DATE: Friday, August 8, 1997                TAG: 9708080833

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C5   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE:    -BY BRIAN J. FRENCH

                                            LENGTH:   63 lines

ROUNDUP

SMS Dash series

revived on

bi-weekly basis

The SMS Dash series didn't stay dead for long.

After dissolving the 4-cylinder division for lack of participants, Southampton Motor Speedway officials decided to restart the SMS Dash series on a bi-weekly basis. Officials also allowed drivers to use tires other than Goodyears in hopes of drawing more cars.

Previously, drivers in any division at Southampton could only use Goodyears.That might have scared off drivers who race on Hoosiers at other tracks.

The new tire rule also extends to the Limited Stock division.

Even before the new tire rules took effect, the SMS Dash series showed a stronger pulse. In its first run as a bi-weekly event, the SMS Dash race drew 11 drivers. VA. MOTORSPORTS

Wirt wins Street A

drag race in 13.37

Chesapeake's Matt Wirt won the Street A division drag race at Virginia Motorsports Park Aug. 1.

Wirt, driving a 1967 Ford Mustang, had an elapsed time of 13.37 and hit a top speed of 103.37 mph.

Norfolk's Brian Murphy was second with an elapsed time of 12.71, though he hit a higher top speed (107 mph).

Ernie Hacker and Ralph Field - both from Virginia Beach - placed second in Saturday's Super Pro and Sportsman races, respectively.

Hacker remains in first place in the Super Pro points race with 829 points, followed by fellow Virginia Beach residents Richard Bernier (809) and Gary White (728). Field is third in the Sportsman series with 538 points, well behind leader Rocky Pintaville (1,369). Scott White of Suffolk is third in the Junior Dragsters series with 567 points, 42 points out of first.

Lug nuts

Three of the four Southampton divisions are led by current or former Langley regulars. Phil Warren leads the Late Model series at both tracks, ahead of second-place Shawn Balluzzo (12th at Langley) by 158 points. Grand Stock leader Kevin Goe ran at Langley last season before moving to the Capron track and Bobby Spivey - 12th at Langley with a victory this season in Mini Stock - has eight victories and leads Keith Edwards by six points in Southhampton's resurrected SMS Dash series. . . . One of the drivers at Langley Saturday will drive in the Legends race, but won't be able to drive back home. He's Jack Bailey, and he's 14. The Fredericksburg native is the youngest driver on the Legends circuit, but he's been driving competitively since 1993, when he started in the Virginia Karting Association. This won't be his first race in Hampton Roads; Bailey placed fourth in the Aug. 1 race at Southampton. . . . All drivers should have track debuts like David Blankenship had at Southampton Aug. 1. Blankenship took the pole, then held off points leader Warren for the win. To date, 71 drivers have taken part in at least one Late Model race at Southampton. . . . Warren remains in third in the Winston Racing Series Atlantic Seaboard points race. Summerville (S.C.) Speedway's Allen Chinners - now with 16 wins in 16 races - is still firmly entrenched in first.

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu