THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 26, 1996 TAG: 9605260207
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JAMI FRANKENBERY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: HAMPTON LENGTH: 52 lines
The frustration for Norfolk's Phil Warren this season in the Late Model Stock division at Langley Speedway ended Saturday night.
Warren, the four-time track champion and last year's Mid-Atlantic Region champ, took the lead from pole-sitter Mike Buffkin on the inside of turn 2 on lap 57 and held on for his first victory of the season.
``It feels pretty good,'' Warren said. ``We've just been working on the (car's) setup for the last couple of weeks and maybe we hit on something that works.''
`When you win 19 races (last season) and don't win one until now, it gets everybody's morale up,'' said Dave Willis, Warren's co-crew chief. ``We've been struggling this year.''
Buffkin, who had won three straight races, was tapped by Doug Godsey on lap 88, ending his run at first place. He ended up 11th.
``My car's handling had been completely out of whack and (Godsey) just got into me, but it's no problem,'' Buffkin said. ``We slowed down tonight. The car got real loose going into the corners.''
Buddy Malish, whose car had a new engine, started seventh but came back to finish second, his best finish of the season. Mike Conner, Roger Sawyer and Tommy Gibbs rounded out the top five.
Jody McCormick started 12th and had moved up to fifth before tangling with Roger Sawyer between turns 1 and 2. McCormick, who had finished second in four races and was third in the points standings, dropped out with a broken rotary button, finishing 20th.
``I passed him and he just hit me,'' McCormick said.
In Saturday's other races:
John Hicks of Hampton started on the pole and dodged three cautions in winning his fourth Grand Stock feature this season. Jimmy Kenney led briefly after a caution on lap 14 before Hicks, the division points leader, recovered. Kenney finished second, ahead of Trevor Falls, in the 40-lapper.
In the 25-lap Limited Stock feature, Norfolk's Jerry Scott led from start to finish for his fourth victory of the season. Paul Lubno was second, followed by Kelly Carson.
In the 25-lap Mini Stock feature, Tyler McCray of Dinwiddie, Va., led throughout for his first victory this season. Joe Lupton, driving in place of Kevin Harrison, who had won every race this season, finished second, with Glenn Smith third.
Chesapeake's Sam Zoellner started on the pole and led all 25 laps in the Pure Stock feature. Zoellner held off a late charge by Kenny Phares, who pulled within a car length in the final two laps. Ginger Freeman finished third in the caution-free race after Gary Ferber was disqualified.
In the Legends division, Gary Terwilliger led from the start and easily won the 25-lapper. Jason Rudd finished second, followed by Wes Weaver, who beat Jim Williams by half a car length. by CNB