Amos Stanley - tangled down the front stretch as they raced for the checkered flag.
\ HINKLEY SIDELINED: Back problems will force Jimmy Hinkley to miss the rest of the racing season - and possible prevent him from slipping behind the wheel competitively again. The Christiansburg driver had not won a race this season but had worked his way up to second in the Modified Minis points race because of his consistent top-five finishes.
\ THIS WEEK: For the second straight week, the Late Model Stock Cars will be running 200 laps. But Saturday night, it will be in one race as part of the Taco Bell-Virginia's 13 300.
This race is part of the six-race Doughton's Racing Products-Camaro Junction Challenge Series. Thomas has won two of the three pervious races and has a 10-point lead in the standings. Rumley is second in the series and has the other 200-lap win.
The racing program also includes a 35-lap Limited Sportsman race and 25-lappers for the Modified Minis and Pure Stocks. There will be no Mini Stock race.
Gates open at 2 p.m. Practice begins at 4. Qualifying starts at 6:15. The green flag drops at 8 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults and $1 for children 12 and under.
M.J. Dougherty cover sports for the Roanoke Times & World-News' New River Valley bureau.
by CNB