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RACING
NEWS
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| Junior Miller Wins After Wild Night at Bowman Gray |
Miller takes hard won-victory in Farm Bureau Insurance 100
 by Loren Pinilis
(Bowman Gray Stadium, Winston-Salem, NC) As the summer sun cranked up the temperature around the Carolinas, the tempers flared up just as hot at Bowman Gray Stadium on Saturday.
Junior Miller, the “King of the Southern Modifieds,” has earned a reputation as an aggressive driver – and on Saturday, Miller showed why that reputation is well deserved. In the Farm Bureau Insurance Modified Series, it was the perfect recipe for racing action: the Farm Bureau Insurance 100 (with a random draw for starting position and the infamous double-file restart rule) plus a Double Points Night.
Burt Myers of Walnut Cove drew the pole as his starting position with Robert Jeffreys of Winston-Salem next to him on the outside front row. After encountering mechanical problems, Robert Jeffreys thought it best to elect to start in the rear – which sent Junior Miller of Danbury to the second place spot beside Myers.
Myers was second in the points rankings entering Saturday; Miller’s 17th place ranking effectively meant that his 2008 championship hopes are over. So Miller had nothing to lose, and everyone knew it.
Not surprisingly, Miller fought hard with Myers for the lead as the green flag waved. Miller wasn’t afraid to rub fenders with Myers, knowing that Myers’ sensibility towards the points race would make him think twice about a confrontation.
But Myers was not one to shy away. Although he was bumped out of the way by Miller at first, Myers filed in behind Miller and quickly returned the favor by knocking aside the #69 of Miller. Miller spun and fell back to the rear.
“On the very first lap, Junior bonzais me and knocks me out of shape,” said Myers. “I get in behind him, come back there, and knock him wide - and he spins out.”
Miller, on the other hand, claims that Myers was “racing dirty” by spinning him out. But Miller still had a race to win. He had his hands full climbing to the front, but he was aided by the double-file choice restart rule which allowed him to repeatedly pull to the outside to take his chances at gaining position.
Burt Myers continued to lead the pack. Tim Brown of Cana, Va. worked his way up from 13th to fourth, and Brown took advantage of a caution restart to jump to the outside front row on lap 39. As the green fell for the restart, Brown pushed hard to get past Myers but was unable to take away the lead. Myers stayed in front with Brown falling back to second.
Brown begin delivering some hard taps to the bumper of Myers – and Brown looked like he would have another chance to try the outside row when a caution came out about 30 laps later.
Instead, Brown stayed to the inside and Junior Miller jumped up to the outside beside Myers. When the green waved, Miller tried again to bang his way into the lead against Myers – and he was again unsuccessful. But on lap 82, Miller got the deed done with a strong tap the rear of Myers that sent Myers spinning.
Miller took the lead and went on to claim the win: his 69th victory at the Stadium.
Myers claims that the tap from Miller was not simply a racing move, but was meant to intentionally spin him out. “It was dirty. He never lifted off the gas until he hit me,” said Myers.
“It was payback,” said Miller. “On the first lap, I got in line over there and bumped Burt a little and didn’t spin him out. Then he came back and spun me out,” said Miller, referring to the exchange the two had had earlier in the race.
Myers was livid. “The thing with Junior is that you expect that kind of stuff from him all the time. It’s like the old saying goes - you can’t mess with manure without getting it all over you,” said Myers.
Tim Brown ended up finishing second, Lee Jeffreys of High Point took third, and Jeremy Stoltz of Walkertown finished in fourth. Myers finished in seventh.
The Modified finish was not without some controversy over a call made by NASCAR officials. During a caution when Junior Miller was leading, some miscommunication between track personnel led to Miller being sent to the pits. NASCAR Officials immediately realized the mistake and corrected it by having Junior return to the lead. “Inadvertently, he was sent to the pits – which was our mistake. We gave him his position back where he rightfully belonged,” said NASCAR Race Director John Horton. At the request of Horton, the call is being reviewed by NASCAR. Until that review is formally made, the results of the race are being declared unofficial.
In the Webb Heating & A/C Co. Sportsman Series, Scott Hall of Walkertown won the first 20-lapper. Tommy Neal of Walkertown took second, with Mitch Gales of Lexington finishing in third. After a wild race in the second Sportsman 20-lapper, Jim Shoaf of Lexington took the checkered. Gene Pack of Walkertown and Taylor Branch of Lewisville finished in second and third respectively.
