Myers Wins season finale to claim Whelen Southern Modified crown
By Jason Christley, NASCAR
October 14, 2010 - 5:59pm
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Burt Myers led all but one lap in winning the UNOH Southern Slam 150 Thursday night and, in the process, leapfrogged three title contenders to claim the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour championship.
Myers entered the final race, which was run on the quarter-mile on the front stretch of Charlotte Motor Speedway, fourth in points and trailing first-place James Civali by 41.
Civali, however, was involved in several racing incidents and finished 16th. One of the wrecks also included second-place Andy Seuss, who wound up 18th. Earlier in the day, Seuss had won the Coors Light Pole Award. With less than 20 to go, third-place L.W. Miller got caught up in a fracas with Civali while running in third. He was able to make it back to finish sixth.
That left the door wide open for Myers, who took home the championship by 31 points over Miller (1,609-1,578). Civali finished with 1,575, followed by Seuss with 1,566 and John Smith with 1,555.
It's the first NASCAR touring series championship for the Walnut Cove, N.C., driver. He had finished in the top four in points in four of the previous five years, including a runner-up finish in the tour's inaugural season in 2005. This season, the tour's all-time leader in Coors Light Pole Awards and top fives rebounded from a 17th-place finish in the season opener and won the final two races to claim the one honor that has eluded him.
Earlier in the year, Myers also won his fourth track title in the Modified Division at Bowman-Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C., and the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series North Carolina championship.
Myers qualified seventh but drew the pole when the 10 fastest qualifiers redrew for starting position. The only lap he didn't lead was 137 when Tim Brown nosed ahead on the restart, but Myers quickly moved back into the lead.
Brown finished second in the race, while Zach Brewer posted his best finish of the season in third. John Smith was fourth and Daniel Hemric fifth.
After Miller, Frank Fleming was seventh, followed by Johnny Sutton, Jonny Kievman, and Thomas Stinson.
The UNOH Southern Slam 150 will air on SPEED Saturday, Oct. 16 at 2:30 p.m.
Race: NWSMT Charlotte 10/14/10
1 |
1 |
#1 |
Burt Myers |
Capital Bank/Patterson's Foods/RoushYates |
150 |
190 |
10 |
$3,000 |
Running |
2 |
6 |
#02 |
Tim Brown |
Hayes Jewelers/T & C Motorsports Chevrolet |
150 |
175 |
5 |
2,000 |
Running |
3 |
12 |
#11 |
Zach Brewer |
Shane Hmiel Racing To Recovery Chevrolet |
150 |
165 |
1,800 |
Running |
|
4 |
9 |
#25 |
John Smith |
Tutterow Surveying/Rick's Home Repair |
150 |
160 |
1,300 |
Running |
|
5 |
8 |
#19 |
Daniel Hemric |
Hill Enterprises/Coors Light/LeBleu Water |
150 |
155 |
1,200 |
Running |
|
6 |
4 |
#36 |
L.W. Miller |
PPG/Parkway Towing Pontiac |
150 |
150 |
1,050 |
Running |
|
7 |
3 |
#40 |
Frank Fleming |
Jerry Hunt Auto & Truck Center/Lewisville |
150 |
146 |
1,250 |
Running |
|
8 |
14 |
#10 |
Johnny Sutton |
Betts Racing Engines Chevrolet |
150 |
142 |
900 |
Running |
|
9 |
11 |
#8 |
Jonathan Kievman |
A Best Forklift Chevrolet |
150 |
138 |
850 |
Running |
|
10 |
16 |
#7 |
Thomas Stinson |
M&M Custom Painting Chevrolet |
150 |
134 |
800 |
Running |
|
11 |
2 |
#44 |
Brandon Hire |
Crane & Rigging/Leinbach Machinery Chevrolet |
150 |
130 |
750 |
Running |
|
12 |
17 |
#31 |
Gene Pack |
Comtech Solutions/Clayton Homes Chevrolet |
150 |
127 |
700 |
Running |
|
13 |
19 |
#48 |
Brad Robbins |
Tri-City Trading Chevrolet |
150 |
124 |
700 |
Running |
|
14 |
18 |
#12 |
Mike Norman * |
Combs Produce/Aero8/Breast Cancer |
150 |
121 |
800 |
Running |
|
15 |
13 |
#97 |
Bryan Dauzat |
OB Builders, Inc. Chevrolet |
150 |
118 |
700 |
Running |
|
16 |
5 |
#79 |
James Civali |
Hill Enterprises/Coors Light/LeBleu Water |
150 |
115 |
630 |
Running |
|
17 |
7 |
#4 |
Jason Myers |
Capital Bank/Wendell |
150 |
112 |
620 |
Running |
|
18 |
10 |
#47 |
Andy Seuss |
Q Racing Oil/Ram Printing/Glad Precision |
150 |
109 |
960 |
Running |
|
19 |
15 |
#77 |
Gary Putnam * |
Stock Car Steel Chevrolet |
150 |
106 |
600 |
Running |
|
RACE STATISTICS
Fastest Qualifier: Andy Seuss, Time: 15.071 Seconds, Speed: 59.717 mph
Time of Race: 1 hrs., 4 mins, 19 secs Average Speed: 34.983 mph Margin of Victory: .615 Seconds
Caution Flags: Laps 36-40 (#79 spins in Turn 3); 42-47 (#79 spins in Turn 2); 96-107 (#47, #4, #79 spin in Turn 4). 3 for 23 laps.
Lap Leaders: Burt Myers 1-136, Tim Brown 137, Burt Myers 138-150.
Total Laps Led: Burt Myers 149, Tim Brown 1. 2 changes involving 2 drivers.
CONTINGENCY AWARDS
COCA COLA MOVE OF THE RACE AWARD: Zach Brewer, 11 Shane Hmiel Racing To Recovery Chevrolet
COORS LIGHT POLE AWARD: Andy Seuss, 47 Q Racing Oil/Ram Printing/Glad Precision Dodge
FEATHERLITE MOST IMPROVED DRIVER AWARD: Frank Fleming, 40 Jerry Hunt Auto & Truck Center/Lewisville Motors Ford
SUNOCO ROOKIE OF THE RACE AWARD: Mike Norman *, 12 Combs Produce/Aero8/Breast Cancer Awareness Ford
Top 10 Driver Points: Burt Myers 1609, L.W. Miller 1578, James Civali 1575, Andy Seuss 1566, John Smith 1555, Zach Brewer 1429, Jason Myers 1427, Frank Fleming 1365, Brandon Hire 1354, Gene Pack 1293
* Denotes Sunoco Rookie of the Year Contender