Bristol Herald Courier from Bristol, Tennessee • 14

Page 14 BHIS1 OL HtKALu uuuKitK riflay beptemuer 1J8J Allison Comes Through With Pressure On JUST WHEN the heat was al most unbearable NASCAR Winston Cup points leader Bobby Allison managed to find some relief on a steamy Labor Day by winning the Southern 500 at Darlington Interna tional Raceway With the temperature soaring to the 97 degree mark at the South Car olina track where stock car legends are built Allison was feeling a differ ent and more irritating kind of heat before piloting the Miller High Life ZDiGard Buick to its first win since the Van Scoy 500 at Ponono Pa on June 12 During the seven race period since his last victory Allison was feeling the scorching breath of arch rival Darrell Waltrip intensifying on his neck as the two time defending Winston Cup champion cut into Alli substantial lead in the points race just as he had done in overtak ing Allison the past two seasons Before win at Darling ton it was almost a foregone conclu sion in many stock car circles that another second half charge by the Waltrip Junior Johnson team would deny Allison his first Winston Cup crown for the third consecutive year Prior to race there were plenty of indications that the momentum in both camp and that of Waltrip had shifted in op posite directions our consecutive second place finishes by Waltrip combined with Allison's hard luck at Talladega and Michigan whittled the points lead er's edge from 212 (2464 2252) to just 61 going into Bristol's Busch 500 The comeback by Waltrip was fueled as much by freakish bad luck as by the consistency of the Johnson team The points leader lost ground at Talladega when a cracked wind shield cost him several laps because it had to be changed under green Allison really felt snake bitten after the Champion 400 at' Michigan International Speedway when a $150 SPORTSWRITER COY BAYS oil filter malfunctioned and caused a blown engine on lap 137 which com bined with an exceptionally low attri tion rate for the rest of the field left him 34th out of a field of 37 cars inally the lead was snipped to just 41 points going into Darlington when Waltrip got a break from the weather man and won the rain short ened Busch 500 when he beat Dale Earnhardt out of the pits before the race was red flagged on lap 419 ALTHOUGH edge was only boosted to a 56 point advan tage (3363 3307) at Darlington and by no means time for the team to begin putting beer on ice for a victory celebration the situation looks brighter and cooler for the DiGard camp going into Sunday's Wrangler 400 at Rich mond airgrounds Raceway Just briefly stopping Waltrip momentum at this point in the sea son makes Allison's Southern 500 win one of the biggest of the 77 in his ca reer and the DiGard team will be going to a track where the driver owns a two race winning streak Although the Waltrip Johnson combination has produced 18 wins from the 27 short track events held since the pair joined forces before the 1981 season only one of the victo ries came at Richmond some reason that team run as well at Richmond as we Allison said of stop on the 30 race NASCAR tour hope the trend continues because our short track program is a lot better this year We are still a little bit short though except at After Sunday's race which will be televised live by ESPN at 1 pm Injury Hobbles ETSU Center Rawlings Dislikes New Role By BILL VILONA Sports Writer JOHNSON CITY Tenn Scott Rawlings stood on the side lines last Saturday at Eastern Hanger ield ner vously shuffling his feet and clap ping his hands It was a unique and unpleasant experience After two straight seasons of starting every game and being one of East Tennessee stead iest performers playing the role of a cheerleader was hard to accept As one of the rare seniors on the Buc roster Rawlings was the least of the new coaching concerns in preseason His perfor mance at center the previous three years spoke for itself But when a nagging ankle in jury didn't heal properly Rawl ings had no choice but to stand and watch like a caged tiger with missing a prac tice is one thing missing a game is quite Rawlings said fol lowing workout in Me morial Center walk out on the field and not be a part of it is a bit ter pill to swallow