Reaching 100 is special in pretty much anything.
Well, for Tim Brown, who has accomplished pretty much everything in the Brad’s Golf Cars Modified Series at Bowman Gray Stadium, won his 100th race Saturday night in the first 25-lap Modified race.
Brown, who has won 12 points championships in his illustrious career, sat on the pole after having the fastest qualifying lap. It was his 143rd career pole since he started racing in 1993. He also did it by defeating runner-up Burt Myers, who has been Brown’s chief rival over the years.
“It’s a lot,” Brown said. “Like, this is the one, like I haven’t really put my sights on. But the media and my race team and sponsors have really focused on 100 wins because we got closer. And then the sponsors were like ‘Man, you’re close to 100. It’d be big.’”
Brown, who was fourth in the points chase before Saturday’s race, picked up his second win of the season, the last coming on June 15.
“You know, we’ve had a dismal year, really,” he said. “We’ve had a really good car all year and got in a lot of wrecks and broken some parts and some things like that. In the last few weeks, these guys hit on some speed and this thing is good now.
“So, I get out of the car and come back here and start talking to my sponsors and all – they’re super-stoked and super-happy. And I am, too. I like to win. You know what I mean. I’m thinking one day it’ll sink in just how special it is to – you know, all the accomplishments I’ve done here. God’s blessed me in so many ways, I’m not worthy of it by no means, but we just work really hard, got a great race team and got great sponsors, great funding. You can’t do it without all of it. And you sure can’t do it without the man above.”
Momentum is swinging Brown’s way.
“Right now, everything’s going our way except for the point battle,” he said. “You know, we’re pretty much out of that, so we’re just coming over here to win races the rest of the year.”
After winning four races last year, he was at 98 wins before this season started.
“We didn’t win the championship (last year), but we built new cars this winter, new motors, worked really hard to get better,” Brown said. “And then we came out, ran good in the (Hayes Jewelers) 200, came back the next week and ran second, came back the next week and should’ve won the 100-lapper and got wrecked. Came back the next week, had a really good car and got in a wreck, came back the next week and won. And then wreck two or three weeks in a row. And then win tonight.
“So, when you’re having an up-and-down season like that, winning really makes a difference. Winning tonight’s huge and being our 100th win is huge.”
Brown had his wife, Megan, as well as his son, Cam, and his daughter, Marley, in attendance. The only drawback for Brown was not having his brother Ben, who has been sick, there.
“If Ben could’ve been here, it would’ve been a little bit sweeter just because he’s been such a part of it,” Brown said. “But having Cam and Marley and Megan here for the 100th win was truly special. Like it wouldn’t have meant, I don’t know that it would’ve meant anything if they hadn’t have been here, honestly. It would’ve been just another win.”
It was also fitting that it came down between Brown and Myers, who have been rivals for many years. Myers has 10 Modified championships and 95 wins.
“If you go back through the record books here for like the last 20 years it’s been me and him competing for wins and championships,” Brown said. “And then you put Brandon Ward in the mix and all that. Like Chris Fleming’s really good. But you can just about guarantee that 83 (Brown) and 1 (Myers) are going to be there week-in and week-out.”
Ward finished third, Jason Myers was fourth, and Fleming was fifth.
Brown also reflected on being a young man in the early 90s before starting his racing career.
“Like I sat up there as a kid, as a 16-, 17-, 18-year-old. I sat up there and watched these guys race,” Brown said. “I grew up in my grandpa’s race shop and I just wanted to race. I knew I wanted to race from a little bitty fella. Didn’t know if I could ever do it, didn’t know if I could afford to do it, didn’t know if I could do it even if I could afford to do it.”
Brown may not remember all 100 wins, but he knows he’s had a stellar career.
“And just to sit back and think about how blessed I’ve been to be able to be fortunate enough to actually race, not to mention to win the most championships. And now to win 100 races, and nobody’s ever done that in the history of this place,” Brown said. “And Burt will eventually. And he may break all my records when I’m done, but right now I can celebrate the fact that I’ve had a very good run. God has blessed me and it’s all through Him and he deserves all the glory for it. Me and my race team don’t. We’re not worthy of it. Just blessed, man.”