The 20-lap race for the 104.1 WTQR Street Stock Series was just as wild as every other race on Saturday. During the final laps, Joseph “Bobo” Brown of Winston-Salem, Ethan Stoltz of Walkertown, and Doug Wall of Pfafftown all wrecked as the three fought for the lead. John McNeal of Winston-Salem flew from fifth the to the lead to claim the victory. David Sumner of Trinity was second and Johnny Arnder of Mount Airy finished in third.
In the Time Warner Cable Stadium Stock Series, A.J. Sanders of Mocksville won the first 15-lap race, with Chuck Wall of Clemmons taking checkered in the second 15-lapper.
At the conclusion of the Street Stock race, Adam Snow and Kevin Gilbert exited their cars and tussled with each other on the track. As part of the Stadium’s efforts to dissuade violence, the two men were taken off the track and, according to Lieutenant Bill Riggs of the Winston-Salem Police Department, were charged with affray. Also, NASCAR Race Director John Horton said that disciplinary action, such as suspensions, will follow.
Farm Bureau Insurance Modified Series - Farm Bureau Insurance 100: 100 laps
Results Unofficial Pending NASCAR Review
FINISH CAR DRIVER HOMETOWN
1 69 Junior Miller Danbury, NC
2 83 Tim Brown Cana, VA
3 77 Lee Jeffreys High Point, NC
4 20 Jeremy Stoltz Walkertown, NC
5 81 Brian Pack Walkertown, NC
6 47 Andrew Durham Roaring River, NC
7 1 Burt Myers Walnut Cove, NC
8 50 Michael Clifton Walkertown, NC
9 14 Bobby Hutchens Lexington, NC
10 11 John Lain Kernersville, NC
11 03 Luke Fleming Mount Airy, NC
12 51 Stan Welborn Germanton, NC
13 92 Brody Jones Statesville, NC
14 53 Jonathan Brown Winston-Salem, NC
15 70 Alfred Hill Jonesville, NC
16 72 Brent Elliott Denton, NC
17 9 Mike Norman Lewisville, NC
18 40 Brad Robbins Winston-Salem, NC
19 5 Randy Butner Pfafftown, NC
20 75 Robert Jeffreys Winston-Salem, NC
Webb Heating & A/C Sportsman Series – Race One: 20 laps
FINISH CAR DRIVER HOMETOWN
1 23 Scott Hall Walkertown, NC
2 21 Tommy Neal Walkertown, NC
3 38 Mitch Gales Lexington, NC
4 68 Robbie Brewer Winston-Salem, NC
5 7 Ronnie Barron Lexington, NC
6 66 Ronnie Clifton Walkertown, NC
7 05 Kyle Edwards King, NC
8 30 Mike Evans King, NC
9 9 David Adams Yadkinville, NC
10 86 Taylor Branch Lewisville, NC
11 02 Derek Stoltz Walkertown, NC
12 18 Kenny Bost Kernersville, NC
13 26 Jim Shoaf Lexington, NC
14 1 Gene Pack Walkertown, NC
15 19 Michael Adams Yadkinville, NC
16 44 Daniel Beeson Kernersville, NC
17 55 David Sell Winston-Salem, NC
18 71 Bryant Robertson Lexington, NC
19 13 Todd Hunt Lexington, NC
20 79 Steven Berrier Germanton, NC
21 70 Gary Ledbetter Lexington, NC
22 77 Keith McMichael Belews Creek, NC
23 48 Justin Collins Pilot Mountain, NC
24 50 Barry Edwards Pinnacle, NC
Webb Heating & A/C Sportsman Series – Race Two: 20 laps
FINISH CAR DRIVER HOMETOWN
1 26 Jim Shoaf Lexington, NC
2 1 Gene Pack Walkertown, NC
3 86 Taylor Branch Lewisville, NC
4 30 Mike Evans King, NC
5 66 Ronnie Clifton Walkertown, NC
6 7 Ronnie Barron Lexington, NC
7 21 Tommy Neal Walkertown, NC
8 23 Scott Hall Walkertown, NC
9 38 Mitch Gales Lexington, NC
