Dean Ward takes his victory lap after winning the first Modified feature at Bowman Gray Stadium Saturday night. Photo by Eric Hylton Photography
It may have seemed like just another checkered flag to the fans at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, NC on Saturday, but Dean Ward’s win in the first Modified race was a pinnacle moment in his racing career.
Ward, of Winston-Salem, qualified on the pole and led all the way in the 25-lapper for the Brad’s Golf Cars Modified Series.
“We’ve won three races now, but the others have been because we drew up there,” said Ward. “We’ve earned them any way we could get them, but this one I can really say we earned.”
The key to victory on Saturday was Ward’s fastest qualifying lap – the first time that he had ever claimed the pole.
“We’ve been inching up on it. I think we’ve finally got a few things together,” said Ward.
After securing the lead on the initial restart, Ward never looked back. With no caution, he sailed ahead for 25 green flag laps to grab his third career win.
And Ward was happy to not see a caution: he had extra driving challenges due a broken thumb.
“I really didn’t want a restart,” said Ward, who had to compensate for the injury by driving and switching gears with his right hand. “On the initial start, I had my broken thumb up on the steering wheel so I could shift gears. And when I jerked it down, I hit the seat. And then it just throbbed. I just thought, ‘Don’t miss your mark – forget the pain.’”
Tim Brown of Rural Hall finished second, with Lee Jeffreys of Wallburg taking third.
Brent Elliott (72) battles Chris Fleming (40) during the second Modified feature. Photo by Eric Hylton Photography
The “Madhouse Scramble” sent Brent Elliott of Denton to the pole for the start of the second race. Chris Fleming of Mount Airy started on the outside front row. Fleming, who was bumped out of the lead just one week prior, was hoping to turn around his luck and land up in victory lane.
When the green flag dropped, Elliott and Fleming battled side-by-side for over a lap until Fleming decided to settle into second place. The #40 of Fleming immediately began delivering strong taps to the rear bumper of Elliott.
Lap after lap, Fleming applied the pressure to Elliott. But Elliott, a veteran Stadium driver, held off Fleming for 25 laps to bring home the win. “I made sure I got right in the corner and checked up good – as long as you do that, it’s hard to spin a man out,” said Elliott.
Fleming finished right behind him in second. Junior Miller of Danbury finished in third.
In the first 20-lap race for the Webb Heating & A/C Co. Sportsman Series, Zack Clifton of Walkertown took his first win ever in the Sportsman Division. He soared ahead of Rich Hunter of Winston-Salem, who finished in second, and Evan Duggins of Rural Hall, who claimed third.
In the second race, Gary Ledbetter of Lexington bumped Michael Tilley of Winston-Salem out of the lead in the final laps of the race. Ledbetter went on to win with Jeff Garrison of Arcadia coming in second.
“He blocked for 19 laps. I figured that was enough,” said Ledbetter about Tilley. “We didn’t come over here to make friends.”
15-year old John Holleman of Winston-Salem claimed victory in the Q104.1 New Country Street Stock Series. David Sumner of Trinity finished second.
A.J. Sanders celebrates after winning the Craftsman Stadium Stock 50. Photo by Eric Hylton Photography
Saturday was the Craftsman Stadium Stock 50 – the longest and most prestigious race of the season for the Summer Shootout Stadium Stock Series. Charlie Curry qualified on the pole, but it was A.J. Sanders who climbed his way forward to take the win.
Sanders took the lead with a daring outside-row challenge on lap 25. And when the checkered flag waved, emotions rushed over him.
“If you know what happened last year, I didn’t get to run this race. I about got killed,” said Sanders, who was struck by a car near his home last year and was hospitalized. “This means a lot.”
Action returns to Bowman Gray Stadium on Saturday, June 16, with the Great Clips 100 modified event, plus Sportsman, Street Stock, and Stadium Stock divisions. For more info, visit BowmanGrayRacing.com.
