THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 2, 1996 TAG: 9606020231
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JAMI FRANKENBERRY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: HAMPTON LENGTH: 58 lines
Just one-tenth of a second separated the top 12 in qualifying for the Late Model Stock feature Saturday night at Langley Speedway. So no one was surprised when the drivers provided a tightly contested thriller in the 100-lap event.
Pole-sitter Phil Warren of Norfolk withstood a challenge from Poquoson's Greg Edwards early in the race and another from Hampton's Shawn Balluzzo near the end for his second consecutive victory.
After a caution on lap 96, Balluzzo pulled next to Warren. But the Norfolk driver took the lead for good in the final two laps.
``I just couldn't hold it,'' said Balluzzo, who started seventh. ``If we'd had another lap or two, it might have been different, but I backed out.''
Mike Buffkin, Buddy Malish and Jody McCormick rounded out the top five.
Warren and Edwards dueled for first until Edwards began falling back after Warren passed him on lap 64.
Edwards, who ended up sixth, rode Warren's bumper for the first 15 laps before a five-car pileup between turns 3 and 4 brought out the first of eight caution flags.
``It was just too busy for me,'' Warren said. ``But we were able to end up where we wanted to be.''
Edwards took the lead on lap 50 and held it until Warren came back on the inside on lap 64. McCormick also got by Edwards on lap 64.
Balluzzo took second from McCormick on lap 83 and was able to stay close to Warren because of four cautions in the final 17 laps.
But Warren got a good restart on lap 96 after John Staton's crash and stayed in front. Buffkin, who had won three straight races before Warren's win last week, dropped as far back as eighth but recovered in the last 40 laps.
``I thought after 20 or 30 laps I wouldn't have nothing for them,'' Buffkin said. ``But (the car) stabilized with about 40 laps left and we were able to get back in it.
``Shawn was a little bit better there in the end.''
In other races:
In the 40-lap Grand Stock feature, Hampton's John Hicks started fifth before taking the lead for good from Jimmy Kenney on the back straightaway on lap 13 for his fifth victory of the season. Rhett Bussler finished second and Kenney third in the caution-free race.
Paul Lubno of Hampton passed pole-sitter Jerry Scott on lap three and never trailed after that in the Limited Stock feature. Scott finished second, ahead of Kelly Carson, in the 25-lap race, which saw six cautions.
In the 25-lap Mini Stock feature, Yorktown's Kevin Harrison started 16th, but nudged and passed Tyler McCray on lap 20 to take the lead. Harrison held on for the victory after a three-car incident on lap 23 forced a restart. McCray finished second, followed by Joe Lupton.
Points leader Kenny Phares of Newport News led from the start in the 25-lap Pure Stock feature. Sam Zoellner finished ahead of Chris Russell for second.
In the 25-lap Legends feature, Jimmy Adams of Suffolk started on the pole and held off late-charging Jason Rudd for the victory. Rudd rode Adams' bumper on the final lap and pulled next to him coming out of turn 4 before Adams pulled away to win by less than a car length. Gary Terwilliger finished third.
Racing on Friday night, the first of seven Family Fun Nights, was postponed due to light failure. by CNB