Two titans of Bowman Gray Stadium racing gave it all they had on Saturday night, battling back and forth for 200 laps while the crowd sat on the edge of their seats.
Burt Myers of Walnut Cove started on the pole for Saturday’s Hayes Jewelers 200 for the Brad’s Golf Cars Modified Series after turning the fastest lap in previous qualifying sessions. Myers fended off outside-pole starter Lee Jeffreys of Wallburg, as well as third-place-starter Brandon Ward of Winston-Salem.
It wasn’t long though until 10-time Champion Tim Brown of Tobaccoville was pressuring the bumper of Myers. Brown tried unsuccessfully for two restarts to pass Myers on the outside. On the third restart, however, Brown powered past Myers to take over the lead.
“I thought I gave it away with Tim,” said Myers about the pass. “He beat me. He got a great run on the outside, and he beat me.”
Brown held off Myers on one caution restart, but soon a long stretch of green flag racing was putting their cars to the test. Brown began to slow while Myers began putting more and more pressure on the #83 of Brown. But no matter what Myers threw at Brown, he couldn’t shake him to pass for the lead. “I would’ve been more content, but I was getting pressure from behind,” said Myers. “And when you’re getting pressure from behind, you’ve got to give it to the man in front of you.”
The pivotal moment of the race came on lap 140 when Brown pitted under caution, relinquishing the lead to Myers. “I knew to have a shot at winning we had to pit and put tires on. We just had the car a little too free,” said Brown.
Although Myers thought the race might have been lost when Brown passed him, he now had a new game plan. “When he came into pit, I said “Guys, our only shot is to not pit,’” said Myers.
But it wasn’t long before Brown was climbing through the ranks, thanks to his new set of tires and several double-file caution restarts. With 20 laps to go, Brown took over second and began his pursuit of Myers.
Bump after bump was delivered to the car of Myers as both drivers had to maneuver around lapped traffic. However, Brown was unable to overtake Burt Myers. “I was doing everything I could to win this race tonight,” said Brown. “It’s all I had. It was everything I had in me.”
“Anybody that doesn’t pull for Tim or doesn’t pull for me saw two of the best drivers out here tonight race hard and clean,” said Myers. “And I was able to hold him off – I don’t know how, but I did.”
Danny Bohn of Freehold, New Jersey took third. John Smith of Mount Airy finished in fourth.
In the Texas Steak & Tap House Sportsman Series, Derek Stoltz of Walkertown flipped the script from last week. This time, Stoltz was the one taking the checkered with John Holleman of Winston-Salem finishing behind him in second.
Kevin Gilbert of Winston-Salem crossed the finish line first in the Q104.1 New Country Street Stock Series. But after Gilbert failed post-race technical inspection, Jeremy Warren of Winston-Salem was declared the winner.
In the Law Offices of John Barrow Stadium Stock Series, Chase Hunt of Lexington and Shane Southard of Yadkinville each claimed a victory.
