Monday, April 3, 2006

Berry Hill For Sale, Again

The owners of Berry Hill Plantation Resort announced Thursday that they plan to market the property for sale.
Benchmark Hospitality International, the property management group, will remain in charge of operations for the resort and will ensure a seamless transition in ownership, according to the prepared release.
On Friday, a property spokesman said that April is projected to generate record revenues for the resort, bring 27 additions to the staff, as well as the announcement of a new general manager. With spring events, including the annual Juneteenth Celebration soundly under way, the spokesman said the resort will continue its hospitality operations and amenities.
One of the resort’s owners, Ryan Hill, issued the following statement:
“We are pleased that our perseverance and investments in Berry Hill have paved the way for creating a truly successful world-class resort, and that will be a positive corporate partner for the employees of Berry Hill and the citizens of Halifax County. We also remain committed to assisting the future owners in executing this plan. We would like to thank all of the employees of Berry Hill and the vast members of the community for their commitment and hard work to make Berry Hill successful.”
Berry Hill Plantation Resort is owned by Hill, Darrin Phillips and Chris Russell.
Halifax County Industrial Development Authority Executive Director Mike Eades said yesterday that he was surprised by the announcement.
“Though encouraged there appears to be a market for it and they are aggressively pursuing a buyer through a broker, trying to sell it as a going corporation.” added the IDA director.
County administrator Bryan Foster was also optimistic.
“It appears they’ve gotten things off to a good start, regarding the opening,” said the county administrator. “Properties are sold all the time in the hospitality industry, so I would expect if the property is sold it would continue to operate as it has been.”
Berry Hill is the recipient of a $180,000 incentive grant from the county.
“That is a fund the county set up,” explained Foster. He said it is based on two percent of total capital investment as well as a jobs requirement, which he said Berry Hill met.
“With a $9 million capital investment, they qualify for $180,000 over a five-year period. We have made one payment (of $36,000) with a second payment scheduled in May.
South Boston Mayor Carroll Thackston said he was not familiar with the details of the proposed sale, but that as mayor he was very pleased to see the increase in business at Berry Hill.
“I think it is great they are expecting a record month, it makes the whole facility even more marketable. I really think it has a great future and I am very proud of it,” he added.
“I have gotten to know two of the owners and I hate to see them leave, but they know the business better than I do. I know I speak for Council when I say we are very appreciative of the investments and hard work the owners have put into this project. It is a very vital part of our plan for future economic growth.”
William Fitzgerald, chairman of the Board of Supervisors, said he was hopeful, noting the resort’s bookings.
“Of course the county has great hopes for Berry Hill and it is a great tourism facility. I am hopeful that even if it is sold it will still continue to operate. It is valuable to this county. We get nothing but positive comments about Berry Hill and its operation.”

 

Asbestos Found Under HCMS?
Construction Slowed As Inspectors Investigate Alleged Health Threat

Construction has been halted in a labyrinth of underground tunnels that criss-cross the original building at Halifax County Middle School after an employee complained that unabated asbestos was present, according to a worker who asked not to be identified.
In a call to the Gazette-Virginian Friday, the worker described the tunnels as “real dusty, dirt tunnels” where little moisture has been present for the last 50 years.
He said he was hesitant to give his name for fear he could lose his job.
The original building at the middle school was opened in the 1952-1953 school year.
According to the caller, as many as 30-50 workers have been in the tunnels for the last six weeks, “walking around and breathing” what he alleged were “airborne” particles of asbestos.
The caller said a company was hired prior to the start of construction to determine whether asbestos was present.
The same company, the caller said, has now been hired to return to the school to remove any asbestos present in the tunnels.
According to the unidentified caller, he notified the press because he wanted something on the record when “10 years down the road some (workers) start to develop (health) problems.”
School Superintendent Paul Stapleton said Friday that work has been halted in the tunnels until the investigation is completed.
“We stopped everything (in the tunnels),” he said, acknowledging that one worker has expressed concerns. “We certainly don’t want workers in danger.
“I don’t even know that there’s any asbestos under the school at this point,” he added. “A worker thought it was. There is certainly no danger at all to the children attending the school.”
Stapleton said that a second “total inspection” of the underground work area has been ordered and that the findings are expected to be released toward the end of this week.
Responding to the claim that some workers could have been exposed for as much as six weeks, Stapleton declined to respond saying that “there will be no more workers until they (inspectors) come back and sign off” that the tunnels are safe.
If asbestos is discovered in the tunnels, Stapleton said a clean-up would take place during spring break when students are out of school.

