By James Stewart
Well the 2016 Bowman Gray Stadium season opener……..isn’t finished yet! Rain brought an end to the opening night 40 laps into the Hayes Jewelers 200.
Friday at noon the gates opened and practice started to officially open the 2016 season. Warm temperatures and a bright sunny day welcomed those that ventured in to watch. The McDowell Heating and Air Stadium Stock Series, Q104.1 New Country Street Stock Series, Yates Grading and Paving Sportsman Series, and the Brad’s Golf Cars Modified Series, rotated practices. Each division got about 15 minutes until 4:00 when just the Sportsman and Modifieds continued. The hot temperatures and sunny skies made for a sticky track and the practice times for the drivers were fast. At 4:45 the Sportsman cars qualified, thought it was just for recognition and a trophy for the pole winner as they would do a complete field draw for the actual starting positions for the the race on Saturday. Tommy Neal was awarded the pole with a lap of 14.140 and John Holleman IV was second fastest with a lap of 14.677. They were followed by 2015 Sportsman champion Zack Clifton, Michael Adams, Mike Robertson, Kevin Neal, Michael Tilley, Zack Ore, Jeff Garrison, Noah Triplette, Robbie Brewer, Justin Taylor, Bryant Robertson, Dylan Ward, Billy Gregg, Wayne Hill, Robert Lawson, Jordan Fleming, and Rob Knabel.
The powerful modifieds had until 7:00 to qualify, and most wanted to wait as late as possible to do so. Drivers practiced some more and were setting some blistering times for this track. Last years fastest lap was by Jason Myers at 13.247 and many drivers were topping that mark in practice. 4 drivers were timed unofficially below the 13 second mark and Tim Brown was timed at a speed faster than the track record he held. As the cars began to qualify, speeds were showing up in the 13.2’s and 13.1’s. Jason Myers fastest time in practice had been an unofficial 13.1 but when he qualified he picked up 2/10 of a second for a speed of 12.987, second fastest lap ever at the Stadium. His brother Burt Myers seemed on his way to a fast time but slipped a little in turn 2…he stiil had the 5th fastest time with a 13.1. Then Tim Brown came out. You only get one lap to qualify, and Tim was getting it done thru turns 1 & 2. Down the backstretch he barrelled into 3 and the car began to push toward the wall in 4. He stabbed the brakes then punched it again…enough to break the old track record of 12.966 with a lap of 12.965! What would it have been if he hadn’t slipped?
The top 10 in qualifying were locked into position for Hayes Jewelers 200. Tim and Jason were followed by Danny Bohn, John Smith, Burt Myers, Junior Miller, Lee Jeffreys, Jeremy Gertsner, Ronnie Clifton, and Randy Butner. 23 cars qualified Friday and the 11-23 spots could stand on their times or requalify Saturday evening. Entered but absent in practice were Brad Robbins, Robert Jeffreys, and the long awaited return of Jonathan Brown. The 11- 23 qualifiers were Chris Fleming, Brandon Ward, Luke Fleming, Bobo Brown, Joe Ryan Osborne, Daniel Yates, Scott Gordon, Daniel Beeson, Mike Norman Dan Speeny, Michael Clifton, David Calabrese, and Dean Ward.
The Triad area and Bowman Gray Stadium woke up Saturday morning to a gray, misty day. The forecast from Friday wasn’t looking good, but in NC the weather changes quicker than you bat your eyes. Early afternoon the mist and drizzle stopped, but the sun never came out and the gray skies remained with temperatures in the low 60’s. But when the gates opened at 5:45, 15 minutes early to the crowds lined up into the streets, people started rolling in. The Stadium Stocks opened practice, followed by the Modifieds, Street Stocks, and Modifieds again. Modified qualifying was to resume at 7:00 but the misty drizzle came back and qualifying was cancelled and they would line up as they qualified on Friday…with one exception…there was a 24th car. Jonathan Brown arrived at the track about 6:45, having never run a lap in the car…he would start shotgun on the field. The wreckers circled the track trying to keep the moisture off. At 7:30, as if on cue, the rain stopped and the pre race activities got under way.
