THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 26, 1994 TAG: 9406260266
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY VINCE SHAW, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940626 LENGTH: HAMPTON
A week after trying to win after falling behind, Warren grabbed the lead early and held off a strong challenge from Roger Sawyer to win Saturday night's 100-lap Late-Model Stock feature at Langley Raceway.
{REST} A week ago, the roles were reversed. Sawyer led most of the way and had to hold off a hard-charging Warren for the win.
Warren's win - his second - was not without its anxious moments, though.
The Norfolk driver kept Sawyer at bay throughout the race until four laps from the end, when the caution flag flew twice.
``I really didn't want those last two cautions,'' Warren said. ``I knew (Sawyer) had better tires.''
Sawyer was right on Warren's bumper on the restart and was able to pull up beside, but not around, Warren several times in the next few laps. Sawyer's last chance came on the final lap between Turns 3 and 4, when the two cars bumped and got sideways.
Both drivers were able to hold it together, and Warren took the checkered flag by less than a car-length over Sawyer.
``I got under him a bit at the end,'' Sawyer said. ``But I was just racing hard and going for the win.''
``I was fortunate to hold him off,'' Warren said.
Danny Edwards Jr. finished third and Eddie Johnson finished fourth.
With the victory, Warren took over the track points lead. He holds a 12-point lead over Buddy Malish, who finished eighth.
In Saturday's other races:
Newport News' Gordon Weeks Jr. led flag-to-flag in smoking the field in the 40-lap Grand Stock event. Weeks opened up a lead of a full straightaway before a late caution bunched up the field. Win his fifth win, Weeks moved within two points of Norfolk's Roger Bress for the points lead. Mike McVaugh, the points leader heading into last week's race, was disqualified for the second week in a row. The race had six cautions in the first 14 laps.
Yorktown's Kevin Harrison scored his first victory by taking the 25-lap Mini Stock race. Harrison, who started second, passed pole-sitter Brian Loving on the third lap and led the rest of the way.
Tod Carson led flag-to-flag in winning the 25-lap Limited Stock race. The win was the Chesapeake driver's first of the season. Second-place finisher Kevin Adams took over the points lead after Charlie Bryant Jr. wrecked on the second lap and finished 18th.
Jerry Scott continued his dominance of the Pure Stock division with a flag-to-flag win in the 20-lap event. His sixth win increased his lead to over 60 points.
Brian Sockwell passed Steve Mendenhall with three laps remaining to win the 20-lap Charlotte Legends race. The Legends drivers compete in scaled-down replicas of cars used in the 1940s.
by CNB