 

Preparing For A Pandemic
Local Authorities Plan How To Deal With Avian Influenza, Emergencies

An outbreak of Avian Influenza (bird flu) could be disastrous to any community, especially if the community is unprepared.
On Friday, members of the Virginia Department of Health, Halifax Regional Hospital, local law enforcement, government and business leaders gathered at Leggett Auditorium to develop a plan for community response in the event of an influenza pandemic.
The message that came out of the tabletop exercise was clear: a plan must be in place before an outbreak occurs.
The exercise prepared by Emergency Management Education Coordinator Kirby Saunders took the participants through a simulated outbreak.
“Each community will be more or less on its own,” Saunders said. “We can not rely on the federal government because they’ll be overwhelmed as well.”
The simulation began with outbreaks being reported in several areas around the country, but none in Virginia. Then the program progressed to the initial outbreaks in Halifax and finally the scenario developed into a full-blown pandemic with 25 percent of the community’s workforce out sick.
Health officials said that supplies of medicine, like Tami-Flu, would not hold up to massive demand and hospital emergency rooms could soon be overrun with patients.
All groups agreed that having a plan in place ahead of time and getting accurate information to the public were two keys to avoiding an all-out panic.
The sick would be encouraged to stay home to prevent spreading the virus and quarantines could be necessary.
Business participants were asked how they would handle having a quarter of their work force out sick? Could they continue operating?
Industries were instructed to design a COOP (continuity of operations) plan in the event that they had to restructure their labor force or change shifts.
An individual sick with Avian flu will be sidelined for approximately two weeks, but the pandemic can last up to 18 months, doctors said.
Local government said their main function would be to coordinate efforts between the health, law enforcement, EMS and business communities. Also, making sure county residents knew what to do and where to go.
Law enforcement agencies and also rescue squad officials said they would pool their respective resources to make responses as efficient as possible. They would also utilize all their volunteer personal.
EMS, police and fire officials also expressed their need for supplies like gloves and masks to protect themselves as much as possible from the virus.
Also addressed was how to deal with extreme scenarios like mass deaths. Bodies could be stored frozen and funeral homes could up their on-site supplies of embalming fluid from a three-month reserve to six months, according to a funeral home manager.
While officials left the exercise with a sense of what would have to be done in the event of an outbreak, health officials stressed that everyone needed to start with individual and family plans in the event of illness.
Families need to know who they can contact for help, how many supplies they need to stock in their home, and how to take care of other day-to-day necessities that could be difficult in the event of a pandemic. Many businesses and schools will be closed, doctors will be overrun and transportation may be difficult, officials said.
Hospital Regional is planning a mock medicine distribution at Halifax County High School in April to test procedures for mass disbursement in the case of a pandemic striking the area.
Participants learned that once an individual recovers from the illness they are immune and can go back to work without fear of getting sick again. This can be valuable information for employers and health workers who serve in high exposure positions.
Officials also agree that the world is due for a pandemic noting that there have been an average of three a century since the 18th Century.
There were three pandemic flu outbreaks in the United States in the 20th Century, with the worst being the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918 that resulted in 500,000 deaths in the U.S. and approximately 40 million deaths world-wide.
Anyone interested in learning more about pandemic preparedness can visit: www.pandemicflu.gov.

