Story by: Corey Latham ~ [email protected]

Winston-Salem, NC(July 18, 2012) — After the annual week off for the 4th of July, Bowman Gray Stadium was back at it again. You would think that after some rest and relaxation that the teams in each division would be a little “calmer” after some downtime. Then again who are we kidding, these guys were chomping at the bit to get back and “mix it up”…..and that they did.
In the feature event of the night, the mighty modifieds would take to the track for 100 ground-pounding laps. In a surprise, Chris Fleming would set fast time and take the pole. Not surprising about who it was, Fleming is always fast, surprising to me that Fleming had never won a pole at the famed quarter mile, well played Showstopper.

Of course Bowman Gray does something that no other track does and something I’ll never understand, as they qualify then have a full field redraw. The draw would set up a front row that opened many eyes as rookie Tony Black and veteran Jr. Miller would take the top two spots. Black had been holding his own rather nicely in his rookie season, running with the big dogs and not ruffling any feathers, all the drivers had seem to accept him to their modified family. Miller on the other hand, well It’s Jr. Since leaving Riggs racing in 2007, the “King of The Southern Modifieds” had seemed to fall off his game a bit, but was still “feared” as he was as wild as ever and ready to stike at any moment. This night he would show something old and something we haven’t seen in a while from the winningest driver at Bowman Gray.

As the green fell Black would jump to the point but Miller could see the lead, something he had not done all season and he wanted it, badly. It didn’t take him long as he steadily gave shots to the back of the Black machine, driving into the corners so deep he nearly had to stop to turn it down the straightaway. But this wasn’t just what he was trying to do, it became evident as the night went on that diamonding the corner was the only way he could turn it, as he had plenty of horses but the handling was just off.

Shot after shot Black took, holding on each time and earning more respect in each hit as why he should be in the mod division, the guy can flat out drive. As Miller gave the shots, behind him Dean Ward who started fourth was looking for a way around, as he was faster than both the cars in front of him. Only problem was Miller was taking up the whole track in the turns so his move had to be very precise, he found the opportunity on lap ten as Miller tried to get to the bumper of Black but missed, pushing himself out wider than normal, Ward would duck underneath quickly and then get on Black for the lead.

After a few shots from Miller to the Ward machine, Ward see’s his chance as Black washes up the track, he simply didn’t have the car the guys behind him did but he made it work as long as he could. Ward would go past on lap 31 and begin to set sail, behind him the Miller/Black rivalry was at full blast again but was interupted as Matt Cotner did some dirt racing through the infield to bring out the first caution. Then it got weird.

As the cone was put out on the restart, Miller would pull up beside Ward to try the outside lane. The field would double up, slowly down the backstretch, slowly enter turn three, then all of a sudden as they barely got past the pit entrance in three, Miller takes off, you could actually see Ward’s hand go up in the car to motion “What the heck?”. Miller never let off though, the field stayed slowed for the most part as they saw that the start was botched but Miller stayed in it hard and was in turn two before the field got the the start finish line. Of course we have to line them up again, and this time it was clean, Ward to the lead with Black and Miller in tow once again at lap 47.

After another caution on lap 53 for the spinning Steven Truell which also collected Matt Cotner and Brad Robbins, Miller would go to the outside again this time making it work falling in line behind Ward for second. Black was trying to hang on but slides up high nearly wrecking himself and Tim Brown both as Brown goes past into third and Black begins to fall back through the field. Lap 70 would see Black again go high allowing Michael Clifton and Lee Jefferies to slip past, but the accordian effect went a few cars behind them as they had to chack up and point leader Jason Myers was the victim as JonBoy Brown has no where to go and turns him into the infield.

The rest of the race was what some expected, and what some that don’t understand will call BS. While there were some restarts late and while Miller would race Ward hard for the lead a few times, it was evident that Ward had the better car. But it is so hard to pass on the tight track, Miller would ride in second each time as Tim Brown was on his bumper, but never made an attempt to get by, the whole field was stacked up behind Miller as Ward drove away each time. Of course people were already saying “Brown is point racing”…….umm yeah, it was double point night, Jason Myers the point leader was in the back, and Jr. Miller who would do anything to win was in front of Brown, his hands were kinda tied on that one. Brown wants his record breaking 9th championship and played it to a tee on this night with the situation handed to him.

Ward would cruise to the win over Miller, Brown and Danny Bohn, who over the couse of the last few laps had his own shoving match with Michael Clifton. Ward would get his third win of the year, an awesome season at the stadium after missing the first few weeks waiting on his motor to get done, and Tim Brown would move into the point lead once more, looking just like he has in years past as the others try to play catch-up late in the season.

In other races, Kenny Bost would win the first Sportsman division race as Michael Adams who had no brakes in the first race would take the second one on the invert. Street Stock saw Darren Cotner get a closely contested win over Billy Gregg while the cars behind them would wreck on the last lap resulting in Tim Vaden and Whitney Clifton having thier own demolition derby after the race was over raming each others cars numerous times to the delight of the crowd.

The big moment of the night came in the main race for the Stadium Stocks, while AJ Sanders took an impressive 5th win of the season, his son Stephen Sanders and Drew Moffitt became enraged with each other and destroyed each others cars, both drivers were suspended for two weeks but you can bet that one Isn’t over, it was nasty. In the “B” race for the Stadium Stocks, “Superfreak” Shane Tuttle would take the win over TJ Cox.

Results:
1. Dean Ward
2. Junior Miller
3. Tim Brown
4. Danny Bohn
5. Michael Clifton
6. JonBoy Brown
7. Lee Jeffreys
8. Chris Fleming
9. Randy Butner
10. Jason Myers
11. Burt Myers
12. John Smith
13. Tommy Neal
14. Ronnie Clifton
15. Robbie Brewer
16. Brent Elliott
17. Steven Truell
18. Robert Jeffreys
19. Tony Black
20. Matt Cotner
21. Brian Loftin
22. Austin Pack
23. Brad Robbins