Friday, April 3, 1998 | 8:28 a.m.
SPECIAL TO THE SUN
Veteran stock car racer Mike Ray will tackle two of the toughest divisions when the NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Series Star Nursery 100 highlights action Saturday night at the 3/8ths-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway paved oval.
The Winston Racing Series Late Model Division also is scheduled to compete. Ray, a native Las Vegan, is running both classes, creating a very busy evening.
The Las Vegas contractor turned fast time last year before officials black-flagged him during the main event.
Ray could reverse last year's bad luck with a pair of wins on the same night in two very competitive divisions.
"It really would be quite a thrill," Ray said. "Running 200 laps is no big deal, because that's what we do at Winter Heat (in Tucson). It's jumping from one car to the other which worries me. I'd rather be concentrating on one car, but we'll be okay."
Ray already has grabbed wins in the first three Late Model events of the year at LVMS.
Heading up Ray's challengers in the Featherlite Southwest Series Star Nursery 100 will be Las Vegan Kurt Busch and California drivers M.J. Kanke of Granada Hills, Calif., defending race champion Bryan Germone of Gilroy, Calif., and Craig Raudman of Bakersfield, Calif.
Kanke leads tour points over Ron Eaton, John Metcalf and Kenny Shephard.
Ray leads the Late Model points standings, ahead of Dick Cobb, Scott Gafforini, Wayne Jacks and Jerry Spilsbury.
The evening will also include a tribute to Chris Trickle, a rising star who died last week after being shot in the head in February, 1997. Practice is scheduled from 2-4 p.m., with qualifying slated for 6 p.m and racing at 8.
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