Obituaries

Gloria Chalmers Smith
Mrs. Gloria Chalmers Smith, of Bear, Delaware and formerly of Halifax, died Tuesday, March 28, at the Wellington Regional Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Fla. She was 76.
Mrs. Smith was born in Halifax County on July 31, 1929, the daughter of the late James Chalmers and Lizzie Long Chalmers. She was married to the late John Terry Smith and was a member of the Williams Temple C.M.E. Church.
Survivors include two daughters; Rosalyn Darby of Petersburg and Terry Alicia Smith of Bear, Delaware; three sons, Marvin Maurice Adams of Bear, Delaware, Michael Gary Smith and wife Jamie of Fairfax, Va., and Mark Anthony Smith of West Palm Beach, Fla.; three sisters, Mary C. Veney of Petersburg, Alease C. Britton and the Rev. Pauline C. Johnson, both of South Boston; two sisters-in-law, Rosa Chalmers of Columbia, S.C. and Lillian Woody of South Boston; 17 grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Funeral services for Mrs. Smith will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, April 3, at the Williams Temple C.M.E. Church with the Rev. George Brown officiating.
Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family will receive friends at the home of the Rev. Pauline Johnson, 6050 Union Church Road, South Boston.
Edith Ferrell Boyd
Edith Ferrell Boyd, 91, of Spring Lake, N.C., died March 30, 2006 at Western Wake Hospital. She was born June 11, 1914, in Halifax County the daughter of Jessie Ferrell and Ida Lewis Ferrell and was married to Otis Collie Boyd.
Mrs. Boyd was a member of Pleasant Grove Christian Church and was retired from Burlington Industries, Inc.
Survivors include one son, Otis Boyd Jr. of Spring Lake; one daughter, Jennette Soloman of South Boston; two sisters, Ellen F. Wilborn and Catherine F. McDowell; two brothers, Morton Ferrell and L.C. Ferrell, all of Halifax; two grandsons, Ricky and Tony Boyd; three granddaughters, Teresa Boyd, Sandy Willoughby and Libby Wilborn; five great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren.
Graveside services for Mrs. Boyd were held April 2 at 2 p.m. in Halifax Memorial Gardens with the Rev. Harry Phelps officiating.

 

