Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 29, 1994 TAG: 9406300024
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: M.J. Dougherty
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
That line from a skit on the television show ``Hee Haw'' pretty much describes the racing luck Tink Reedy and Ronnie Thomas have had lately in the Late Model Stock Car division at New River Valley Speedway.
Reedy won the first 200-lap race of the season on May 14. Since then, it's been nothing but accidents and engine problems for the Roanoke driver. And Saturday night brought both.
For the fourth time in five weeks, the engine in Reedy's Dodge Avenger was uncooperative. The lack of horsepower in the Chubby Arrington-owned automobile had Reedy 16th on the starting grid. That was fourth from last, 0.79 seconds (about 4 mph) slower than pole-sitter (and eventual race winner) Tony McGuire.
So rather than race an uncompetitive car, the mustard yellow Dodge was loaded back on the truck for a trip to the shop where yet another engine change awaits.
Without a ride for the race, Reedy hooked up with track newcomer Billy Daniel of Rocky Mount. Daniel had been having some trouble with his Chevrolet so the family-operated team wanted to get some advice from Reedy.
``He's been racing longer than I have,'' said Billy Daniel.
Added father and car owner Ray Daniel: ``We needed some brains.''
Reedy climbed into Daniel's car and started from the back of the pack because of the driver switch. Half a lap after the race started, Reedy's luck turned from bad to worse.
``They told me there was an accident on the back stretch,'' said Reedy. ``But by that time, I was spinning.''
Randy Ratliff tried to take advantage of front-row starters McGuire and Jeff Agnew racing for the lead. But instead of passing both of them, he spun and brought out the first caution. The rest of the field escaped pretty much unscathed. Except for Reedy.
Reedy re-entered the race and spun about 10 laps later bringing out another caution. He ended up 13th.
That was three places better than Christiansburg's Thomas. The track's all-time winningest driver with 46 victories, Thomas is enduring the longest slump of his Late Model career at New River.
At this point last year, Thomas had four of what would be his track-record 12 wins. He had three poles and led 494 laps.
This year, it's zero wins, zero poles, just 49 laps out in front - and several weeks off to switch from a Chrysler to a Buick.
Last weekend, it was rear-end problems that doomed Thomas after just 17 laps.
``We might have to take a week off to regroup,'' said Thomas after the race. ``We have to take a hard look at how we do things.''
BAD LUCK - CONTINUED: Of course, racing luck - or a lack thereof - was not limited to Reedy and Thomas Saturday night.
Chad Harris and his team decided to run their new Chevrolet Saturday. But they didn't get very far.
The flutter that has plagued the car still can't be found. The crew thought they had the problem solved, changed the carburetor and the miss returned.
Harris tried to race but pulled his car in after just a few laps. He finished 18th - last.
"If you don't have to deal with these things, you're not racing," the rookie driver from Stuarts Draft said after the race.
Meanwhile, Stacy Compton's Ford was a hot comodity in the Area Ford Dealers 200 - literally. Compton had an overheating problem throughout the day. He qualified fifth but his engine got dangerously hot during the two-lap run.
The car was cooled down enough - and appeared it would stay that way - for Compton to start the race. He moved up to third place in the first couple of laps. But less than 30 laps into the race, the car got hot and Compton had to park it.
It marked just the second time in 13 starts between NRVS and South Boston Speedway, the other home track for the driver from Hurt, that Compton did not have a top five finish.
Ironically, after qualifying two drivers were in Harris' trailer trying to figure out ways to keep their ailing automobiles on the track. But to no avail.
COMINGS AND GOINGS: Mike "Monk" Marion of Fairlawn is expected to be back at the track next week. His suspension has ended and now his Chevrolet Monte Carlo is just about ready to return to racing.
The return of Christiansburg's Bo Howell, and his debut as a regular in the Late Models, will be a few more weeks. The team is still working on preparing the frame of the Chevrolet for the final mounting of the body.
Paul Shull took advantage of an off-week for the Limiteds at Lonesome Pine by coming to NRVS. The Clintwood driver, twice a winner at the Coeburn track this season, started and finished eighth.
North Carolinian Mike Dillon missed his first race of the season at New River. He chose to go to Hickory Motor Speedway in Hickory, N.C. Last Friday, Dillon won his first NASCAR race with a win at Tri-County Motor Speedway in Hudson, N.C.
Charlie Smith of Dublin failed to make the field for the Goody's Dash 150 Saturday at Bristol International Raceway in Bristol, Tenn. Horsepower continues to be a problem for Smith's Toyota as he was more than 2 mph slower than the slowest car in the field.
THEY SAID IT: Ronnie Newman of Salem on becoming the first driver to win the Curtis Turner Hard Charger Award twice: ``It means we can't qualify well. We run with everyone in practice. At qualifying time, they put the new tires on and they're faster than us. But once the racing starts, they come back to us.''
Newman won the honor for his first two races at NRVS after competing the first half of the season at Franklin County Speedway.
Ratliff of Grundy about his first-lap spin out on the back stretch: "I just lost it coming out of the turn [turn 2]. I saw an opening with the two of them [McGuire and Agnew] racing side by side. But I couldn't get there."
THIS WEEK AT NRVS: There will be fireworks at New River Valley Speedway on Saturday. And that doesn't take into account what might happen during the race.
The Wicker Basket 200 features racing in all five divisions, including a 100-lap Late Model feature. Also on tap are a 35-lap race for the Limited Sportsmen and 25-lappers for the Pure Stocks, Mini Stocks and Modified Minis.
And to cap off the evening, there will be a giant fireworks display.
Gates open at 2 p.m. Practice starts at 4. Qualifying gets under way at 6:15. And the green flag drops at 8.
Admission is $10 for adults, $1 for children 12-and-under.
M.J. Dougherty covers racing and community sports for the Roanoke Times & World-News' New River Valley bureau.
Keywords:
AUTO RACING
by CNB