Holleman Grabs 100-Lap Win at Bowman Gray - Speedway Digest

John Holleman IV just beat the rain before heading to Victory Lane.

Holleman started on the pole for the FOX 8 WGHP 100 in the Brad’s Golf Cars Modified Series, and right after the race concluded heavy rain and lightning started.

That didn’t bother Holleman, who led wire-to-wire, and even persevered through four laps of overtime because of cautions, to pick up his second win of the season. And he did it by fending off runner-up Chris Fleming and third-place Burt Myers, who is the points leader.

“Anytime you come to Bowman Gray Stadium and you’re in a Modified car, you are not going to win a race easy,” Holleman said. “There’s too many people that’s been doing this for way too long. They’ve honed their skills. They know what they’re doing. Their crew guys know what they’re doing. You’re not going to go down without a fight. So, I knew it was going to be tough.”

Even though he led 104 laps the win didn’t come easily.

“We had a good starting position,” Holleman said. “I felt good about our race car. We’ve been off on qualifying all year, man. So, I knew if we had good track position we had a shot. And at that point it was the driver’s job to keep it up there.”

Tim Brown slid into the fence on lap 98 before recovering and reentering the race. That brought out the final caution and a single file restart, with Holleman leading Fleming.

“It’s situational,” Holleman said. “If I’m in the lead I want single file because I can manipulate the start better and get a good launch. And when you’re double file you can’t do that.

“Now, if I’m not in the lead I want double file, so I can have a shot to go get that lead, but it definitely was situational.”

The race resumed at 102 laps and it featured a green-white checkered finish.

“Definitely was glad, with that last restart being single file, because I could really use that to my advantage and get a good launch and keep him from getting my bumper, and that’s what happened,” Holleman said.

Fleming just couldn’t slip by Holleman those final two laps.

“I was way faster than him,” Fleming said. “I didn’t want to wreck him. It just ain’t worth it to me anymore. I really had a way better car, and I really owed it to my guys to win the race. I wasn’t going to wreck him to win.”

It was a cat-and-mouse race for second place for much of the 104 laps between Fleming and Burt Myers. Midway through the race, Fleming’s car stalled, which allowed Burt Myers to scoot into second.

“You ain’t going to believe this,” Fleming said. “I reached up and turned my fan on, and I turned my car off. It really cost me another good shot at it right there. So, I mean, I wasn’t going to wreck him. There’s no point in it. And it’s just not that important to me.”

Burt Myers moved back into second on lap 85, but just eight laps later, Fleming bolted back into second.

“That’s two horses right there racing,” Fleming said.

Burt Myers finished third, Danny Bohn was fourth, and Brandon Ward was fifth.

But it proved to be Holleman’s night.

“When you’re leading the whole race it’s a little bit easier than coming from the back and trying to get up there,” he said. “At the same you’ve got to set your own pace the whole time. You’ve got protect your position. You know, it’s difficult.

“I feel like it takes a ton of perseverance, and these 100-lap races have been evading me since I started over here when I was 14 years old. So, year 14 over here I finally got me one.”

It was his second of the season after winning on June 15.

Fleming was one of the drivers – the other three being Burt Myers, Jason Myers, and Brandon Ward — who could’ve taken the $9,000 Fans’ Challenge after qualifying in the top four. However, Jason Myers was the only driver who accepted the Challenge.

Fleming just won $9,000 in the Fans’ Challenge in July, but he elected not to take it this time. Jason Myers finished sixth and out of the money.

“I’m not racing for the money,” he said. “I’m racing for my guys, trying to get a win for ‘em. You know you see what we’ve got.”

In the first 20-lap race in the Law Offices of John Barrow Sportsman Series Zack Ore came from behind to win.

Ore started sixth, but he eventually slipped behind leader Chase Robertson, the defending points champion. Ore tapped Roberston coming around turn 4 of lap 13, and Ore took the lead just before he crossed the start-finish line.

“I had a really good car,” Ore said. “…I tried to race Chase as clean as I could without turning him. He cut me off a little bit. I let out on it. I felt like I did it as clean as possible, and we’re going to win this the right way.”

Robertson finished runner-up, followed by Sterling Plemmons, Tommy Neal, and Justin Taylor.

In the 20-lap QRC HVAC & Refrigeration Street Stock Series race, Andy Southern won and picked up his fifth win of the season.

Southern started second behind Emilee Lewis, but he eventually took the lead. He was able to withstand two cautions – the first on lap 4 and the other on lap 9.

“Man, I can’t believe this,” Southern said. “Five wins – this is something you dream of. I can’t thank people around me enough. It’s the first night that all my boys have been here for a win. It’s pretty special.

“…This one’s for my grandpa, my crew, my mom, and always here, Todd Combs, Austin Jones, they’re behind this, my son, my wife and my kids, and everybody that’s worked for me. I appreciate it.”

Brad Lewis finished runner-up, followed by Nick Wall, Kevin Gilbert, and Christian Joyce.

The last half of Saturday’s schedule ended early due to rain. Rain started just after the conclusion of the FOX8 WGHP 100, which meant the second 20-lap race on the Sportsman Series, as well as the 15-lap race in the Q104.1 Stadium Stock Series were cancelled due to the storm.

Next week’s schedule is highlighted by the Ortega Twin Modified 50s, which will be two 50-lap races in the Brad’s Golf Cars Modified Series. The double-file restart will be in use for both races, as well as the “Madhouse Scramble,” which means the winner of the first Modified race will draw either 8, 10, 12, 14, or 16, and the second Modified race will be inverted there.

In addition, there will be two 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.

BGS Racing PR