Hard Work Groomed Crews For Success

HCHS and Virginia Tech Football Standout Jack Crews To Be Inducted Into The Halifax County-South Boston Sports Hall Of Fame Saturday
Jack Crews knows well the lessons and the reward of hard work.
As a youth, Crews had to complete his work on his family’s farm in the Elmo Community before he could go off and join his friends to play sports. He credits that hard work and the discipline it took to do it for helping mold him into the outstanding athlete he was to become.
“I worked hard and coming from a farm in the county really helped,” Crews said.
“Working outside on the farm gave me the agility and the strength to go on to the next level. A lot of times now kids don’t get that like we did when we were growing up. They don’t have to work like I had to work when I came up.”
Crews grew up seeing few opportunities to play youth sports.
“We learned all of our sports activity in the back yard – football, basketball, baseball – we did it all,” he said.
“We didn’t have access to get to the Dixie Youth games and things like that when we were coming up because we lived so far out in the county. We just didn’t have the means of transportation to get there.”
When it came to playing football, Crews became a feared competitor.
“We didn’t have any organized football,” he pointed out.
“We’d go around from community to community on weekends playing football. I can say that in our home community and around the area we played in I was the most feared person on that field with no pads.”
Crews said he learned how to be tough through the course of back yard scuffles.
“We had a circle in the back yard and we would wrestle and do things of that nature,” he pointed out.
“ I had an uncle named Frisselle Crews, a man that we called Tom, and he used to initiate all of this action. He was like a father to me and my brother Calvin.”
Crews said that when he was in elementary school at Sinai Elementary School, Gaitha Richardson was a big help to both him and his brother.
“Gaitha Richardson started us off,” Crews said.
“ We used to go over to South Boston and play basketball and play Howard White and Jerry Brooks and them at Washington-Coleman. We didn’t have football until we got to high school at Mary M. Bethune and I got to play under Coach Getty.
Eventually Crews was able to play sports in high school, starting at the former Mary M. Bethune high School. He later played at Halifax County High School under coach Coleman Starnes.
“I really enjoyed playing for Coach Starnes,” Crews said.
“ He was really a treat to play for. He used to work me hard, but I loved him to death.”
As a basketball player at Halifax County High School, Crews played under coach Bill Morningstar.
“I enjoyed working with him too,” Crews pointed out.
“ I hate we didn’t take the championship when he was there. Brad (Ballou) Calvin, Howard White, Jerry Brooks, Hunt Ozmer and myself, we had a heck of a team that year. I thought we should have won that one.”
Crews was a standout in both football and basketball at Halifax County High School. In 1971, in his senior year, Crews led the Comets defense with the most tackles (53). On offense, Crews, playing end, had eight catches for 147 yards, an 18.4 yards per catch average, and two touchdowns.
He was also an All-Western District pick and an All-Northwest Region pick that season.
In basketball, Crews scored 231 points during his senior year for a 13.1 points per game scoring average. He was named to the All-Western Valley District Team.
Crews’ success was fueled by his determination. Even during his high school years, Crews dug deep to accomplish his goals.
“Even from Halifax County High School, there were many nights when I had to hitch a ride home,” Crews pointed out.
“ I would often have to walk a pretty good distance before I could get a ride.”
Crews earned an athletic scholarship and went on to play football at Virginia Tech. As a linebacker, Crews was one of the team’s top performers and is still recognized as one of the more outstanding linebackers to play football at Virginia Tech. He was the fastest player on the team at the time and his toughness quickly became known to many people.
“It was a great time,” Crews said of his college football years at Virginia Tech.
“College football was draining, but it was fun, too. You’re out there among the best and you want to be the best. I didn’t see anybody up there that I thought could bring me down. I felt like I was the stoutest thing out there.”
Crews had visions of going on to play professional football in the NFL. However, knee injuries made that dream impossible. Still, he often thinks what could have been.
“Every time I look at a NFL game I often think about what would have happened if I had gone pro,” Crews said.
“ I feel like I could have made it.”
Crews loved the competition and his approach throughout his athletic career was simple – “be the best I could possibly be. I loved the competitiveness. I liked to compete. I still like to compete.”
When Crews could no longer play football he got a job working for McDonald’s. He is still with McDonald’s today, employed as a supervisor for JBN Enterprises which operates McDonald’s franchises in Reidsville, N.C. and Madison, N.C.
Today Crews is still active in sports and serves as an official for high school basketball, football, baseball and softball in Rockingham County, N.C. and works with youth at area youth recreation departments.
He resides in Madison, N.C. and he and his family are active members of Beulah Baptist Church where he has served as Superintendent of Sunday School and is now serving as the chairman of the Board of Deacons.
The former Halifax County High School and Virginia Tech star will be one of four individuals that will be inducted in the Halifax County-South Boston Sports Hall of Fame Saturday night.
“I’m real excited about being inducted into the hall of Fame and I’m looking forward to it,” Crews said.
“This ranks above anything I’ve ever received.”
Saturday’s Sports Hall of Fame Induction Banquet will be held at 6:30 p.m. at C.H. Friend Elementary School in South Boston.
Tickets are priced at $20 each in advance and $25 each at the door. Hall of Fame officials noted that only 250 tickets will be sold.
The tickets are available at a handful of locations including Velro Church Supply in Halifax, Halifax Pharmacy, Waskey Cleaners, Electric Service Company, True Value Hardware, the Gazette-Virginian and from any member of the Board of Directors.
Three other outstanding athletes, Bill Maxwell, Don Thompson and Alfred Joseph “Scooter” Savarese, will join Crews for induction into the Hall of Fame this year.