Tim Brown was awarded for his record setting pole run and the Grand Marshall for the night, NC Governor Pat McCrory, was introduced, and he presented the award to Tim. Tim then took the Governor around the track in the pace car, both waving to the crowd. When they returned to the start finish line, the Governor said he would like to take another lap, this one a little faster. So Tim drove the 2016 Camaro pace car as he would his modified, flying down the straights and deep in the corners. After the lap, Gov McCrory said he might have cussed a little going into turn 3, lol!! Track announcer Randy Pettitt lead the crowd in the racer’s prayer, the National Anthem was played, and the Sportsman cars were lined up for their 40 lap race to start the season.
After the complete field redraw, the top 6 starters were Kevin Neal, John Holleman IV, Michael Adams, Tommy Neal, Billy Gregg, and Justin Taylor. 2015 champion Zack Clifton would start 11th. As the green flag dropped, Kevin Neal and Holleman drag raced into turn 1, Neal pulling out to the lead down the backstretch. It wasn’t long before Michael Adams would slip by them both to take the lead. With the use of some cautions and the cone, it wasn’t long before Zack Clifton and Tommy Neal joined the top 3, all battling for spots 1-5. Kevin Neal would experience and drop off the pace but rookie Dylan Ward joined in the top 5. Holleman would slip inside of Adams to take the lead, but the caution lights came on before the pass was completed. Zack Clifton wound up with the lead but a caution with 4 laps to go enabled Adams to retake the lead and win the 40 lap race. Adams car this year is painted and numbered 0 in a throwback to the scheme his father had 30 years ago. The final finishing order was Adams. Clifton, Holleman, T Neal, M Robertson, Tilley, Ward, Ore, Brewer, Hill, Gregg, Triplette, Garrison, B Robertson, K Neal, Knabel, Taylor, and Lawson.
The modifieds lined up next, and with weather approaching, it seemed that the idea was hopefully to get to at least halfway to make the race official. Tim Brown rocketed to the lead and 3rd starting Danny Bohn was right on his bumper as he passed 2nd starting Jason Myers. On lap 8 Bohn pulled to the inside coming off turn 2 drag racing Brown down the backstretch and taking the lead in turn 3. Bohn led 10 laps before he was black flagged for leaking fluid. He lost 3 laps in the pits and you would think his chances were over, right? Well, this season, Bowman Gray has adopted the Lucky Dog rule, which means at every caution, the first car a lap down, gets his lap back. The instant Bohn returned to the track, the night’s second caution came out, therefore gaining him 1 of the 3 laps back. A few laps later another caution came out and again it was Bohn getting another lap back. Tim Brown had regained the lead when Bohn pitted and continued to lead with Burt Myers and Jason Myers in hot pursuit. On lap 33 another caution for a crash involving Bobo Brown, who was able to drive his mangled car off the track. Bohn was able to make up his 3rd lap, putting him at the tail end of the field, but back on the lead lap. That’s when the mist came again, getting heavier each lap under caution. Finally at lap 40, the field was put under the red flag and returned to the pits. Minutes later the race was called and within 5 minutes it was a total downpour of rain.
The race will resume next week with the lineup just as it was when the rains came. All cars must be on the same tires they were on last night. Tim Brown, followed by Burt Myers, Jason Myers, and Brandon Ward were the top 4 on the leaderboard. And ever so quietly, Jonathan Brown had raced his way from 24th to 10th. And Danny Bohn is back on the lead lap. It’s going to be good!! If you didn’t come last night because of the weather, hopefully it will be better this week and you might wanna try to make it!! The Governor said even he was gonna come back!! See ya then from Section 8!
**Tune into SCM Radio this week for new episodes of “What Drives Us” reporting on Bowman Gray Stadium Races. And Visit us weekly at www.sportscarolinamonthly.com for up to date coverage all season long!
