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RGeeProductions
07-09-2008, 01:40 PM
Make-or-Break Night for Points at Bowman Gray Double Points Night set for this Saturday

Drivers will tell you that they don’t think about the points – that they just try to win as many races as possible. But there are certain nights of the year where they may change their mantra. Saturday night is one of them.

With double the amount of points being awarded for each race at Bowman Gray Stadium this Saturday night – and with the timing of the Double Points Night coming as the season enters the last stretch – the events on Saturday night will be a critical time for competitors vying for the crown.

Tim Brown of Cana, Va. leads the points standings for the Farm Bureau Insurance Modified Series, with second place Burt Myers of Walnut Cove trailing by 18 points. As if the points battle weren’t fierce enough between these two, they are entering the Farm Bureau Insurance 100 where the starting lineup is determined by random draw.

New for 2008, an extra element of strategy has been added to the 100-lap races, a change that Brown boos but Myers cheers. After cautions, the lineup for restarts is now a double-file lineup – and competitors are given the choice whether they want to start on the inside or the outside row.

Burt Myers used the rule to his advantage in the last 100-lapper. After a pit stop sent him to the back, Myers repeatedly risked the outside row to take a fourth place finish.

Bobby Hutchens of Lexington, who is currently fourth in the points standings, has claimed that although enjoyable, the 100-lap races are the toughest races he’s ever run. “It was kinda like playing poker. You had to figure out who was around you, who was in front of you, who was beside you, what lap you were on - I chose the inside sometimes and the outside sometimes depending on what was going on around me,” said Hutchens about the 100-lap race earlier in the season which he won.

Lee Jeffreys of High Point ranks third in the points with Hutchens in fourth and Brian Pack of Walkertown in fifth. But with four points being awarded per position, it’s anybody’s game entering Saturday night.

In the Webb Heating & A/C Co. Sportsman Series, six-time Champion Ronnie Clifton of Walkertown finds himself in a position he’s not familiar with. For the last few seasons, the king of the Sportsman Division has been on the top of the points ladder by this time in the season.

Now, Kenny Bost of Kernersville sits on top of the points rankings. Bost started racing in the Sportsman Division in 2006 and has come on strong since then. Both he and Clifton know that this Saturday will be a deciding point in their season.

Ryan Nelson of Winston-Salem claimed the lead for the 104.1 WTQR Street Stock Series on Saturday after Tim Vaden of Kernersville was involved in a collision. Although Vaden did finish the race, his damaged car was off the pace and could only manage a 15th place finish. Vaden drops back to second in the points. David Sumner of Trinity moves up to second to tie Vaden, well within striking distance of taking the points lead for himself.

In the Time Warner Cable Stadium Stock Series, Jimmy Absher of Rural Hall continues to lead with Matt Hill of Yadkinville and Johnny Burke of Midway in second and third.

In addition to being a Double Points Night, this Saturday night is also Farm Bureau Insurance $1 Ladies’ Night, where female fans get in for only one buck to see the racing action. The Modifieds will duke it out in the Farm Bureau Insurance 100 with racing for all other divisions. Ticket gates open at 6 PM for practice runs, qualifying is at 7:10 PM, and the first race is at 8:00 PM this Saturday night. For directions, schedules, and other information, log on to www.bowmangrayracing.com (http://www.bowmangrayracing.com).

2008 Current Points Standings

Farm Bureau Insurance Modified Series
Rank / Car # / Driver / Points / Gained Last Event / Rank Change
1 83 Tim Brown 392 43 0
2 1 Burt Myers 374 43 0
3 77 Lee Jeffreys 354 40 0
4 14 Bobby Hutchens 347 42 0
5 81 Brian Pack 323 37 0
6 5 Randy Butner 315 41 0
7 40 Brad Robbins 306 41 0
8 50 Michael Clifton 299 43 0
9 70 Al Hill 279 40 +2
10 75 Robert Jeffreys 271 30 0
11 4 Jason Myers 270 22 -2
12 20 Jeremy Stoltz 244 40 +1
13 47 Andrew Durham 235 19 -1
14 72 Brent Elliott 172 23 +1
15 99 Kevin Powell 168 14 -1

Webb Heating & A/C Co. Sportsman Series
Rank / Car # / Driver / Points / Gained Last Event / Rank Change
1 18 Kenny Bost 413 40 0
2 66 Ronnie Clifton 397 30 0
3 05 Kyle Edwards 373 42 0
4 9 David Adams 369 38 -1
5 26 Jim Shoaf 359 46 +1
6 02 Derek Stoltz 351 36 -1
7 21 Tommy Neal 341 34 +1
8 30 Mike Evans 336 24 -1
9 68 Robbie Brewer 300 16 0
10 1 Gene Pack 295 44 0
11 7 Ronnie Barron 255 32 +1
12 79 Steven Berrier 248 8 -1
13 19 Michael Adams 237 48 +4
14 38 Mitch Gales 234 26 +2
15 50 Barry Edwards 225 10 -2

104.1 WTQR Street Stock Series
Rank / Car # / Driver / Points / Gained Last Event / Rank Change
1 31 Ryan Nelson 388 46 +1
2 18 Tim Vaden 376 22 -1
2 1 David Sumner 376 42 +1
4 12 Doug Wall 374 44 0
5 27 Matt Cotner 368 48 0
6 60 Ethan Stoltz 322 50 0
7 25 Johnny Arnder 304 40 0
8 04 Reggie Doub 284 38 0
9 8 K.J. Stimpson 278 34 0
10 69 Joseph Brown 254 20 +1
11 99 John McNeal 252 14 -1
12 13 Kevin Gilbert 226 24 +1
12 11 Richard Reeves 226 32 +3
14 74 Leon Hutchens 224 28 0
15 00 Donnie Martin 220 16 -3

Time Warner Cable Stadium Stock Series
Rank / Car # / Driver / Points / Gained Last Event / Rank Change
1 39 Jimmy Absher 374 30 0
2 56 Johnny Burke 348 28 0
3 98 Matt Hill 338 24 0
4 11 Wayne Hill 326 36 0
5 01 Jason Keaton 324 38 0
6 21 Kevin L. Neal 316 40 0
7 23 Kenny Dixon 312 46 +1
8 99 Shaun Cockerham 308 32 -2
9 22 Dale Barneycastle 298 48 +1
10 72 Gerald Robertson 290 34 -1
11 24 A.J. Sanders 282 50 +4
12 68 Glenn Hamilton 280 44 +2
13 83 A.J. Quakenbush 264 26 0
14 33 Gary Brewer 262 14 -3
15 64 Steven Truell 258 18 -3

Legendary Bowman Gray Stadium is NASCAR’s longest running weekly race track. Known as “The Home of the Hot Modifieds,” Bowman Gray continues its 60 year tradition of providing exciting racing action at family friendly prices.

Loren Pinilis