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MAY 3
Myers Dominates Tucson 200 at Bowman
Gray
Car Setup Solves Tire Issues.
It was the question on everyone’s mind for the Tucson
200 at Bowman Gray Stadium on Saturday. Would the tires last?
With a new, softer tire being used for competition in the Farm Bureau
Insurance Modified Series this year, drivers and crews were concerned that the
tire wouldn’t be durable enough to last the full 200 laps of the opening night
event. Some predicted that each team would pit multiple times during the race,
while others thought that the tires wouldn’t create any pit stops.
Burt Myers of Walnut Cove answered everyone’s
questions, winning the Tucson 200 with tires that were still in reasonably good
shape.
Pole-starter Tim Brown of Cana, Va. was a fan of the new tires,
especially after he broke the all-time record for the fastest qualifying lap at
the Stadium in time trials for the Tucson 200. Myers qualified second-fastest
and started on the outside pole.
When the green flag fell, Burt Myers shot out
into the lead. “I knew Tim would be the car I had to beat, so it helped
beating him on the start,” said Burt Myers. “I got a really good run, and he
told me that he spun his tires and he just didn’t get a good start. I was able
to take advantage of his little slip.”
As the laps ticked by, Brown and Myers did their best to conserve their
tires. “Tim and I have been doing this for a long time, and we both know that
you got to be there at the end to win,” said Burt Myers.” I tried to save
him something for the end.”
In addition to Myers driving to consciously
conserve his tires, lots of effort from his pit crew gave him a car that was set
up extremely well. “We dialed in this thing. We’ve been working it and
tweaking it, and it’s running about as good as it ever has,” said Myers.
“The car was so good that in the back of your mind, you’re just waiting for
it to go away,” said Myers. “But the car was still there right at the
end.”
Despite a few good taps to the bumper from
second-place car of Tim Brown, Burt Myers went on to take the checkered in the
Tucson 200. Tim Brown finished in second, with Brian Loftin of Lexington
finishing third and Robert Jeffreys of Winston-Salem finishing in fourth.
In the Webb Heating & A/C Co. Sportsman
Series, it was Rookie Derek Stoltz of Walkertown who took the checkered in the
40-lap event on Saturday. Last week, Stoltz charged through the field in his
first race behind the wheel of a Sportsman car. And on Saturday, Stoltz managed
to work his way up from fifth all the way to the win. Ronnie Barron was leading
much of the race, but was sidelined by unfortunate mechanical problems. David
Adams of Yadkinville finished in second, with Kenny Bost of Kernersville in
third and Ronnie Clifton of Walkertown in fourth.
After a wild night in the 104.1 WTQR Street Stock
Series, Tim Vaden of Kernersville brought home the win in the 20-lapper. Doug
Wall of Pfafftown finished second, and Ryan Nelson of Winston-Salem ended up
third.
In the Time Warner Cable Stadium Stock Series, Gary
Brewer of Germanton won the first 15-lap race, and Glenn Hamilton took checkered
in the second 15-lapper.
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