 

Comets Open District Play Tuesday
HCHS Will Face Patrick Henry Here Tuesday As It Gears Up For This Week’s Two District Games

It hasn’t been the best of times for the Halifax County High School varsity baseball team through their stint of early-season non-district games.
But, the Comets, 3-4 overall, may be on the verge of turning things around.
The Comets had a good all around outing on the diamond in Friday’s 4-0 shutout of Bassett High School. Hurler Jeremy Jeffress fanned 10 batters and gave up only two hits, the Comets’ defense was good and, most importantly, the Comets were able to come up with the key hits at the right time.
The good outing on Friday came at a good time as it was the team’s final tune-up for Western Valley District play which opens this week.
Halifax County will play its Western Valley District opener here Tuesday at 5 p.m. against Patrick Henry, a team that has been on the rise over the past couple of seasons. Then, on Thursday, the Comets will travel to Rocky Mount to face Franklin County (6-1) in another key district game. On Friday, the Comets will face Loyalsock Township of Williamsport, Pa. a team coached by former Comets baseball standout Casey Waller, to complete a big three-game week.
Comets coach Kelvin Davis says he feels his team is ready for the start of Western Valley District action, especially coming in off of the win over Bassett.
“That win helps us tremendously as far as our mental attitude is concerned,” Davis said.
“The pitching was there, the defense was there and, hopefully we will be able to continue with the sticks. When you execute plays that you’ve been working on and you see the little things and how they can make a big difference, it makes a world of difference. If we continue to play well, if we continue to improve on our sticks, I think we’ll be fine.”
Davis said he is expecting to see his team receive a good test against Patrick Henry here Tuesday.
“You never know about PH,” Davis pointed out.
“ They’re a team that is progressing every year. They have a good record going into district play. They’re going to be pumped up too.”
Davis said the fact that his team is able to open district play at home is good for his team as well.
“We’re looking for a good crowd to come out and support us,” Davis said.
“ The home field advantage is a big thing mentally.”
The Comets coach pointed out that Thursday’s road game against Franklin County is a big one as well.
“We must play well at Franklin County,” the Comets coach pointed out.
“ Franklin County is going to give us a tough match-up up there. They always do.
That is a big game. We think Franklin County is going to be right in the hunt this year because they haven’t lost that much. They have a couple of pitchers coming back. It’s going to be a great ballgame.”
Davis said he expects this to be another year of very competitive baseball in the Western Valley District, another year in which it will be crucial to stay at or near the top of the standings if you want a shot at the district championship.
“This is a tough district,” Davis pointed out.
“We know it’s going to be a battle all the way through the district. We just need to take it one game at a time. The first game is PH and that’s the game we’re focusing on now.”

Timely Hitting Yields Win For Comets

Halifax County Blanked Bassett 4-0 Friday In Final Tune-Up For District Play
For one of the few times this season, the Halifax County High School varsity baseball team got the hits when they needed them the most.
The result was a 4-0 shut-out of Bassett in what was the final non-district game for the Comets before they kick off Western Valley District play here Tuesday against Patrick Henry.
“This was a big win for us,” said Comets head coach Kelvin Davis after the win that resulted in Bassett’s first loss of the season.
“We have district play coming up next Tuesday with PH and district play is what it’s all about. These (non-district) games we have played fine-tune us for district play. This win will do a lot to help us mentally going into next week.”
The Comets, now 3-4 overall, had four hits in the game, the key hit being a two-RBI double in the top of the fifth inning that allowed the Comets to break a scoreless deadlock and spur a three-run rally that put them over the top.
Matt Conner, Tony Barbour and Bobby Owens had one hit each to account for the remainder of the Comets’ hits.
While the Comets had only four hits, they made Bassett play defense as they hit the ball sharply throughout the game.
“I thought we hit the ball well today,” said Davis.
“We just hit the ball right at somebody. Justin came up with that big hit. Sometimes things go for you and sometimes they don’t and today it went for us. A lot of the guys were struggling at the plate. Today, they hit the ball well and that was a big thing. I wanted them to come up and hit the ball well.”
Senior hurler Jeremy Jeffress spun another solid game, fanning 10 batters including the final two batters in the bottom of the fifth inning to squelch a budding Bassett rally. He allowed only two hits and two walks while going the full seven-inning distance.
“You can’t say enough about Jeremy’s performance,” said Davis.
“ I thought he threw well. He was hitting his spots. He kept guys off balance with his curve ball and change up.”
The game was a tight one with the two teams battling through four scoreless innings before the Comets caught fire and scored three runs in the top of the fifth inning to break the game open.
Halifax County’s big inning opened with Jacob Swillie reaching base with a walk Kaleb Long laid down a nice sacrifice bunt to move Swillie to second base. Willie Stephens grounded out to the shortstop for the second out of the inning and Matt Conner walked to put runners on first base and third base.
With two out, Justin Bagbey delivered a two-RBI double to give the Comets a 2-0 lead. Tony Barbour reached base on an error and Jeremy Jeffress reached base on a walk. David Lacks walked to force in a run and put the Comets up 3-0. Bobby Owens grounded out to end the inning, but the damage had been done.
Bassett tried to rally in the bottom of the inning, using a leadoff single, a stolen base and a Comets error to put runners on first base and third base with no out. The Comets got out of the inning with no further damage.
The Comets added an insurance run in the top of the sixth inning. Kaleb Long reached base on an error, advanced to third base on a pair of wild pitches and scored on a sacrifice by Conner to put the Comets up 4-0.
Halifax County almost got another run in the top of the seventh inning when Barbour reached base on a hit and advanced to third base with a pair of stolen bases. Barbour was, however, stranded at third base and was one of eight runners the Comets stranded in the game.
Bassett attempted to muster a final bid in the bottom of the seventh inning when Jeffress hit a batter with a pitch with one out. The next batter singled, and with some nifty base running, the Bengals had runners on second base and third base with one out.
However, the Comets got the second out when Joey Rogers snagged a somewhat difficult fly ball in right field and Jeffress fanned the following batter to retire the side and end the game.

