Tim Brown Soars in Qualifying for GMAC Insurance 200 at Bowman Gray
The 83 team begins fighting for their ninth championship.

(Bowman Gray Stadium, Winston-Salem, NC) Tim Brown and his crew put a lot of work into a single lap last night at Bowman Gray Stadium. But it was an important lap – a qualifying run that placed Brown on the pole for the start of the GMAC Insurance 200 tonight for the GMAC Insurance Modified Series.
            “We didn’t sleep last night because we were trying to put the perfect final touches on this car,” said Brown. “It’s all my fault. Everything has got to be absolutely perfect. Put it together, take it apart, put it together, take it apart, put it together, look at it for an hour, then take it apart and put it back together again – until I get it like I want it.”
            And there was a lot for the team to look at – Brown will compete in 2011 with a brand new race car and motor package. “I work for Michael Waltrip racing - and if you’re running the same Cup car today that you were running six months ago, you’re getting beat,” said Brown. “Our deal is the same way. If you’re running the same exact car right now that you ran last year, you’re getting beat.”
            “We unloaded the car today, and I drove it for the first few laps - I knew that we had something special there with that racecar,” said Brown.
            The car performed so well that Brown turned the fastest lap despite getting into the dirt in turn three and sliding a little. “I ran through the grass, it slid out, and I’m like ‘Gosh, I just gave the pole away,’” said Brown. “When I saw the time come up, I was like ‘What?!’”
            But Brown realizes last night was only one lap. The real test will come tonight in the GMAC Insurance 200 – a 200-lap endurance contest for driver and car alike. “This is one of the toughest places I’ve ever been to race,” said Brown. “You have to race yourself here along with other competitors. These things have so much power, you can go out there and burn your tires off in the first 25 laps – and you’ve still got 175 more to go. Or you can sit there and ride for 180 laps and leave yourself only 20 to try to get the front - and you didn’t leave yourself enough.”
            Sure, Brown wants to qualify on the pole and win the race – but he’ll tell you his main goal is winning the championship. With 8 championships in the GMAC Insurance Modified Series, one more would shatter Ralph Brinkley’s record and give Brown more championships than any other driver in the 63-year history of Bowman Gray Stadium.
            The 2011 season will be well over 1,000 laps at Bowman Gray Stadium for Tim Brown – but the first lap has him excited to get started racing tonight. “The weather’s supposed to be beautiful, I’m grinning from ear to ear, and I can’t wait,” said Brown.
            Lee Jeffreys of High Point will be starting on the outside front row. Jonathan Brown of Winston-Salem starts in third with Burt Myers of Walnut Cove lining up in fourth. These competitors will be itching to utilize the Double File “Choice” Restart Rule to claim the lead for themselves.
            The top 10 qualifiers locked in their starting position last night. There will be another round of qualifying tonight to determine positions 11 through 24. Competitors may choose to stand on their times from last night or scrap their time and requalify tonight.
            In the Webb Heating & A/C Co. Sportsman Series, Tommy Neal of Walkertown turned the fastest qualifying lap for tonight’s 40-lap Sportsman race.
            Ticket gates open at 6:00 for practice. The first race starts at 8:00. For more information, visit www.bowmangrayracing.com.

 

GMAC Insurance Modified Series
April 29 Qualifying Results for the GMAC Insurance 200

RANK	TIME	CAR	DRIVER	HOMETOWN
1	13.257	83	Tim Brown	Cana, VA
2	13.329	77	Lee Jeffreys	High Point, NC
3	13.416	53	Jonathan Brown	Kernersville, NC
4	13.421	1	Burt Myers	Walnut Cove, NC
5	13.450	4	Jason Myers	Walnut Cove, NC
6	13.490	5	Randy Butner	Pfafftown, NC
7	13.497	23	Brian Loftin	Lexington, NC
8	13.506	25	John Smith	Mount Airy, NC
9	13.520	13	Chris Fleming	Mount Airy, NC
10	13.550	69	Junior Miller	Danbury, NC
11	13.577	50	Michael Clifton	Walkertown, NC
12	13.618	75	Robert Jeffreys	Winston-Salem, NC
13	13.625	7	Bobby Reed	Clemmons, NC
14	13.642	04	Kevin Powell	Winston-Salem, NC
15	13.685	28	Joseph Brown	Winston-Salem, NC
16	13.711	66	Ronnie Clifton	Walkertown, NC
17	13.720	72	Brent Elliott	Denton, NC
18	13.779	81	Austin Pack	Walkertown, NC
19	13.788	65	Danny Bohn	Huntersville, NC
20	13.819	48	Brad Robbins	Winston-Salem, NC
21	13.895	6	Kevin Wilson	Elkin, NC
22	13.936	12	Mike Norman	Lewisville, NC
23	13.975	27	Jeremy Stoltz	Walkertown, NC
24	14.101	45	Lee Stimpson	Lewisville, NC
25	14.277	51	Stan Welborn	Germanton, NC
26	14.602	71	Dean Ward	Winston-Salem, NC
27	14.620	64	Steven Truell	Winston-Salem, NC

           

Webb Heating & A/C Co. Sportsman Series
April 29 Qualifying Results for tonight’s 40-lapper

RANK	TIME	CAR	DRIVER	HOMETOWN
1	15.093	21	Tommy Neal	Walkertown, NC
2	15.218	05	Kyle Edwards	King, NC
3	15.247	86	Taylor Branch	Lewisville, NC
4	15.255	13	Luke Fleming	Mount Airy, NC
5	15.271	18	Kenny Bost	Kernersville, NC
6	15.274	02	Derek Stoltz	Walkertown, NC
7	15.275	50	Barry Edwards	Pinnacle, NC
8	15.292	3	Jeff Garrison	Walkertown, NC
9	15.304	19	Michael Adams	Yadkinville, NC
10	15.337	38	Mitch Gales	Thomasville,NC
11	15.347	23	Ryan Robertson	Winston-Salem, NC
12	15.397	12	Evan Duggins	Rural Hall, NC
13	15.424	22	Todd Gray	Lexington, NC
14	15.446	72	Bryant Robertson	Lexington, NC
15	15.453	9	David Adams	Yadkinville, NC
16	15.522	7	Ronnie Barron	Lexington, NC
17	15.547	79	John Lain	Germanton, NC
18	15.568	30	Cody Evans	King, NC
19	15.656	81	Zack Clifton	Walkertown, NC
20	15.676	17	Kevin Neal	Walkertown, NC
21	16.180	60	Jeff McCrary	Linwood, NC
22	16.741	07	Danny Cornwell	Clemmons, NC