the game was the hardest part But it get any easier as the game went on Their nose guard was probably the best player on defense and I help but think I was letting the team down by not Call it a case of bad luck or maybe just the odds finally catch SCOTT RAWLINGS Itching To Get Back i i 4 ing up with him When playing one of critical positions the potential for injury is still hard to deal sighed Rawlings my older brother Jeff never played a full season here He had surgery three times thankful been able to play as much as I have But by 'no means have I given up this Rawlings has practiced all this week but will likely be held out of tomorrow game with Ten nessee Tech Both Rawlings and the coaching staff realize week off following the contest would allow the sore right ankle to heal still have nine games Rawlings points out be lucky the rest of the At 6 foot 2 227 pounds Rawl ings exactly come under the classification of your prototype collegiate center Strength and quickness are the main reasons why the Jackson Miss native has made life rough on opposing nose guards got started playing center in high Rawlings re called guess you could say I was the heir apparent I was 175 pounds and never played it before I learned under a good player and I lifted a lot of Rawlings now bench presses 380 pounds He matches physical ability with a sound football mind little wonder why he has been a co captain the past two seasons Rawlings has experienced the peaks and valleys with ETSU foot ball He has suffered through 2 9 seasons twice seen coaches come and go all while the program itself has undergone numerous changes He likes what he sees now guess every football philos ophy has been carried at this Rawlings observed ple ask me about last year and really I felt my first 2 9 year (1980) was much worse Compared to last year it was night and day We had a lot seniors in and the founda tion broke down They gave up year we seemed to pull closer together as the year went on We sure learned a lot of things from it It does seem a greater commitment made to foot ball now I guess natural be cause this is (ETSU president Ron ald) staff the first time all of us really feel it That sense of being welcome is here That feeling been here before I think the most impressive thing about Coach (Buddy) Sasser and his staff is the quality of academic athlete they want to recruit here That will build a strong alumni base something lacking here in the BUC NOTES: Sasser told the Buc squad to take today off and enjoy the free afternoon It has been a policy of to not work out riday before a home game the first time since been here had riday said Rawlings love it prepared all week you need a day off to put your mind at ease I think a great idea If you ready to play by riday practic ing on riday kickoff is set for 7:30 The ETSU Adult Chapter of the ellowship Of Christian Ath letes will meet Saturday morning at 8 at the Western Steer Restu rant on North Roan Street in John son City All those interested are invited to attend Holmes' Challenger Says He Has No Plan ATLANTIC CITY NJ (AP) Scott rank said Thursday he will wait until after the first bell to decide how to avoid the long jab of World Boxing Council champion Larry Holmes during their upcoming heavyweight title bout have a fight plan de cide what to do in the said rank who has a 20 0 1 record with 14 knockouts On Saturday the 25 year old Oakland NJ fighter will be the 16th person to attempt to wrest the title from Holmes who won the WBC championship in 1978 The scheduled 12 round bout will be televised na tionally by NBC TV at 10 pm EDT from a 5000 seat tent on the grounds of Marina casino hotel The 33 year old Holmes unde feated in 43 bouts with 30 knockouts has defended his title 15 times rank is rated No 10 in the WBC heavyweight division and No 7 by the World Boxing Association Holmes and rank have spent the past few days avoiding the media but they attended a pre fight press conference at Thurs day SU Boss Set or LSU ans TALLAHASSEE la (AP) lorida State Coach Bobby Bowden concerned about Louisiana rabid fans added taped screams and yells to his football practice Thursday The 12th ranked Seminoles travel to Baton Rouge Saturday to take on the No 13 Tigers whose fans have