 

The South Rises Again At Hooters Pro Cup Aaron’s 250
South Division Driver Clay Rogers Tops North Field

Hooters ProCup South Division driver Clay Rogers came north to compete in the ProCup North Division season-opener Saturday at South Boston Speedway, heading south with a win in the Hooters ProCup Series Aaron’s 250.
Rogers, from Mooresville, N.C., started on the outside pole and passed defending Hooters ProCup champion and pole sitter Benny Gordon (DuBois, Pa.) on the first lap, setting up a race-long duel between the emerging rivals which ultimately went to Rogers.
Former South Boston Late Model stalwart and 2005 ProCup Rookie of the Year Woody Howard (Chesapeake, Va.) qualified third and finished third, and veteran Hooters driver Jeff Agnew (Copper Hill, Va.) rallied for fourth. ProCup rookie Eric Sartin (Kermit, W.V.)rounded out the top five.
Shelby Howard, of Greenwood, In., jumped from 23rd in qualifying to finish sixth, followed by Mooresville’s L.W. Miller, Gary St. Amant of Delaware, Oh., Richard Landreth of Pine Hall, N.C., and Clearspring Md.’s Eric Corbett.
Miller rallied from the 28th spot at the start of the race for his strong finish, while Corbett had the biggest jump, coming from 29th at the start to finish in tenth-place for the Aaron’s Hard Charger Award.
South Boston’s Stacy Puryear qualified a strong fifth and ran in the top ten for most of the race before retiring with mechanical problems on lap 150.
A total of 32 drivers took part in the ProCup North Division season-opener, with Rogers the lone South Division race driver in the starting grid.
Clay, who took advantage of a mishap involving Gordon to take the lead for good on lap 157, admitted later their budding rivalry was part of the reason for running the Aaron’s 250.
“It’s a friendly rivalry, he used to drive for the same people I drive for now,” explained Rogers. “To be honest, the only reason he came here is because he came to Valdosta (Georgia), tested before the season began and ran there.
“But, I like this track, it’s only two hours from home and I haven’t been here since 2002,” he continued, adding the track has changed in a positive way since then.
“It’s widened out now, and it makes it really fun with all of the racing grooves,” said Rogers.
“I didn’t want to make anyone mad, but, hey, I work off percentages and I came up here to make money. The more you race, the more money you make..”
Staying up front and out of trouble while finding the best racing lines were the recurring themes of Saturday’s event, which was marred by 14 cautions for the total of 81 laps, including one red flag stoppage.
Three penalties were handed out for rough driving, but the front runners managed to avoid most of the mishaps until lap 157, the turning point of the race for Rogers and Gordon.
“We basically had the lead for the cars that pitted, and that’s what I needed. It would have made a huge difference,” said Gordon.
“But, the No. 22 (rookie Derek Kale) was determined to get his lap back,” he continued, adding that Kale hooked race leader Lonnie Rush Jr. directly in front of him.
Rogers, riding the low part of the track, took advantage of the incident involving Gordon to avoid the mishap and take the lead for good.
The pair had switched the lead three times previously, with both searching for the best line to race in order to stay ahead of the other.
Rogers ended up leading the race for 197 of the 250 laps (1-34, 39-107, 157-250), while Rush, who inherited the lead when the lead cars pitted on lap 108, led for 49 laps. Gordon led for four laps (35-38).