After Brown drew in the “Madhouse Scramble” following his monumental win, he drew 16, which inverted the field for the second 25-lap Modified race at the 16th position.
Brian Loftin led all 25 laps and won his first race in two years, defeating runner-up Kyle Southern. It’s also Loftin’s seventh win of his career.
“I tell you what, we’ve had a heck of a year,” Loftin said. “If it could go bad, it did. And hopefully this is a sign of things to come and things to turn around here.”
Danny Propst was third, Mike Speeney finished fourth, and Riley Neal was fifth.
The featured race of the night was the Peanut Patch Sportsman 100, which was the 100-lap race in the Law Offices of John Barrow Sportsman Series.
The race didn’t disappoint as defending points champion Chase Robertson picked up his second win of the season after fending off runner-up Zack Ore, who is the current points leader.
It’s also Robertson’s 10th career win.
“We’ve been working hard at this thing all year,” he said. “We’ve been fighting it. But Dylan Ward never gives up on this thing. Our crew never gives up. My dad, my parents, just everybody, my sponsors. I couldn’t be here without them.”
It didn’t come easy for Robertson. Tommy Neal led laps 1 through 19, but Robertson bumped Neal, moving Neal back. Robertson took the lead.
“It was around lap 20ish,” Robertson said. “I was trying to ride and I peeked to the inside and I got into it a little bit. I let him save it. He gathered back up.”
Robertson led laps 20-57. Neal came from way back to lead on lap 58 and led the next 20 laps. On lap 78, Neal was leading Robertson, but Neal’s car slid coming around turn 1. That allowed Robertson to take the lead.
“Down here at the end of the race I never touched him,” Roberson said of Neal. “He just spun going into 1. And it’s unfortunate because I was really looking forward to racing with one of the greats like that.”
Robertson’s lead down the stretch was deceiving because Ore was on his bumper throughout much of the last 17 laps.
Connor Branch finished third, followed by Braden Mills, and Wesley Thompson.
Nick Wall took the checkered flag in the 20-lap race for his first career win in the QRC HVAC & Refrigeration Street Stock Series.
Wall led each lap and won after getting through five cautions.
“I can’t be here tonight without all my fans, all my supporters, my sponsors,” Wall said. “If it wasn’t for my granddad, Jimmy Wall and Nancy Wall, I wouldn’t be here. He’s home watching.”
Cody Gum finished runner-up, followed by Brad Lewis, Kevin Gilbert, and Andy Southern.
In the “A” race for the Q104.1 Stadium Stock Series, Connor Keaton held off Chuck Wall for the win.
“We had a good car over here,” Keaton said. “I’d like to thank all my sponsors.”
Tyler McDonald finished third, A.J. Sanders was fourth, and T.J. Gibson was fifth.
In the 15-lap Stadium Stock “B” race, Isaac Harris picked up the win, his second win this season.
Patrick Mullen finished runner-up to Harris, followed by Chris Allison, Matt Goodwin, and James Allison.
There will be no racing next week to take off for the annual Fourth of July holiday. However, racing returns in on July 13 with a night full of racing, which includes double points in each series.
The highlight of the night is the ShootingTargetsUSA.com 100 presented by Real Rock 105.7, which is a 100-lap race with the double-field restart cone in the Brad’s Golf Cars Modified Series. The field for the Modified Series will qualify, but there will be a full-field redraw. However, the four fastest qualifiers have the option to take the Fans’ Challenge. If one or more of the fastest four qualifiers elect to go to the rear of the field and then battle back to a top-four finish, they will win the $9,000 prize pool.
In addition, there will be twin “Madhouse Scramble” 20-lap races in the Law Offices of John Barrow Sportsman Series, a 20-lap race in the QRC HVAC & Refrigeration Street Stock Series, and either one or two 15-lap races in the Q104.1 Stadium Stock Series.
Not only will there be racing in two weeks, two lucky fans will receive the Fans’ Prize, which is two Wireless Bluetooth speakers from Best Wireless.
BGS Racing PR
