Miller Wins Second Tour Race at Bowman Gray
Burt Myers moves through field to challenge Miller but finishes second.

L.W. Miller receives his Strutmasters.com 199 victory trophy in Winner’s Circle. photo by Eric Hylton Photography

(Bowman Gray Stadium, Winston-Salem, NC) L.W Miller of Dushore, PA made history tonight, becoming the first NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour competitor to win the annual Strutmasters.com 199 twice in a row at Bowman Gray Stadium. Miller also drew the cheers and boos of the crowd as he successfully held off local racer Burt Myers of Walnut Cove.
            George Brunnhoelzl III of West Babylon, NY qualified on the pole and shot out into the lead as the green flag waved. He stuck to the inside and was able to defend his position successfully for the first half of the race.
            But a bump from L.W. Miller on lap 97 sent him spinning, giving Miller the chance to steal the lead away. “I didn’t want to be in second. I didn’t want to have those outside restarts,” said Miller. “I pushed him up going into corner down there and drove under him - and then just ran like heck for the rest of the race.”
            Brunnhoelzl gave some stiff shots to the bumper of Miller in an attempt to reclaim the lead, but the #09 car of Brunnhoelzl couldn’t shake him. That left Brunnhoelzl in the vulnerable position of starting on the outside front row for double-file restarts.
            Burt Myers had slipped out of second place after a run-in with John Smith of Mount Airy sent him sliding to a stop. Myers began to climb his way through the field lap-by-lap until he found himself in third – on the inside row behind Miller. Myers slipped to the inside of Brunnhoelzl to secure the bottom groove and second place.
            Miller didn’t want to see the #1 car of Myers behind him. “I thought ‘Oh boy, here we go. This is going to be a replay of last year only in reverse. Burt’s going to put the bumper to me,’” said Miller, referencing last year’s Strutmasters.com 199 where Miller bumped Myers out of the lead.
            Myers began to close in on Miller, looking for any opportunity to nudge him out of the way. The #1 car of Myers gave Miller a few good shots but was unable to get the chance he wanted.
            “When I got back in line on the last restart, the 09 [of Brunnhoelzl] actually got into me a little bit and lifted me up,” said Myers. “That let L.W. get away from me just a little bit.”
            Myers went on to finish second. “We had to battle back from the adversity coming through the field, so second’s not too bad, I guess,” said Myers. “I would say that we’re not satisfied, but we’re happy with where we finished.”
            Miller claimed the checkered, with Brunnhoelzl coming in third.
            In the Webb Heating & A/C Co. Sportsman Series, Michael Adams of Yadkinville brought home the win in the night’s 40-lapper. After Kenny Bost of Kernersville and Bryant Robertson of Lexington took each other out as they fought for the lead, Adams was able to avoid the situation and grab the checkered. Luke Fleming of Mount Airy finished second, with Robbie Brewer of Winston-Salem taking third.
            After the time limit expired in the Q104.1 Street Stock Series, Darren Cotner of King claimed the victory. Billy Gregg of Winston-Salem and Johnny Arnder of Mount Airy finished second and third.
            In the Freeman’s Auto Center Stadium Stock Series, Jimmy Absher of Rural Hall won the first 15-lapper, with Travis Brewer of Germanton taking the checkered in the second 15-lap race.

 

Race Results

NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour
Strutmasters.com 199: 199 laps

FINISH	CAR	DRIVER	HOMETOWN
1	36	L.W. Miller	Dushore, PA
2	1	Burt Myers	Walnut Cove, NC
3	09	George Brunnhoelzl III	West Babylon, NY
4	4	Jason Myers	Walnut Cove, NC
5	5	Randy Butner	Winston-Salem, NC
6	12	Mike Norman	Lewisville, NC
7	0	Greg Butcher	Mocksville, NC
8	11	Andy Seuss	Hampstead, NH
9	02	Tim Brown	Rural Hall, NC
10	79	Derrick Hill	Westfield, NC
11	2	Josh Nichols	Winston-Salem, NC
12	40	Frank Fleming	Mount Airy, NC
13	25	John Smith	Mount Airy, NC
14	8	Jonathan Kievman	Deerfield Beach, FL
15	31	Austin Pack	Winston-Salem, NC
16	71	Dean Ward	Winston-Salem, NC

 

Webb Heating and A/C Co. Sportsman Series:
Sportsman Race: 34 of 40 laps completed (time limit expired)