10 70 Gary Ledbetter Lexington, NC
11 44 Daniel Beeson Kernersville, NC
12 05 Kyle Edwards King, NC
13 9 David Adams Yadkinville, NC
14 18 Kenny Bost Kernersville, NC
15 55 David Sell Winston-Salem, NC
16 79 Steven Berrier Germanton, NC
17 77 Keith McMichael Belews Creek, NC
18 19 Michael Adams Yadkinville, NC
19 48 Justin Collins Pilot Mountain, NC
20 02 Derek Stoltz Walkertown, NC
21 68 Robbie Brewer Winston-Salem, NC
104.1 WTQR Street Stock Series: 20 laps
FINISH CAR DRIVER HOMETOWN
1 99 John McNeal Winston-Salem, NC
2 1 David Sumner Trinity, NC
3 25 Johnny Arnder Mount Airy, NC
4 74 Leon Hutchens Winston-Salem, NC
5 33 Matt Fletcher Walkertown, NC
6 04 Reggie Doub Germanton, NC
7 2 Willie Wall Lexington, NC
8 27 Matt Cotner Rural Hall, NC
9 31 Ryan Nelson Winston-Salem, NC
10 44 Daniel Fishel Greensboro, NC
11 3 Michael Nichols Trinity, NC
12 12 Doug Wall Pfafftown, NC
13 69 Joseph Brown Winston-Salem, NC
14 60 Ethan Stoltz Walkertown, NC
15 11 Richard Reeves Cooleemee, NC
16 13 Kevin Gilbert Mocksville, NC
17 00 Tim Vaden Kernersville, NC
18 22 Brian Wall Winston-Salem, NC
19 15 Jerry Helms Winston-Salem, NC
20 8 K.J. Stimpson Lewisville, NC
21 98 David Conner Sandy Ridge, NC
22 6 Adam Snow Winston-Salem, NC
Time Warner Cable Stadium Stock Series – Race One: 15 laps
FINISH CAR DRIVER HOMETOWN
1 24 A.J. Sanders Mocksville, NC
2 72 Gerald Robertson Germanton, NC
3 98 Matt Hill Yadkinville, NC
4 4 Andrew Sanders Mocksville, NC
5 56 Johnny Burke Midway, NC
6 22 Dale Barneycastle Mocksville, NC
7 44 Charlie Curry Winston-Salem, NC
8 64 Steven Truell Midway, NC
9 21 Kevin L. Neal Walkertown, NC
10 11 Wayne Hill Kernersville, NC
11 39 Jimmy Absher Rural Hall, NC
12 27 Darren Cotner King, NC
13 99 Shaun Cockerham East Bend, NC
14 83 A.J. Quakenbush Winston-Salem, NC
15 07 Randy Moore Germanton, NC
16 18 Travis Brewer Germanton, NC
17 16 Scott Gordon Clemmons, NC
18 23 Kenny Dixon Pfafftown, NC
19 68 Glenn Hamilton Winston-Salem, NC
20 33 Gary Brewer Germanton, NC
21 01 Jason Keaton Mocksville, NC
22 35 Steve Myers Pfafftown, NC
Time Warner Cable Stadium Stock Series – Race Two: 14 laps (race ended early due to curfew)
FINISH CAR DRIVER HOMETOWN
1 81 Chuck Wall Clemmons, NC
2 8 V.L. Richardson Pilot Mountain, NC
3 67 Jason Asbury King, NC
4 31 Wesley Thompson Mocksville, NC
5 79 Chris Allison Mocksville, NC
6 95 Billy Cameron Jr Salisbury, NC
7 09 Gene Adams Lexington, NC
8 42 Phillip Wright King, NC
9 60 Ted Mickalowski Mocksville, NC
10 71 Mike Staley Winston-Salem, NC
11 7 James Allison Mocksville, NC
12 57 Matt Brelsford Salisbury, NC
13 00 Adam Baker Winston-Salem, NC
14 70 D.J. Moore Germanton, NC
15 10 David Hopkins Winston-Salem, NC
16 1 Rob Young Winston-Salem, NC
17 36 William Chilton Eden, NC
18 14 Ken Bridges King, NC
19 74 Todd Myers Winston-Salem, NC
20 47 Kevin C. Neal Danbury, NC
21 2 Ricky Watts Killeen, TX
22 03 Ray Forrest Winston-Salem, NC
23 73 April Myers Lexington, NC
24 62 Kevin Hedgecock Thomasville, NC
###
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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