Rogers said he knew the best opportunity to pass Gordon would come with lapped traffic and admitted to a little good fortune in accomplishing that feat.
“We just got lucky and we went down the on the low side of the track to see it anything would happen and I was lucky that it did,” said Rogers. “My hat’s off to Jason Reiner, my spotter for alerting me.
“Benny’s probably more upset with the lapped cars than anything else, and that may have cost him the win. It would have been just as hard for me to pass him if he were out front, but fortunately the race went our way.”
“I ran well at the bottom all night,” said Gordon. “Clay was running the high line and I was getting past him on the lower groove.
“If I could have maintained the lead, I think with clean air he couldn’t have gotten around me, but when he found the bottom it was all over,” he added.
The mishap on lap 157 damaged Gordon’s car, and that combined with Rogers’ move to the low side, ruined Gordon’s chances for a win.
“After that I was playing catch-up,” said a disappointed Gordon. “It was a good, close race, but I definitely don’t like a Southern guy coming up and whipping us, that’s for sure.
“In the end, he moved down and took the air off my car, and moving down was the best move of the night for him. When he stayed up, I felt like I could have outrun him, but my car was too beat up.”
Gordon hinted that the rivalry may be heating up as the season progresses.
“Not to take anything away from Clay, he had the faster car,” said Gordon. “When I go down there (Southern Division) to race them, I’ll be ready.”
Howard, Agnew and Puryear were satisfied with their finishes, but for different reasons, Howard’s third-place hopefully a sign of things to come.
“I feel like we’re one of the teams that can compete for a championship,” said Howard, adding he spent the majority of the race trying to find the best racing line for his car.
“I can’t complain with third tonight, even though the pit stop put us behind some front runners and lapped cars. We made some adjustments during the pit stop but never really got to show it.
“ I couldn’t decide which way to run, sometimes it worked low, some other times high, but it’s a good show for the fans.”
Howard, who had several good runs on Gordon but couldn’t pass in the later stages of the race, knows he has a car to deal with in the future.
“I’ve proven before that I can beat Benny. He’s a good competitor and a good friend.”
Agnew said he could never get comfortable with his car the entire weekend, but was still satisfied with his finish.
“My car was never really hooked up, and it hasn’t been since we’ve been here,” he said. “The track was really greasy once you got going and the car wanted to skate around. We made a couple of adjustments, but we got spun out and had to go to the rear.
“Our guys did a good job of getting us back in contention and giving us a shot at it, so all in all, to come out here with fourth is good.”
Puryear, who plans to compete in about seven to eight races this year, felt good about his effort, despite the mechanical problem that dropped him from contention.
“I’m actually tickled to death with how we did,” said Puryear, who is also serving as crew chief for Keven Wood in the Late Model division at South Boston.
“Getting back in the car was a lot of fun, and we probably had a fifth or sixth-place finish coming, but I think something happened to the ignition box. It’s just one of those things.
“We struggled in practice, but I pulled a rabbit out of my hat in qualifying in the top five, and now we can get better and go test.”