Being competitive at Bowman Gray Stadium takes guts, skill at the wheel, and a lot of hard work in the garage. And of course, a little luck never hurts.
Such was the case for Burt Myers of Walnut Cove at the Stadium on Saturday. Myers claimed the checkered in the Kevin Powell Motorsports 100 after being slightly off in qualifying but then getting a lucky draw for position.
The top four qualifiers for the Brad’s Golf Cars Modified Series had the option to start in the rear and take part in a new award called the “Colors Edge Challenge.” Any of the top four competitors who chose to start in the rear and then finished in the top four would split a huge prize pool.
While fastest qualifier Tim Brown of Tobaccoville chose not to start in the rear and try for the prize pool, the other three fastest qualifiers did: Lee Jeffreys of Winston-Salem, Chris Fleming of Mount Airy, and Jason Myers of Walnut Cove.
Points leader Burt Myers turned an uncharacteristically mediocre qualifying lap – only 10th fastest. With only the top four qualifiers able to participate in the Colors Edge Challenge, Myers would be with the rest of the field randomly drawing for starting position in the 100-lapper.
“It’s funny – everybody asked me all week if I would be going to the rear,” said Myers. “But I told them that we had to make the top four first. They said, ‘Aw, you’ll make it.’ But you just don’t know over here.”
“Where we qualified at, it took the decision out of my hands,” said Myers. Unable to go to the rear as part of the Colors Edge Challenge, Myers randomly drew for position – and plucked third as his starting spot. “We got a great draw. Luck’s always a factor. If we drew in the back, you wouldn’t be talking to me right now,” said Myers.
Randy Butner of Pfafftown drew the pole for his starting spot, with Dean Ward of Winston-Salem starting in second. Ward powered past Butner on the outside and grabbed the lead on the initial start.
Myers moved up to second and was itching to challenge Ward for the lead. During the first two double-file restarts, Ward was able to hold off Myers. But on the third restart, Myers was able to complete the pass from the outside and take over the lead.
Ward moved to the outside during the next restart to try and reclaim his position, but he was unsuccessful. Then on lap 74, the skies opened up and the race was called due to inclement weather.
“It would have been good if we only ran 25 laps – I would’ve been happy,” said Ward. “Burt got a bite up off the corner, and he was better than us. He was really good – and I never expected any less.”
“I knew Dean wasn’t going to rough me up,” said Myers. “Dean will lean on you, but that’s OK. Leaning on a man and running over a man are two different things. Dean’s one of the best drivers out there.”
Ward finished second with Randy Butner taking third. None of the competitors who accepted the Colors Edge Challenge were able to make it into the top four. Now, the prize money rolls over to the next 100-lapper, making it a $6,000 prize pool.
In the Farm Bureau Insurance Sportsman Series, Zack Clifton of Walkertown moved past Billy Gregg of Lexington to grab the checkered in a 20-lapper. Taylor Branch of Lewisville finished second, with Gregg taking third. The second race was cancelled due to inclement weather.
Doug Wall of Pfafftown and Aaron Hylton of Kernersville tangled for the lead in the Q104.1 New Country Street Stock Series race. Brian Wall of Winston-Salem was able to take advantage of the situation to dash into the lead and take the win. Doug Wall claimed second and Derrick Rice of Kernersville finished third.
