Richmond Times-Dispatch from Richmond, Virginia • 61

OUTDOORS E4 BASEBALL E8 SCOREBOARD E9 llidjmonb Simes-flispaW) SECTION FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 8 2000 Sports 8 DAYS TO GO In 1956 at the Melbourne Olympics Paul Andtfson was awarded the gold medal in super-heavyweight weightlifting because he weigied less than his opponent with whom he had tied AtjJrjuifm OQP Editor Jacfc (804) 649-6445 i business: and match mix TT Finding rigfit combination proves tricky ries in the fell for two two-race weekends and one three-day event Next spring marks the first racing weekend in recent history at RIR with only two races running "We've got kids running around and people all over the RIR General -Manager Doug Fritz said "I think it works good a matter of capitalizing on the With the 2001 schedule soon to be released' NASCAR officials 1 have been working to pair races with other events and other series without interfering with television commitments NASCAR Director of Operations Kevin Triplett says hard to categorize which formula works best the two- or three-race weekend Some places have fens that support all three others struggle to put fens in the SEE SERIES PAGE E10 A few tracks have scheduled the three series together but most have scheduled two-race weekends The Truck series has HASCAR notes faced a variety of pair- Page E10 tags sharing week- Winston Cup ends with die Indy entries Racing League the Page E10 Championship Auto Are Busch Racing Teams series Winston Cup cars and the Grand Nation- becoming too al series shnHaif None has been an PBs Ell outstanding success Map ef area Sharing a weekend announdlng MR with an open-wheel se- Ell ries raises fen issues Supporters of one series are not necessarily fens of the other RIR is pairing the Modifieds with the IRL next season leaving the Truck se AM CMEUAfflMES-DtSPATCN In the passing lane Rick CareUi (66) passes Kurt Busch with 21 laps to go en route to winning die Kroger 200 Craftsman Truck Series event at RIR (Details Page E10) VIRGINIA TECH 45 EAST 9 dimmer oevonrs BY REA MciEROY TmisDwatch Staw Warm I Several Winston Cup drivers are pulling double duty this weekend Some ran in the Craftsman Truck race last night others are running in the Busch Grand National race tonight With three races in three nights at Richmond International Raceway the drivers have their pick of events Sodothefons For the past six years RIR has featured the threerace weekend in the In the spring the track brings the Modi-fieds in conjunction with the Grand National and Cup races At one time it seemed to be the trend of NASCAR jamming three series together in one weekend That no longer seems to be the case ecim Was Tech QB Vick-tim of special win? I i GREENVILLE NX Not to push the panic button here but what about the Heisman campaign huh? Have these Virginia Tech Hokiea no sense of priorities? I mean here are the Hokies finally making their 2000 debut on the Lee Corso Network and there are i lightning bolts or floods -in the area an entire nation is atching (the cable- ready segment anyhow BOB you know George 1 UPPER Dubya'S crowd) and the perfect-opportunity to showcase Michael Dwayne Vick and send his Heisman hopes soaring like a NASA space probe and what do they do? I They upstage the kid So shame' on you Cory Bird Nice going Andrd Davis Way to get with the program Chad Beasley Good job Lee SuggS 1 -4 i And as for the rest 'd you punt-block mg quarterback-sack- Game Betas -s' ing pancake-blocking E7 generally-marauding dudes from Blacksburg well if that engraved invitation from the Downtown Athletic Club in mail box come December have only yourselves to blame Tech journeyed to Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium last night fearing upset and hoping Vick could maybe outacore East Carolina all by hi lonesome and engineer a breathless escape What happened instead was practically everybody else on the roster homed in cm the act in a 45-28 dismantling the Pirates Say maybe this is why those Hokies are No 10 in your neighborhood AP poll and tracking toward another very handsome postseason excursion "Mike's not always going to be Mr Bird said "This says we can be pretty good We just have to keep on By the time the first jnlf was in the books and TV viewers were hunting for -remotes and ECU coach Steve Logan for a new snapper it was 31-zip and o-ver SES UPPER PAGE E7 CAROLINA 28 IHt ASSUCMftOPHLSS Virginia Tech's Nick Sorensen (top 14) celebrates with Chad Beasley after Beasley intercepted a pass by East Carolina quarterback David Garrard In the first quarter Hokies defensive end Cols Colas (left) gets his hands on Garrard during another first-quarter play Tech built a 31-0 lead early in the second quarter en route to a nonconference rout in front of 45123 at ECU's Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium National audience sees Hokies romp i- BY JEFF WHITE Tmo-Dhpatch Stwv Wi GREENVILLE NX Pllt Tech on national TV and watch fireworks explode The Hokies who wowed ESPN audiences with their demolitions of Syracuse and Miami last season delivered in prime time again last night East Carolina was supposed to be one the more formidable teams on schedule If that turns out to be true the lOth-ranked Hokies may be headed for another storybook pounced on ECU and then cruised to a 45-28 victory before 45123 at- -Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium thought fch night was a real test coming into this environment with a young said Tech coach Frank BeAm-er whose team entered as a six-point favorite "I thought we stepped The game wasn't as dose as the score might suggest The Pirates (1-1) rallied for two touchdowns in the final 3:39 but never seriously threatened the Hokies (2-0) Tech sewed more than 35 points for the seventh time in season Tech Vick watch PASSING 9 for 15 lOfy yards ID RUSHING 6 carries 13 yards STAT OF THE GAME Vick completed just five passes for 56 yards in the opening 30 minutes but Virginia Tech led 31-0 at the half its past nine regular-season games "We know good" sophomore tailback Lee Suggs said worked hard all season and worked hard in practice just trying to put things together in the The Hokies led 31-0 at the break and not because star quarterback Michael Vick had played unusually welL Tech's special teams stole the spotlight in the first 30 minutes scoring two TDblock-ing a field goal attempt and setting ud a field goaL So what's new? In 14 seasons imfor Beamer the special teams have SEE TECH Inside Sports Who's No Begnning today three of the four IRS Open women's semifinaliRs look to make therr case Page E2 Mark-ed man Washington Redskins safety Carrier suspended for one game for an illegal hit last Sunday's win over Carolina Page E5 i a Defense rests: William and Mary will need a better performance from its de- terse in its home opener tomorrow vs VMI Page E6 Family ties bind Isabelles BY JEFF WHITE Timm -Dispatch St ait Waites UR at UVa Tomorrow 3:30 pm Scott Stadium WRVA (1140) (910) (1440) 3 pm his father Thomas Isabelle moved from Bluefield WVa to Charlottesville last week to be closer to his sons "It's comforting knowing that my father's here the only parent I have left Yubrenal said "Not to have to call him on the phone just to be able to give him a hug when I want to it's a blessing" Deberah cancer stayed in remission for seven years It returned in July 1999 however and die passed away the week of UVas football game with Virginia Tech Yubrenal the Cavaliers' middle SEE UVA PAGE E6 WSPAICH of draws has His CHARLOTTESVILLE lost his mother to breast cancer and no one will fill the void she left in Yubrenal heart But the University Virginia senior isn't alone He strength from a family that grown closer since Deberah Isabelle's death last September brother William is a freshman at Piedmont Virginia Community College and lives with him near UVa His uncle Robert Isabelle has lived in Charlottesville for years Most important perhaps Radio: WRNL WKLV Virginia senior Ikwbeckor Yubrenal IseboDo led the team in tackles per game last year with 87 a a xr we 4 1 iMiiia i ip I I I 4 jUhJUOAAJkXtJUaAAAAAAAAAkAaAAAaAAaAAAAMAAAAJUAAAJUUsAJUaAAAAAJUkaA.