LateModelStock.com - News

New River Action Heats Up

Diane Brinkley 
NRVS Writer 

RADFORD, VA- Phillip Morris was very close to being the Blue Ridge Region champion at the start of tonight's late model race. All he needed was to finish three spots or higher to claim the top spot. At the end of the race he watched it slip from his hands by one spot after he finished first and Wade Day finished third.

Philip Morris

Butch Hamlett started on the pole for New River Valley Speedway's NASCAR Late Model Stock Car race. Chad Harris and Wade Day, fourth and fifth, respectively, shared the track points lead, while Phillip Morris was just behind them in sixth starting position, and third in points.

Hamlett held off Morris for 87 laps until Morris overtook first place for the remainder of the 100 lap race. Hamlett finished the race second.

"Wasn't it great", Morris said, "That guy (Hamlett) drove his heart out, it was a good show, I've never seen a guy drive like that before. He gave me a good race, he's a good guy. I was a little sad I had to beat him."

"He had a faster racecar." Hamlett said, "I was trying to keep my car pinned on the bottom of the racetrack and make him pass me on the outside, we just kept slipping a little. I was hoping to get a better restart on the last caution, but he's (Morris) a good driver, and a good guy."

Since Morris finished first, he needed Chad Harris and Wade Day, who share first place in track points to finish fourth or worse to take their place in the points, as well as take the regional championship, and possibly the national one as well. Morris watched his chance slip away though his rearview mirror as Day took third place, holding off "Tink" Reedy in the closing laps of the race.

"That guy (Day) can drive," Morris said, "he's a tough competitor."

"My car wasn't very good tonight," Day said, "I really hate that it wasn't there, but we're racing better. A lot of it is mental. We've just been working with the car really hard every week."

The New River Valley Mini Stock Cars ran twin 20's tonight. Ron Thomas won the first 20, and finished the second race in third place. Ironically Tony Sarver, who finished third in the first race, took home the win in the following 20.

Wayne Moore finished second, and Burton Martin fifth, in both races. For forth place, it was Glenn Kniceley in the first race and Brent Bell in the second.

Late Model: 1. Phillip Morris, 2. Butch Hamlett, 3. Wade Day, 4. "Tink" Reedy, 5. Hank Turman, 6. Matt Wolfe, 7. Chad Harris, 8. Kelly Kingery, 9. Rodney Cundiff, 10. Brandon Nichols.