Bowman Gray Stadium – Winston-Salem, NC
Race Results – June 9, 2012
Modified Race One
1 71 Dean Ward
2 83 Tim Brown
3 77 Lee Jeffreys
4 22 Jonathan Brown
5 1 Burt Myers
6 25 John Smith
7 5 Randy Butner
8 53 Brian Loftin
9 69 Junior Miller
10 2 Joseph Brown
11 40 Chris Fleming
12 72 Brent Elliott
13 48 Brad Robbins
14 4 Jason Myers
15 50 Michael Clifton
16 05 Tony Black
17 65 Danny Bohn
18 81 Austin Pack
19 75 Robert Jeffreys
20 66 Ronnie Clifton
21 64 Steven Truell
22 70 Noah Triplett
23 3 Danny Propst
Modified Race Two
1 72 Brent Elliott
2 40 Chris Fleming
3 69 Junior Miller
4 2 Joseph Brown
5 5 Randy Butner
6 1 Burt Myers
7 77 Lee Jeffreys
8 71 Dean Ward
9 22 Jonathan Brown
10 05 Tony Black
11 53 Brian Loftin
12 25 John Smith
13 83 Tim Brown
14 4 Jason Myers
15 48 Brad Robbins
16 65 Danny Bohn
17 81 Austin Pack
18 66 Michael Clifton
19 64 Steven Truell
20 70 Noah Triplett
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22 75 Robert Jeffreys
Sportsman Race One
1 81 Zack Clifton
2 71 Rich Hunter
3 12 Evan Duggins
4 79 John Lain
5 70 Gary Ledbetter
6 3 Jeff Garrison
7 9 David Adams
8 26 Michael Tilley
9 92 Kyle Southern
10 72 Bryant Robertson
11 13 Luke Fleming
12 19 Michael Adams
13 03 Jordan Fleming
14 8 Bobby Reed
15 02 Derek Stoltz
16 38 Mitch Gales
17 55 Zack Ore
18 99 T.J. Moran
19 18 Kenny Bost
20 22 Stacey Miller
21 07 Danny Cornwell
Sportsman Race Two
1 70 Gary Ledbetter
2 3 Jeff Garrison
3 79 John Lain
4 12 Evan Duggins
5 81 Zack Clifton
6 92 Kyle Southern
7 13 Luke Fleming
8 19 Michael Adams
9 02 Derek Stoltz
10 18 Kenny Bost
11 8 Bobby Reed
12 9 David Adams
13 07 Danny Cornwell
14 55 Zack Ore
15 72 Bryant Robertson
16 38 Mitch Gales
17 03 Jordan Fleming
18 22 Stacey Miller
19 26 Michael Tilley
20 71 Rich Hunter
21 99 T.J. Moran
Street Stock
1 4 John Holleman
2 1 David Sumner
3 9 Darren Cotner
4 55 Stephen Baker
5 98 Billy Gregg
6 8 K.J. Stimpson
7 12 Doug Wall
8 22 Brian Wall
9 44 Daniel Fishel
10 66 Whitney Clifton
11 88 Nick Brill
12 33 David Thomas
13 18 Tim Vaden
14 26 Frank Myers
15 16 Allen Henkel
16 00 Donnie Martin
17 94 Jeffery Wood
18 21 Justin Taylor
Stadium Stock
1 24 A.J. Sanders
2 26 Derek Taylor
3 61 Charlie Curry
4 69 Drew Moffitt
5 17 Andy Southern
6 31 Zack Staley
7 62 Kevin Hedgecock
8 89 Joseph Swanson
9 3 Rik Newsom
10 59 Shane Tuttle
11 02 Wesley Thompson
12 1H Daniel Yates
13 76 Billy Cameron Jr
14 8 Shane Southard
15 72 Roger Vogler
16 22 Jason Tutterow
17 60 Ted Mickalowski
18 16 Stephen Sanders
19 13 Chase Hunt
20 01 Jason Keaton
21 81 Chuck Wall
22 1 Rob Young
23 42 Phillip Wright
24 55 Tyler Burke
25 44 Andrew Durham
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