The dust is settling on the 2016 racing season at Bowman Gray Stadium. The last night of racing capped off Burt Myers’s season with a championship – and it gave Brandon Ward his first ever Modified victory at the Madhouse.
Ward was the fastest qualifier the previous week and returned once again on Saturday to turn the fastest lap in time trials for the Brad’s Golf Cars Modified Series. The feat put him on the pole for the start of the Carolina Farm Credit 150.
Jason Myers of Walnut Cove started right to the outside of Ward and contend strongly for the lead during the initial start. Myers then challenged from the outside for the next six restarts. But each and every time Ward was able to hold him off to maintain the lead.
“We felt like being able to start heads-up tonight would help us, because a clear track means a lot over here,” said Ward. “We were a little concerned those last couple restarts – that they were going to be a little better than us and be able to get us worked up off the bottom. But once we got about four or five laps, the car was really good – the best it’s been all year.”
The victory made Ward the 132nd driver to win a featured event at Bowman Gray Stadium, adding his name to the legendary list of winners – such as Richard Petty, Ralph Earnhardt, Glen Wood, and Junior Johnson.
“It feels good to finally get a win here at Bowman Gray, to win in our first full season over here. It took us all year to do it,” said Ward. “I’ve run touring divisions all over this country for my whole life. To finally come and spend a whole season at a weekly track, run every race, and to do it here – right here at Bowman Gray Stadium in our hometown – was pretty cool.”
But while Jason Myers battled with Ward at the head of the pack, brother Burt Myers was quietly making his way forward, avoiding wrecks on his way to the points championship. After an incredibly strong year, Myers only had to finish in the top 18 to clinch his seventh Modified title.
“Your goal starting at the beginning of the year is to come over and win every race you can. We didn’t have the fastest car every week, but we had a great car all year – by far the most consistent season I’ve ever had. And it showed,” said Myers. “We didn’t have the car we needed to win the race tonight, but we came home champions. And that’s what we wanted. Man, this is an awesome feeling.”
In the Yates Grading & Paving Sportsman Series, John Holleman of Winston-Salem fought his way forward to grab the checkered flag in Saturday’s 40-lapper. Tommy Neal of Walkertown finally achieved a long-standing goal of his: to grab the Sportsman championship. The veteran driver has been close many times but got the job done in 2016, taking his first ever title.
Taylor Robbins of Winston-Salem brought home the checkered in the Q104.1 New Country Street Stock Series, giving her more wins than any other Street Stock driver in 2016. Derrick Rice of Kernersville won the championship by the slimmest of margins. Had Rice finished one position lower, the title would have belonged to Brian Wall of Winston-Salem.
Wesley Thompson of Advance claimed victory in the McDowell Heating & Air Stadium Stock Series, with A.J. Sanders of Mocksville taking the championship.
BGS PR