earned Tiger Stadium the repu tation of for oppo nents want our boys to see what like to play football when you said Bowden Bowden Continued rom Page 11 reer father was hired by new Jayhawks coach Larry Brown to replace former assistant Jo Jo White Needless to say Kansas now has the inside track on Manning father by the way was driving a truck before landing that coaching job RALPH SAMPSON will return to his old haunts Oct 8 when the Hous ton Rockets take on the Washington Bullets in a National Basketball As sociation exhibition game at Virgin University Hall Members of the Virginia Student Aid oundation and UVa students will get the first shot at scarfing up the $10 tickets Any leftovers will be sold to the general public Sept 16 Sampson recently injured his foot during training camp but it is not believed to be serious SAVE ON SATURDAY ROM 9:00 am 'til 2:00 pm 2 Wheel Balance Tire Rotation Most Cars $595 Oil Lube Wree ilter CALL OR APPT Ki DAYS SAM AS CASH on ivvolviog chnqr at stone stores and many re stone drains Minimum monthly payment equifrd AH finance charges retiinded wtu paid as aqieed We also honot Visa Mas ter Card Dinei Club Cai tv Blan chi American pns Puces and credit plans shown are available it irestone Stores See youi independent irestone deal its toi thru prices and credit plans loirs and dealets air listed in the Yellow Pages Service 01 puce oiler not available at star red locations BRISTOL VA Mt PIEDMONT 703 669 JW SAf 7 30 I no 7 30 5 3DM SAM'S OOD MARKET 873 OLD AIRPORT ROAD DELI CALL IN BRISTOL VA 1 81 PHONE 669 1887 RAINBO BREAD 2 20 oz loaves 99 MILK LAV RICH GAL JUG 1 89 COCA COLA 8 1 6 OZ BOTTLES 129 PAPER TOWELS delta JUMBO ROLL 59 CHEWING TOBACCO LEVI GARRETT 12 PACKS 699 RUIT RESH VEGETABLES BANANAS GOLDEN RIPE 3 LBS 1 00 POTATOES Wisconsin 20 LB BAG 279 LETTUCE ICEBERG HEAD CELERY LARGESTALK CARROTS 1 LB BAG ONIONS JUMBO YELLOW CABBAGE RESH CRISP 59 59 39 lb 29 DELI SPECIALS DELI SLICED HAM lb 299 SLICED BOLOGNA ALL MEAT LB 1 99 SLICED CORNED BEE lb379 HOT DOGS CHIU ONION MUSTARD 3 OR 1 00 HAMBURGER 1 Lb Lettuce Tomato Mayonnaise25 BARBECUE HOMEMADE 149 BEER COORS REG OR LIGHT BEER 6 1 2 OZ CANS 249 MILLER LIGHT BEER 6 12 OZ CANS MICHELOB BEER 612 OZ BOTTLES BEER BUDWEISER SCHUTZ COORS MILLER 616 OZ CANS BUDWEISER BEER 6 1 2 OZ CANS MILLER BEER 1212 OZ CANS BUDWEISER BEER 1212 OZ CANS CASES BUDWEISER BEER 2412OZ CANS COORS BEER REG OR LIGHT 2412OZ CANS MICHELOB BEER 24120Z bottles MILLER LITE BEER 2412 OZ CANS 249299355249579579 9959951195995 the tour stops at Dover another site of an Allison win before going to the ovals at Martinsville and North Wil kesboro where Waltrip captured a couple of checkered flags earlier in the season we can do is take one race at a time and try and win said Al lison of the next four events has been the game plan for the Di Gard Miller team all year and we plan to stop now It do any good to look ahead or behind when we had the big lead we knew it would go down to the last race of the year just like it has for the last four or five said Alli son of the pressure involved with competing for the season long driv ing title on motor most com petitive circuit are still con vinced that we can win the Winston Cup While Allison may not be looking back he can still hear foot steps even though they quite as loud as they were before a hot Labor Day in South Carolina LOCAL NOTES: Bristol Interna tional Raceway and the racing media lost the services of a valuable aide earlier this week when BIR pub lic relations director Eddie Gossage parted company with the new owner and management by resigning Gossage who came to BIR in 1981 took the job with only one ex perience in racing and progressed to the point of becoming one of the most efficient and effective media rela tions people in the sport On top of helping the media in its coverage Gossage was instrumental in the track acquiring and keeping cor porate sponsorship for its events dur ing his three year tenure TONIGHT! TWO SPECIAL 90 MINUTE PREMIERES! 5:30 Weekdays on WITH WINK MARTINDALE A MILLION THRILLS! or some a dream come true for others a night mare of greed and danger! T1 SflWy I NOWONRIMIY' Houston's back and under attack in his most dangerous adventure! I ws I i i i 9:30 PM RY.