THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 12, 1995 TAG: 9505120611
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 90 lines
Chesapeake native Elton Sawyer, who had not driven in a Winston Cup race a month ago, has been invited to compete in the circuit's all-star event, The Winston, at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 20.
Sawyer was asked to drive in the race by the Junior Johnson team that qualified for the event by winning the Pepsi 400 last year with former driver Jimmy Spencer.
Sawyer made his Winston Cup debut in Johnson's Ford three weeks ago at Martinsville and drove it again a week later at Talladega, Ala.
He failed to qualify the car for last week's race at Sonoma, Calif., but has agreed to drive it in the next two Winston Cup races, the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte and the Dover 500 at Dover, Del.
Sawyer, meanwhile, is continuing to race full-time on the Busch Grand National Series for the Akin-Sutton team, and that presents the only hitch to Sawyer driving in The Winston.
He is committed to driving in a Grand National race at Nazareth, Pa., on the same weekend as The Winston.
The good news, though, is the Grand National qualifying is Saturday afternoon and The Winston won't begin until about 9 p.m.
``Elton is hopeful of being able to fly to Charlotte right after the Nazareth race and taking a helicopter to the speedway in time for The Winston,'' said Randy Laney, a spokesman for Sawyer's Grand National team.
``He will have a busy weekend, but he thinks he can do it.''
Sawyer's schedule would be to practice and qualify for The Winston on Friday and fly to Nazareth that night. He would practice and qualify for the Grand National race Saturday, fly to Charlotte for The Winston, and return to Nazareth for the Grand National race Sunday.
The remainder of the season may be almost as busy for Sawyer, a former champion at Langley Speedway.
Johnson's Winston Cup team would like for Sawyer to drive its car the remainder of the season. Sawyer has said he will do so only if he is able to fulfill his commitment to his Busch Grand National team and sponsor, Ford Motor Credit Co.
Laney said it is possible Sawyer could compete on both circuits.
`There are only one or two conflicts between the schedules,'' Laney said, ``and Elton has the approval of his Grand National sponsor to try to work it out.''
AT LANGLEY: While promoters might not enjoy seeing the same driver winning every week, Langley Speedway's Wayne Wyatt says he has not received any negative comments about Phil Warren's sizzling start in the Late Model Stock division.
Warren, who drives a Chevrolet sponsored by Charlie Falk's Auto Sales, has not left the track yet without a victory after six weeks of racing. His only loss was when he split a pair of 75-lap features three weeks ago with Mike Buffkin.
None of Warren's competitors have yet to charge the Norfolk driver with having an unfair advantage, and Wyatt's inspectors have made special efforts to insure his car is legal.
``Phil has raced here many years, knows the track like the back of his hand, and is in a zone right now,'' Wyatt says. ``I think one of the reasons no one is complaining is that Phil is well liked and everyone knows he has worked hard for everything he has. No one has given him anything.''
Late Model drivers compete in a 150-lap race Saturday night. Features also are scheduled in the other four divisions.
Qualifying begins at 5 p.m. and racing at 7. The first 1,000 moms through the gate will receive a rose.
AT SOUTHAMPTON: Drivers in all five divisions will be asked to show more patience in Saturday night's races after a record run of mishaps last week.
Caution flags were displayed 24 times during the evening, nine more than the average. The Sportsman race was slowed by nine cautions, which equaled the total for all the previous week's feature events.
Time trials will begin at 5:45 p.m., followed by the first qualifying heat race at 7.
DRAG RACING: The Virginia Department of Tourism, which sponsors Hermie Sadler's Busch Grand National team, announced this week that it will be the name sponsor for NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park in Dinwiddie on June 1-4.
The official name of the event, expected to attract 80,000 fans, will be ``Virginia Is For Lovers Nationals.''
The dragstrip opens today at 5 p.m. for ``test and tune,'' and Saturday at noon for an evening of E.T. Points racing.
OTHER TRACKS: Tommy Cherry of South Mills, N.C., will bid for his second victory in the $100,000 Super Seven Series for Late Model Stock drivers Saturday at East Carolina Motor Speedway in Robersonville, N.C. Qualifying begins at 6 p.m., with the first feature at 7:30 p.m.
Dixieland Speedway in Elizabeth City, N.C., has scheduled races for All-Star, Mini Stock, and three classes of Bombers drivers tonight. Gates open at 5 p.m., with racing at 8. by CNB