 |
SATURDAY, OCT.
22nd |
 |
 |
Burt Myers Claims Caraway
Win &
Inaugural SMRS
Modified Championship
|
SOPHIA, NC (October 22) -
Walnut Cove, NC's Burt Myers
pulled the double Saturday
night at Caraway Speedway by
claiming the win in the
Kenny Minter Memorial 125
and, in so doing, taking the
inaugural Southern Modified
Racing Series (SMRS)
presented by PASS points
championship. Myers second
career SMRS win caps off a
remarkable 2016 season which
also saw him take the titles
at Bowman Gray Stadium and
in the Whelen Southern
Modified Tour.
"This
is just a dream come true
because I feel like in my
lifetime nobody will be able
to say they won all three
titles in the same season,"
said Myers in victory lane,
who entered the race tied
for the championship lead
with John Smith. "It took us
a long enough time to figure
out the halfway adjustments
and tonight we made the
right ones and this car was
just awesome."
For
the fifth time this year,
Brandon Ward was able to
capture the Precision Built
Spindles Pole Award with a
lap of 15.910 seconds
(102.954 MPH) around the
.455 mile facility. Ward's
good fortune early on
continued as he drew pill
number one in the redraw to
start on the pole alongside
veteran racer Gary Putnam.
Prior to the start, fans
and racers paused in a
moment of silence to
remember Kenny Minter who
lost his life in a racing
accident at Caraway Speedway
in 1995. Following the
command to start engines by
Kenny Minter, Jr., Ward
continued to flex his muscle
as he jumped out to the
early lead. Brian Loftin
would keep pace with Ward
early on, until being
bypassed for second by Myers
on lap 47. Just three laps
later, the first caution of
the night would wave for the
stalled car of Mike Norman.
Several cars pitted for
adjustments including Myers,
Smith, Cale Gale, and LW
Miller.
Back under
green, Ward would continue
to lead over Loftin and
Jason Myers. On lap 61, J.
Myers would move by Loftin
for second. Loftin would be
freight trained by the lead
group of cars and fall to
eighth. Putnam was making
his way back to the front
too, passing Tim Brown for
third on lap 75.
The
caution waved again for
debris in turn two with 33
laps to go, allowing the
entire field to pit for new
tires, adjustments, and
fuel. Putnam, Gale, Miller,
and Ward would be the first
off pit row to lead the
field to green on the next
restart. Putnam led on the
restart until the caution
waved two laps later for
Smith, who spun in turn two
after slight contact from
Loftin. Smith pitted, but
made an illegal tire change
and was penalized for two
laps.
On the next
restart, Putnam spun his
tires and touched J.Myers as
he tried to regain control,
causing J. Myers to make
contact with the front
stretch wall. While they
continued on without
bringing out a caution, Gale
moved to lead over Putnam
and Ward. But, they would
make contact in turn one
while battling for second
with 23 laps to go, causing
Putnam to spin. Ward would
retire from the event due to
suspension problems.
On the restart, B. Myers was
able to get the advantage
over Gale from the outside
to take the lead. The final
caution of the night would
wave with 13 laps to go when
Miller spun in turn four
after contact from Putnam.
B. Myers was able to get a
better restart than Loftin
and would lead the rest of
the way to take the Kenny
Minter Memorial win over
Loftin, J. Myers, Brown, and
Miller. Rounding out the top
10 were Gale, Mod Lite
winner, Scott Hall, Tom
Buzze, Putnam, and Smith.
While the SMRS Tour
Modifieds presented by PASS
are finished for the year,
Tour Modifieds will be
racing for $10,000 to win
and the PASS South and PASS
National Super Late Models
champions will be crowned on
November 4-5 as part of the
14th Annual North-South
Shootout at Concord
Speedway. For more
information please go to
northsouthshootout.com. |
SMRS MODIFIEDS at CARAWAY
UNOFFICIAL RACE
RESULTS - 10-22-16 |
1) 1 - Burt Myers
2) 23 - Brian Loftin
3) 4
- Jason Myers
4) 83 - Tim
Brown
5) 05 - LW MIller
6) 95 - Cale Gale
7) 54 -
Scott Hall |
8) 5 - Tom Buzze,
Jr.
9) 77 - Gary Putnam
10) 25 - John Smith
11)
19 - Brandon Ward
12) 75
- Ronnie Souders, Jr.
13)
12 - Mike Norman
|
|
|
