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May 13
A Hard-won Victory in the Carolina Wood Floors 100 Pays
Off.
The Carolina Wood Floors 100 marked only the second week of racing at
Bowman Gray Stadium. But the track known as “the Madhouse” doesn’t take
long for the points races to rocket off to an exciting start.
Burt Myers of Walnut Cove started his year off on top of the points
ladder for the Farm Bureau Insurance Modified Series after taking the checkered
in the season-opening Tucson 200. Then in the Carolina Wood Floors 100, Myers
skillfully adapted to the new double-start “choice” restart rule, making his
way to the front. It looked like nothing could stop him.
Nothing, that is, but mechanical problems. As Myers’ engine turned
sour, his #1 car was forced to pit. “We can’t control Lady Luck, and she bit
us tonight. I think I was the class of the field. The car was as good tonight,
if not better, than it was last week,” said Myers.
Bobby Hutchens of Lexington, who had tried several times to make a move
at passing Myers, found himself in the lead. The first thing on Hutchens’ mind
was how he had suffered a similar fate twice last year. “I was thinking about
last year when I was leading and my motor went sour,” said Hutchens. “I told
myself, ‘We gotta get this thing.’”
Hutchens stayed in the lead for the few remaining laps of the 100-lap
race. The win boosted him from 7th in the points into the points lead. “We may
have lucked into this a little bit, but we worked for it. It wasn’t like
somebody gave it to us. I was back to 4th or 5th at some point and worked my way
back into second,” said Hutchens.
Brad Robbins of Winston-Salem finished second in the Carolina Wood Floors 100,
taking him from 19th up to 7th. Despite his unfortunate pit stop, Burt Myers
remains second in the points – tied with Lee Jeffreys of High Point, who
finished third on Saturday. His father, Robert Jeffreys of Winston-Salem, trails
him in fourth, and Tim Brown of Cana, Va. ended up fifth in the points.
In the Webb Heating & A/C Co. Sportsman Series, Jim Shoaf of
Lexington won on Saturday – moving him from 21st to 15th in the points. David
Adams of Yadkinville had a disappointing finish in the first race, but that was
cancelled out by his win in the second race. Adams remains in sixth.
Kenny Bost of Kernersville keeps on top of the points ladder after
finishing 3rd and 7th on Saturday. But 2007 Champion Ronnie Clifton of
Walkertown is right on his heels in second. Clifton has managed a top-five
finish for each of the four Sportsman races so far in 2008.
Rookie Derek Stoltz of Walkertown had a little bad luck in the second
race on Saturday, finishing 13th. That drops him from second in the points to
third. Robbie Brewer of Winston-Salem maintains his fourth place standing in the
points.
In a wild, last-lap pass for the lead, John McNeal of Winston-Salem took
checkered in the 104.1 Street Stock Series on Saturday. The win moves him from
sixth to second in the points. Matt Cotner of Rural Hall, who was leading the
race until McNeal made the daring pass, finished in second. Cotner remains third
in the points. Ryan Nelson of Winston-Salem keeps his points lead after
finishing third on Saturday.
In the Time Warner Cable Stadium Stock Series, Pfafftown resident Kenny
Dixon’s win bumps him from 7th into the points lead. The third place finish of
Dale Barneycastle of Mocksville was good enough to tie Dixon for the points
lead. Shaun Cockerham of East Bend stays in third after finishing 4th on
Saturday.
This Saturday night is the USG Modified 50 with the season’s first
Chain Race. There will also be a 50-lap race for the Street Stock Division, plus
races for the Sportsman and Stadium Stock Divisions. Ticket gates open at 6 PM
for practice runs, qualifying is at 7:20 PM, and the first race is at 8:00 PM
this Saturday night.
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