FINISH	CAR	DRIVER	HOMETOWN
1	19	Michael Adams	Yadkinville, NC
2	13	Luke Fleming	Mount Airy, NC
3	68	Robbie Brewer	Winston-Salem, NC
4	86	Taylor Branch	Lewisville, NC
5	02	Derek Stoltz	Walkertown, NC
6	12	Evan Duggins	Rural Hall, NC
7	70	Gary Ledbetter	Lexington, NC
8	81	Zack Clifton	Walkertown, NC
9	16	Mitch Gales	Thomasville,NC
10	9	David Adams	Yadkinville, NC
11	30	Cody Evans	King, NC
12	79	John Lain	Germanton, NC
13	72	Bryant Robertson	Lexington, NC
14	0	Steve Holleman	Winston-Salem, NC
15	18	Kenny Bost	Kernersville, NC
16	21	Tommy Neal	Walkertown, NC
17	3	Jeff Garrison	Clemmons, NC
18	92	Kyle Southern	King, NC
19	05	Kyle Edwards	King, NC
20	6	Kirk Sheets	Winston-Salem, NC
21	99	T.J. Moran	Yadkinville, NC
22	22	Todd Gray	Lexington, NC
23	50	Barry Edwards	Pinnacle, NC
24	1	Ryan Nelson	Winston-Salem, NC
25	38	Chris Hedgecock	Winston-Salem, NC

Q 104.1 Street Stock Series
Street Stock Race: 19 of 20 laps completed (time limit expired)

FINISH	CAR	DRIVER	HOMETOWN
1	9	Darren Cotner	King, NC
2	98	Billy Gregg	Winston-Salem, NC
3	25	Johnny Arnder	Mount Airy, NC
4	27	Matt Cotner	Rural Hall, NC
5	4	John Holleman	Winston-Salem, NC
6	14	Randy Larimore	Walkertown, NC
7	32	Craig West	Walkertown, NC
8	99	John McNeal	Winston-Salem, NC
9	18	Tim Vaden	Kernersville, NC
10	55	Stephen Baker	Kernersville, NC
11	0	Richard Brannock	Tobaccoville, NC
12	66	Whitney Clifton	Walkertown, NC
13	44	Daniel Fishel	Greensboro, NC
14	2	Willie Wall	Lexington, NC
15	96	Terry Sink	Winston-Salem, NC
16	94	Jeffery Wood	Southmont, NC
17	21	Justin Taylor	King, NC
18	00	Donnie Martin	Winston-Salem, NC
19	47	Kevin Gilbert	Pfafftown, NC
20	39	David Thomas	Walkertown, NC
21	22	Brian Wall	Winston-Salem, NC
22	23	Kris Hoots	Mocksville, NC

 

Freeman’s Auto Center Stadium Stock Series
Stadium Stock A Race: 14 of 15 laps completed (time limit expired)

FINISH	CAR	DRIVER	HOMETOWN
1	39	Jimmy Absher	Rural Hall, NC
2	22	Jason Tutterow	Advance, NC
3	21	Michael Wells	Walkertown, NC
4	26	Derek Taylor	Yadkinville, NC
5	01	Jason Keaton	Mocksville, NC
6	34	Chris Lawing	King, NC
7	60	Ted Mickalowski	Mocksville, NC
8	62	Kevin Hedgecock	Thomasville, NC
9	55	Tyler Burke	Winston-Salem, NC
10	17	Andy Southern	Winston-Salem, NC
11	42	Phillip Wright	King, NC
12	93	Robert Collins	Winston-Salem, NC
13	14	Ken Bridges	King, NC
14	61	Charlie Curry	Lexington, NC
15	1H	Chase Hunt	Lexington, NC
16	56	Johnny Burke	Winston-Salem, NC
17	58	Brandon Brendle	Winston-Salem, NC
18	02	Wesley Thompson	Mocksville, NC
19	69	Drew Moffitt	Winston-Salem, NC
20	23	Kenny Dixon	Pfafftown, NC
21	81	Chuck Wall	Clemmons, NC

 

Stadium Stock B Race: 15 laps

FINISH	CAR	DRIVER	HOMETOWN
1	18	Travis Brewer	Germanton, NC
2	8	Shane Southard	Yadkinville, NC
3	4	Andrew Sanders	Mocksville, NC
4	16	Stephen Sanders	Midway, NC
5	48	Bobby Smith	Lexington, NC
6	98	T.J. Cox	Winston-Salem, NC
7	33	Gary Brewer	Germanton, NC
8	05	Dave Surry	Winston-Salem, NC
9	3	Rik Newsome	East Bend, NC
10	64	Ricky Wall	East Bend, NC
11	24	Dale Barneycastle	Mocksville, NC
12	86	Tyler Ziglar	Kernersville, NC
13	20	Bobby Harrison	Lexington, NC
14	96	Casey Kirkman	Winston-Salem, NC
15	29	Cody Arrington	Mount Airy, NC