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RACING
NEWS
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| Rules Changes Stir Up the Action at Bowman Gray | 
(Bowman Gray Stadium, Winston-Salem, NC) Some people love them. Some people hate them.
The 100-lap races for the Farm Bureau Insurance Modified Series at Bowman Gray Stadium are infamous for their hard-racing action caused, in part, by having the entire field randomly draw for starting positions.
But now in 2008, things will get even more exciting. Bowman Gray Stadium introduces a new restart rule for the 100-lappers – a new rule destined to shake things up, but also to allow competitors another great chance to advance through the pack.
The 100-lap races for the Modified Series will now use a double-file “choice” restart to determine the lineup after cautions. This replaces the old method of simply restarting in single-file once the race was underway.
Here’s how the new system will work. After NASCAR scoring lines the competitors up in single-file, a signal will be given as they approach the start-finish line. As they cross the line, each driver will choose to either restart in the inside lane or the outside lane. While the inside lane gives drivers much better position as they race around corners – if many drivers choose the inside, the outside row could give a driver a chance to take a risk and climb up several positions.
The 1st place car will take either the inside of the front row (the pole position), or he can choose the outside. Let’s say he chooses the inside. The 2nd place driver then chooses to go to the outside row or to stay to the inside behind the leader. He may, for instance, choose to take the inside lane behind the leader. The 3rd place driver then chooses to either go to the front of the outside row or to the third spot in the inside row. He may, for instance, also choose to take the inside lane. The 4th place driver then chooses to either go to the front of the outside or to the fourth spot in the inside row. At that point, he may feel that going to the outside row would be a better place for him to be. He may choose the outside lane – which would put him at the front of the outside row right beside the leader.
The drivers on the outside row would face the challenge of having to find their way back into the inside lane. Doing so quickly would allow them to potentially gain a lot of ground. But failing to do so could get the driver “caught on the outside,” causing them to potentially lose position. That risk will be something that each driver has to weigh and decide on their own as they commit to the inside or outside lane.
“The choice restart will add another element of strategy into the racing,” said Gray Garrison, promoter of Bowman Gray Stadium. “You may be in the middle of the pack, try the outside row, fail to get back in, and fall back to the rear. Then again, you may be in the middle of the pack, try the outside row, and gain several positions.”
Drivers have mixed opinions about the double-file choice restart.
2007 Modified Champion Burt Myers feels that it will benefit some drivers, but may pave the way for problems.
“I think that if a man has a good race car and he’s mired up in traffic, it would probably benefit him to go to the outside. But the problem’s going to be when someone’s car is off a little, but he thinks he can gain something by getting outside. He’s going to try to get in line, and he’s going to hold people up,” said Myers.
2006 Modified Champion Junior Miller is in favor of the new restart rule. “I think it’ll be great – you can just get outside and go. It mixes up the cars and makes it a whole lot better racing for the fans,” said Miller.
Like it or not, the double-file restart will definitely introduce new elements of strategy into Modified racing at the Stadium. “Track positioning, race situations, even new strategy on taking pit stops – this new rule will change the whole dynamic of the 100-lap race,” said Garrison.
The first 100-lap race of the season will be the Carolina Wood Floors 100, which is scheduled for this Saturday night. Ticket gates open at 6:00 for practice, qualifying begins at 7:20, and the first race begins at 8:00 PM. Ticket prices, directions, and more information can be found online at www.bowmangrayracing.com or by calling (336) 723-1819.
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Legendary Bowman Gray Stadium is NASCAR’s longest running weekly race track. Known as “The Home of the Hot Modifieds,” Bowman Gray continues its 60 year tradition of providing exciting racing action at family friendly prices.
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