DATE: Friday, June 27, 1997                 TAG: 9706270855

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C8   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: FRANK VEHORN

                                            LENGTH:   69 lines

ROUNDUP - AUTO RACING

Langley Speedway promoter Wayne Wyatt says he doesn't waste time worrying about things that probably will never happen.

Thus, he's not concerned by recent reports that tobacco companies will be forced to withdraw sports sponsorships and that he may face competition from a new track being proposed in Chesapeake.

Wyatt doesn't think either will happen.

Langley, like other weekly tracks in the NASCAR fold, receives money from R.J. Reynolds, but it is small change compared to the millions pumped into NASCAR's premier division, Winston Cup.

Wyatt says most weekly tracks receive about $5,000, which is used to spruce up the track or sponsor one of the weekly races, as is the case at Langley.

``It's not the money that concerns me, or if cigarettes are bad for you,'' Wyatt says. ``We know they are bad for you because it says so on the label. What bothers me is more invasion by big government on our private lives and business.''

Wyatt says he and his children have been around Winston Cup racing most of their lives. None of them smoke.

``It's ridiculous to think people smoke because a cartoon character tells them, or because Winston sponsors a race,'' he says. ``People smoke because they want to smoke. It's freedom of choice.''

As for the proposed track in Chesapeake, which once was proposed for Suffolk, Wyatt is convinced it has no chance to be built.

``I said it would never be built in Suffolk, and it will never be built in Chesapeake, at least not by Joe Baldacci,'' Wyatt said.

Baldacci was the promoter at Langley before Wyatt. He currently promotes races at Southside Speedway in Richmond. More suspensions

The list of suspended drivers and team members grew longer this week at Langley.

NASCAR chief steward Butch Lassiter suspended Jim Mosley, who owns Joe Gaita's Late Model Stock car, for one month and fined him $500 for verbal abuse of officials and pushing one official. Tucker Boyd, another team member, was suspended for two weeks and fined $100 for verbal abuse.

Pure Stock driver Dude Gibbs was fined $50 for reckless driving in the pits during qualifying and $100 for not allowing NASCAR officials to inspect his engine after last week's race.

Officials lifted an announced suspension, and Gibbs, sixth in the points standings, will be permitted to compete Saturday.

Late Model Stock driver Mike Connor, suspended last week after an altercation in the pits, still has one more week to sit out. This and that

Too bad Late Model Stock driver Shawn Balluzzo did not win Saturday's race at Langley. He could have announced from victory lane, ``I'm going to Disney World!'' Balluzzo, who also races at Southampton Motor Speedway, and Terri Verstynen were married last Friday. They left for a honeymoon in Orlando following the Langley race. . . . Late Model Stock driver Tommy Cherry received help from an unexpected source last week at Southampton. Cherry damaged his car when it blew a tire and slammed into the wall. His crew, while attempting to make repairs, was offered a part from Doug Godsey, with whom Cherry has had hostile moments on the track. Despite the help, Cherry's car could not be repaired in time for the feature, which Godsey won. . . . Richmond International Raceway's Winston Cup race on Sept. 6 has a new name and a new sponsor. It is now the Exide NASCAR Select Batteries 400. The speedway and battery company announced a three-year agreement this week.

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