Mitch Gales led 19.9 laps in the second Sportsman race at Bowman Gray Stadium on Saturday night, but Tommy Neal took the win after spinning Gales on the frontstretch coming to the checkered flag.
After a late race yellow in the second 20-lap Sportsman feature of the night, Gales led over Near and Billy Gregg.
The field lined up for a restart with four laps to go. Gales held onto the lead, but Neal was beating his back bumper off every chance he could. Gales held strong and kept Neal at bay. With two laps to go, Neal got into Gales hard in the center of turns three and four. The pair had to check up so much in order to not crash that Gregg got into the rear of Neal and almost spun, eliminating his chances to win.
Neal lost his momentum, and entered turn three on the last lap two car lengths behind Gales. With a late dive into the north turn, Neal made just enough contact to get Gales loose in turn three. Gales got sideways, and Neal stayed glued to his rear bumper. Neither driver lifted, and as they entered the frontstretch, Gales spun off of Neal’s bumper.
“We had a good car all night,” Neal said after the win. “I’ve been here three races, and I’ve got spun out five times checking up, letting everybody in. I’m getting the hell knocked out of me from behind. You know, every time we turn around we’re getting dumped up off [the corner] because we’re checking up for everybody else.
“That last lap right there I didn’t try to get by him one time [and] he brake checks me going down into one and two and then he slammed the brakes on again. I know he was riding the brakes. Billy was knocking the hell out of me. So I mean I wouldn’t get spun again. I hate it for Mitch. I like Mitch. He’s a great guy, but I mean I just went with the flow once he got sideways and Billy started pushing. I wouldn’t check it. It was time to go.”
Neal felt like coming the checkers he couldn’t lift.
“I mean, I mean the train was going. I wouldn’t get spun out checking up again and then lose second place. So I figured, you know, I’m gonna go all the way. I wasn’t letting out of the gas. I’m done checking up. I’m going to the front from now on. I’ll put a new front bumper on this son of a bitch every week.”
Gales was less than pleased with the contact.
“Tommy just went down in there and he pushed me right through the center, got me up the racetrack a little bit, and just kept driving through me, instead of turning left and racing side by side,” Gales said. “I mean, if he’d have turned beside me and we’d raced to the line and he’d beat me by two inches, that’s fair racing. But just, I mean, I really didn’t expect it out of him, but I expected it out of some other people.
“I was [dragging the brake] because he was pushing me through the center of the corner. I got to try to cover the bottom. That’s the way you race. Here’s the whole deal. He looks a lot worse right now than I do. We’re going to be all right.”
After the race, Gales pulled through the infield grass and met Neal on the frontstretch to show his displeasure.
“I was upset just because I really felt disrespected,” Gales said. “And by somebody I’ve raced with for 36 years that I would never, ever do something like that to him, and he knows it. But that’s okay. We’re going to come back. We’re going to make this thing better, and we’re going to try to get one of them pro-stock carburetors like these guys with these 602s running, and we’re going to come over here and kick their butt.”
Scotte is from North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, living just a few minutes from the historic North Wilkesboro Speedway. Scotte has raced at local dirt tracks for over six years, as well as covering NASCAR and short track races for over a year now, and has a firey passion for all motorsports, working to achieve a career as a driver.
