As Bowman Gray Stadium nears the halfway point of the 2015 season, the points races start to come into more focus for fans and competitors.
Tim Brown of Tobaccoville, who has more championships under his belt than any competitor ever in the Brad’s Golf Cars Modified Series, currently leads the way for another season. Brown’s year started off on a mediocre note for the nine-time champ. In the May 23 Double Points Night, Brown fell to fifth in the points standings and was 24 points behind leader Burt Myers of Walnut Cove.
But in past weeks, Brown has turned on the gas while Burt Myers has fallen behind. On Saturday, Brown added a few more points to his lead – now 18 ahead of second-ranked Burt Myers.
“Our car is off a little bit right now,” said Burt Myers. “That’s the thing I’m most concerned with – not the points or anything else. Right now, I’ve just got to get my car better. If I can get my car better, then I know we can make some things happen.”
A huge part of Myers’s issues have come from his lackluster qualifying – something that Myers and crew have been working on. “We’re getting a little bit better every week. There’s that fine line between getting your car to qualify well and getting it to race well,” said Myers. “And it seems like in the past that this car has always raced really well but was a little off in qualifying. Now that we’re getting better in qualifying, I’m getting a little bit off in the race. So I’m just going to try and go back the other direction a little.”
Chris Fleming of Mount Airy spun in the second race, dropping him down to third in the points. Jason Myers of Walnut Cove earned the most points on Saturday, but it wasn’t enough to move him out of fourth in the points standings.
In the Farm Bureau Insurance Sportsman Series, Michael Adams of Yadkinville wins on Saturday, moving him up to tie Tommy Neal of Walkertown for second in the points rankings. Zack Clifton of Walkertown climbs to fourth, while Rookie Chase Hunt of Lexington falls to fifth. Above it all, Taylor Branch of Lewisville continues to ride in the points lead – 30 points ahead of the rest of the pack.
Brian Wall of Winston-Salem enjoys a similar lead in the Q104.1 New Country Street Stock Series. Wall finished fourth on Saturday, but Derrick Rice of Kernersville took the checkered. Rice’s victory rockets him from fourth up to tie Steven Berrier of Germanton for second in the points. Berrier finished right on Rice’s bumper in second, cutting down Brian Wall’s points lead from 30 points to 26.
In the McDowell Heating & Air Stadium Stock Series, Chuck Wall of Lexington leaps from fifth up to second in the points after winning. Brandon Brendle of Winston-Salem finished right behind him in second, keeping Brendle firmly in the points lead.
Shane Southard of Yadkinville and Wesley Thompson of Advance were disqualified after post-race technical inspection, dropping them both down a few slots in the points rankings.
The points battles roll on this Saturday. It will be Winston-Salem Journal Night with twin 25s for the Modifieds, a Sportsman 60-lapper, and racing for the Street Stock and Stadium Stock Divisions.