Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, October 10, 1993 TAG: 9310100063
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: E3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Staff report
DATELINE: MARTINSVILLE LENGTH: Medium
With NBA star Michael Jordan, 30, and NASCAR Winston Cup standout Harry Gant, 53, hanging it up, Radford, who turns 62 this month, still has his foot on the gas. He has two victories and the New River Valley Speedway championship this season.
Radford is one of 146 Late Model Stock Car drivers entered for next Sunday's $169,258 Advance Auto Parts 500 at Martinsville Speedway. Only the 30 fastest will start the race.
The unique NASCAR double-header, under a new format at the speedway, features a 300-lap Busch Grand National race and a 200-lap LMSC race. The two divisions race on the same track on the same day only in this event.
Radford is a six-time Martinsville winner, his first victory coming in 1972, and he and the late Ray Hendrick are the only drivers ever to sweep doubleheaders at the track. Radford swept the 1977 Dogwood 500 that included 250 laps for Modifieds and 250 laps for Grand National cars.
Radford has a 104-102 lead over Johnny Rumley in the $5,000 Camero Junction/Doughton's Racing Products Challenge that ends at Martinsville and pays the top driver $1,500.
Posted awards of $50,165 and $10,000 for the winner make the Late Model Stock Car race one of the richest for the division in the nation. The race has attracted drivers from New York, Florida and California.
Christiansburg's Ronnie Thomas holds the event and track qualifying record of 89.876 mph. Time trials are 3 p.m. Friday; the 20 fastest cars will earn starting positions. The remainder of the lineup will be determined at 2 p.m. Saturday in two 50-lap qualifying races.
Grand National drivers, running for posted awards of $119,092 with more than $15,000 going to the winner, qualify at 1 p.m. Saturday. The 30-car field will be set during the time trials.
Jimmy Hensley holds the Grand National qualifying record for the event and the .526-mile track at 92.774 mph.
Winston Cup drivers Ernie Irvan, who won last month's Goody's 500 at Martinsville, Terry Labonte, Rick Mast, Hut Stricklin, Jimmy Spencer and Rick Wilson have joined the entry list that includes Jeff Burton, Ward Burton, Tommy Houston, Steve Grissom, Joe Nemechek, Chuck Bown and Ricky Craven.
Grissom, David Green and Nemechek are leading the GN championship battle with four races remaining.
The race also will be the finale of the $15,000 "Virginia Is For Lovers" Series, sponsored by the Virginia Division of Tourism, for drivers who record the best average finish in the two Grand National races at Richmond International Raceway and the two at Martinsville. Green, Hermie Sadler and Nemechek head the chase for the $10,000 winner's prize.
The Grand National race opens the program at 1 p.m. on Sunday. It will be shown live on The Nashville Network and broadcast by MRN radio.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING