Tommy Neal scored an historic fourth 100-lap Sportsman victory and reigning Modified champion Burt Myers turned good fortune into a division-best fourth triumph of the season at Bowman Gray Stadium Saturday Night July 27.
Walkertown’s Neal was the fastest qualifier and led all but the first lap in a dominating performance of the Colors Edge Sportsman 100. The victory lifted him out of a tie with runner-up Derek Stoltz and retired drivers Mark Knott and Gene Pack as three-time winners of 100-lap Sportsman races that started on the quarter-mile asphalt in 1983.
Sportsman Division Race winner Tommy Neal in Winner’s Circle – July 29th 2019
“It feels phenomenal,” said Neal, whose 44th Sportsman victory at Bowman Gray moved him into sole possession of third on the all-time division winners list. “I am going have to give Ole Papa Smurf (Pack) a hard time when I call him later. Me and him are good buddies. He was a heck of a driver.”
Stoltz lamented finishing second: “I won’t be so nice next time. Tommy Neal wants to run you out to the wall on restarts. We work too hard on the car for put up with that junk.”
The Colors Edge 100 ended a victory streak of five straight events for Dylan Ward of Winston-Salem, who wound up third. “It’s a miracle we even raced,” Ward explained. “The officials checked my engine several times before qualifying before finally telling me I couldn’t run it. We had an hour and half to run back to the shop and change the motor. I was actually riding along in the car hauler on the way back to the track, still working on it.”
Justin Taylor of King parlayed a fifth-place finish into an even bigger lead in the McDowell Heating and Air Sportsman division points. Title challenger Kyle Southern finished 18th and Taylor’s lead grew from 21 points to 35 with just three racing events left during the 2019 season at the Madhouse.
Lee Jeffreys was the fastest qualifying for the third time of the season and led all 25 laps of the first of two races for the Brad’s Golf Cars Modified Series. It was the Wallburg resident’s first victory of the 2019 season and the 22nd of his Bowman Gray career. Burt Myers of Walnut Cove qualified 10th for the first race and finished eighth. Myers inherited the pole for the second race when Jeffreys drew the number eight to invert the field. Myers quickly pulled away from eventual runner-up John Smith of Mount Airy and had smooth sailing for his 82nd main event triumph at the Madhouse.
Lady Luck smiled even more upon Myers when title challengers Tim Brown and Jonathan Brown both wrecked in the second race. “We just messed up in qualifying and it really hurt us in that first race,” said Myers, who increased his lead from four points to eight over rival Tim Brown. “That second race was just God showering his blessings on us. I mean, what else can I say. I give him all the glory. I had nothing to do with how the other two guys (Jonathan and Tim Brown) ended up.”
Myers is chasing the 10th Modified championship of his Bowman Gray career and Tim Brown his eleventh title. Tim Brown spun late in the second race and finished 13th. Jonathan Brown, who finished a career-best second in the points in 2018, slid from six points to 16 behind the leader when a tussle with Jason Myers ended both their nights in the second race. Winston-Salem city police escorted both drivers off the track when tempers fumed after they wrecked.
“I still have an excellent shot at it,” said Jonathan Brown, credited with 18th in the second race. “The 100-lap race this coming Saturday is a wildcard and the last event of the season is for double points. We have not given up one bit.”
David Creed of Mount Airy won a 20-lap race for the Law Offices of John Barrow Street Stock series. He celebrated in victory lane with his son and both were weary from the recent addition of a grandbaby to the family. “It has been quite a week for all of us to say the least,” said the elder Creed after his first victory of the season and the third of his career.
Chuck Wall of Lexington won a 15-lap Stadium Stock race, evading a last-lap attempt of being wrecked by Grayson Keaton. His third victory of 2019 at the Madhouse helped him break out of a three-way tie for the lead in division standings. Race runner-up A.J. Sanders of Mocksville is now two points behind Wall and 10 ahead of third-ranking Brandon Brendle of Winston-Salem, who finished seventh in the 15-lap race.
Justin Whitaker of Elon grabbed his first Bowman Gray victory in a second 15-lap race for drivers not among the title challengers in the Stadium Stock division.
The Fox 8 WGHP 100 Modified race is the main event of an August 3 program at the Madhouse. There will be a full field re-draw in the Modified race and the top four qualifiers can race for an extra $6000 in prize money in the final installment of the track’s Fans Challenge Series.
2019 RACE RESULTS – July 27 MODIFIED: Lee Jeffreys MODIFIED: Burt Myers SPORTSMAN: Tommy Neal STREET STOCK: David Creed STADIUM STOCK: Chuck Wall STADIUM STOCK: Justin Whitaker
