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RACING
NEWS
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| Wednesday, October 1, 2008 |
| Cast Your Fate To The Wind | 
by Skip Wall
As compelling as the chase for the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour championship is on the track, there's also plenty of activity off it the past few weeks.
There's a lot of attention being paid to drivers running for the championship, as it's come down to three drivers -- Brian Loftin, Tim Brown and L.W. Miller -- as well as those not involved in the championship.
For some, such as Brian King, he is skipping the last few races and preparing for next year. Others are shoring up sponsorship and overhauling new strategies for next year. One sponsor is upset with NASCAR executives on how the series should be more open, so they can get more exposure.
But, outweighing most of the championship bid up for grabs this weekend for the Caraway finale, is what's happening in the Burt Myers camp.
Myers won the annual show-down of the best of the northern and southern series drivers at Martinsville Speedway over a week ago, only to be stripped of the title almost five days later by NASCAR. No driver from the south had won the elusive race since 1985.
However, post race tech usually last no more than an hour and a half. At Martinsville, officials confiscated Myers' transmission and MSD box after two and a half hours of inspection.
It would take until Thursday of the next week for officials to declare Myers' win null and void, and took the win away after finding Myers had an unfair advantage by using an unapproved gear ratio. Some insiders say it was a Roush road race type transmission that gave his car plenty of power off of the turns.
Usually in the NASCAR's top three divisions, a decision would have been made no later than Tuesday. So why did NASCAR wait until Thursday to make the announcement? Moreover, in the elite series', it's been the norm for the winner to keep the victory and just be fined and docked for points after a violation had been found.
One official that didnt want to be named, will remind you that Peyton Sellers had a win taken away from him earlier this year in a Camping World East Series race in Greenville SC. Myers also had a similar incident earlier this year when a win was taken away at a local NASCAR event at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, NC.
To make matters worse, Myers received a one race suspension on Friday for having spliced and bare wires on the MSD box taken from the Martinsville race. That suspension was to be served the following night at a race at Caraway Speedway.
Myers shocked the crew chiefs, drivers and the media when he appealed the decision and raced Saturday night. But the night didn't come without controversy.
 Myers wrapped caution tape around the team's pit stall and avoided contact with officials and the media declining interviews.
He would only race to a 12th place finish and then park his race car at the back door of the NASCAR hauler which drew the ire of officials. He would then take a huge flashlight and point it to the MSD box of winner Tim Brown's race car during post race technical inspection.
The appeal was heard Wednesday and has been denied and the suspension and fines for Myers and crew chief, Scott Widener will be upheld.
Perhaps it's time for Myers to suck it up and just accept the fact that he got caught. Maybe he should indeed not compete this weekend for the finale and concentrate on next year like King is doing.
Myers is one the most popular drivers on the Southern Tour, especially after the bruha that happened at the last season race at Bowman Gray Stadium where Myers would dethrone "King of Modifieds" Junior Miller. Myers rammed Miller's car several times just after the finish of the race after a season long turmoil of run ins with Miller. He and Miller would receive a fine and probation for next season.
Myers stock has really increased this year while Miller has gone south. Myers just added on Capital Bank for sponsorship, while Miller stepped down this year from one of the best rides with the Advance Auto Parts, Riggs Racing Team.
Whatever the case may be, NASCAR has made it's rules and decisions. He just plain and simply got caught. Well maybe it did take a few more days than it should have taken. And many question why the penalty is so severe. The Martinsville win would have sold much more tickets to next years race at the famed speedway had Myers got to keep the victory and just be fined and points deducted.
 In the meantime, there is a point's title to be determined. Brian Loftin is on the verge of winning his first ever championship. He leads Brown by only 35 points going into the finale this Saturday night at Russell Hackett's Caraway Speedway in Asheboro.
Last years defending champion, L.W. Miller is only another 67 points out, however it's doubtful that he can overcome that. But his aggressive driving style could prove otherwise.
However the chase winds up, we'll be seeing the effects of both the realities of competition, season long bruhas and suspensions in a sponsorship driven sport long after the awards banquet coming up in only a matter of weeks. Along with this, we will see what the economy holds for the racing fan base.
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