WINSTON-SALEM, NC : “Rocketman” Tim Brown knew his luck had to change at some point this season. After he has collected every fast time award so far in 2016 that win was still lacking. All of that changed on the first night when qualifying mattered the most, the twin 25’s.
Brown led the field to green with Brandon Ward alongside for the first 25 lap race of the new year.
Brown got the hole shot and led off into the first turn with Burt Myers able to get around Ward for second. The two would run in lockstep with Myers in search of a way to get around the 10-time Modified champion.
The race was slowed by three quick yellows, the final one on lap 24 that set up one final chance for Myers to get the win. Brown was not going to let this win get away as he held off the attempt at a bump-n-run by Myers in turns 3 and 4 to score his 77th career win in the Modifieds at Bowman Gray Stadium. This was also the first win for Brown at the Madhouse surprisingly since last June. Brown would go on to finish the second 25 lap feature in fifth after he drew an 8 for the invert.
“My car was good. In practice this morning they made some changes to it and it came alive and we were fortunate enough to get the pole tonight. I missed it a little bit in that first race and we were too free when the stagger grew on me so it let Burt [Myers] run with me there for a little bit. The crew tuned her up for the second race and I drove up to fifth [started 8th], so it was a good night for us. We needed to win for our sponsors and our fans, so I am glad to get one this early,” said Brown on his performance tonight.
When asked about the winless drought Brown had these comments, “We sat on every pole this year, so I knew I had a good car and I should have won the [Hayes] 200. It weighs on me all winter as we work harder and harder and harder to try to get faster cars. In the back of my mind I know it will come as good as our cars are and just the history we have here. I’m just thankful that we got it done tonight for my team, sponsors, fans and myself honestly. We have worked extremely hard and we when we don’t have a win in quite some time it gets nerving.”
Jason Myers led wire-to-wire to claim the win in the second 25 lap Modified race on the night.
Modified – Race 1 Results :
- Tim Brown (#83)
- Burt Myers (#1)
- Brandon Ward (#04)
- Michael Clifton (#50)
- Lee Jeffreys (#77)
- Dean Ward (#71)
- John Smith (#53)
- Jason Myers (#4)
- Randy Butner (#5)
- Joseph Brown (#2)
- David Calabrese (#79)
- Jonathan Brown (#22)
- Ronnie Clifton (#66)
- Joe Ryan Osborne (#27)
- Scott Gordon (#76)
- Mike Speeney (#87)
- Daniel Yates (#18)
- William Smith (#16)
- Chris Fleming (#40)
- Jimmy Wallace (#01)
Modified – Race 2 Results :
- Jason Myers (#4)
- John Smith (#53)
- Dean Ward (#71)
- Lee Jeffreys (#77)
- Tim Brown (#83)
- Michael Clifton (#50)
- Burt Myers (#1)
- Joseph Brown (#2)
- Randy Butner (#5)
- David Calabrese (#79)
- Ronnie Clifton (#66)
- Scott Gordon (#76)
- Brandon Ward (#87)
- Chris Fleming (#40)
- Daniel Yates (#18)
- Joe Ryan Osborne (#27)
- Jonathan Brown (#22)
- William Smith (#16)
- Jimmy Wallace (#01)
