SOUTHERN MODIFIED RACE TOUR REVISES REMAINING 2008 EVENTS

(King, NC):  The American Speed Association (ASA) sanctioned Southern Modified Race Tour announced changes to the remaining 2008 schedule.

The events scheduled at Ron Barfield’s Dillon Motor Speedway have been canceled. “The availability of dates to reschedule the June 21st / July 19th rainouts was very limited so we considered combining the rainout with the September 27th DMS event.  That plan did not work out due to NASCAR and Caraway Speedway re-scheduling a rained out Whelen Modified Tour event on September 27th.  To try to do an event at Dillon and Caraway on the same day would have diluted the car count at both events and to take a sub-par event to either track is unacceptable to me”, said SMRT Director Randy Myers. 

“Short-tracks are having a tough time with car counts as well as putting butts in the seats so to bring something less than the best possible field of cars is really unfair to the fans, the tracks, and the competitors. We want to be known for having put on a great event wherever we compete and we also want to maintain a relationship with our tracks that will ensure we return for many seasons to come.  Dillon Motor Speedway will return to the SMRT schedule in 2009.  I want to thank Ron and his family for working with us on this schedule change and I apologize to the DMS fans for the changes that were beyond our control”, Myers said.

The next event on the ASA Southern Modified Race Tour schedule is the “Brian Pack Memorial 150” scheduled for Labor Day at Ace Speedway in Altamahaw, NC. The event honors Brian Pack who lost his life on July 25th in a motorcycle accident near his home in Walkertown, NC.  Pack was the son of long-time Modified supporter, Gene Pack and both competed at Ace Speedway in the Late Model and Modified divisions.  Details on the event will be released next week.

The SMRT Modifieds will return to Hickory Motor Speedway on October 25th.  Pit passes from the Dillon event will be honored at that time. More on the SMRT schedule for the remainder of 2008 will be announced next week.

Burt Myers Breaks King’s Streak

Burt Myers ended Brian King’s winning ways in the “Brian Pack Memorial 150” this Labor Day weekend. Myers led the last 31 laps and also secured a guaranteed spot in the 6th Annual North/South Shootout. A complete field of 24 cars took to the track for 150 exciting laps. Congratulations to Burt on his win and also to Burt and his wife Kim on the birth of thier son this past Tuesday.  More to follow...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Story By Adam Smith – Burlington Times-News)

BURT MYERS CLAIMS “BRIAN PACK MEMORIAL 150” WIN

(Altamahaw, NC): The king of this castle was unseated Monday night. Actually he was overthrown.

Burt Myers bumped home-track heavyweight Brian king out of the top spot and ran off to secure victory in the ASA Southern Modified Race Tour feature at Ace Speedway.  “I knew we had a better car than Brian”, Myers said. “He’s probably not going to believe it, but as I made a dive under him and he cut down to block me, it was just a racing thing.

Walnut Cove’s Myers smoothly navigated four laps of overtime, including a green-white-checkered conclusion, and led the final 32 laps of the “Brian Pack Memorial 150”, the headlining event of Ace’s special Labor Day program.

King started in first position after a redraw of the fastest six qualifiers. His number 17 Chevrolet operated ahead of the 24 car field during the opening 122 laps, as Myers Number 1 Chevrolet ran second.

Four cautions stuffed into a 26-lap span from laps 98 – 114 aided Myers’ pursuit.  His car had pressured and tapped the rear of King’s car for more than 30 laps when the decisive blow occurred in turn three. “They’ll probably say they owe me one,” Myers said.

Gibsonville’s King, owner of an unprecedented 101 career wins at Ace, rallied from deep in the pack and came in seventh. He was gunning for his third consecutive victory in the touring series. King delivered the quickest qualifying effort and won in a display of domination, leading from green flag to checkered flag, when the ASA circuit stopped here in May.

“Catching somebody is one thing and getting by them is another,” Myers said. “Down here, this is King’s home track. So it’s something else.

“After we got going, this car was awesome. It just started a little tight and the longer we went, the better it got. It was bad news after a while”.
Josh Nichols of Cleveland, NC, a contender for the championship in Ace’s weekly Modifieds division, placed second.

Mooresville’s George Brunnhoelzl, III, coming off a NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour victory two nights ago at Lanier National Speedway in Braselton, GA, Finished third. Brunnhoelzl also claimed the Brian Pack Memorial Pole Award presented by Phillip Walkers Piedmont Racing Expo.

Jay Foley of Stuart, VA and Mooresville’s L.W. Miller finished fourth and fifth respectively.

Rodney Cook won a special 50 lapper for the tracks Late Model Stock division.  Keith Brame took top honors in the X-Treme car feature. Johnny Johnson won the Modified half and John Barrow the Sportsman half of the East Coast Flathead Ford feature.

The next event on the ASA Southern Modified Race Tour schedule is set for Hickory Motor Speedway on October 25th.

Related Links     

 Photos   Results   Points   Speed51 Story

ASA SOUTHERN MODIFIED RACE TOUR LOOKING FORWARD
Series Begins Work on 2009 Schedule With Southern National Agreement

(King, NC):  “The little engine that could”. That is the new motto for the ASA sanctioned Southern Modified Race Tour as the 2008 season winds to a close.

“With only two events remaining on the “08” schedule, we are looking forward to moving the Modified division forward in the South”, said SMRT series director Randy Myers. “We have begun actively working on putting together a schedule for the Modifieds that will give them a real choice in the future. The key to that schedule is finding a core group of tracks with a progressive approach to the type events they provide for their fans. Tracks that want something different and in the South that means the Modifieds. “This division featuring 600 horsepower open-wheel cars has been kept “under a blanket” for too long and it’s time to move ahead”, Myers said.

Part of that “core” group of tracks will be Southern National Raceway Park.  The “Park”, under new ownership after being purchased by Del Richards in July, is definitely a track with change on the horizon.  Richards has thrown everything but “the kitchen sink” into the track since taking over ownership. Super Late Models, Hooters ProCup Championship Series racing, PASS and ASA Super late Models and the Thanksgiving Classic are all a part of the “new” Southern National Raceway Park and in 2009 ASA Southern Modified racing becomes part of the big picture at SNRP.  “When I purchased SNRP I had pretty much made up my mind to not continue the tracks relationship with NASCAR.  But I had inherited a rained out Whelen Modified Tour event that I did not plan to make up. I had been talking with Randy Myers for several weeks about having the ASA Mods here this fall but after talking with Randy and Charles Kepley from the North-South Shootout, they convinced me it would be the right thing to do in making up the Whelen show then look to the future for the ASA / SMRT deal.  We plan on hosting two ASA /SMRT Modified tour events next season with dates to be determined before Thanksgiving.  We plan to provide the best racing possible for the SNRP fans and we are happy to be a part of the growth of the ASA Southern Modified Race Tour”, said Del Richards, owner of Southern National Raceway Park.

“I’m pleased to be able to make this announcement. A quality track like SNRP only helps enhance the series.  It gives us a place in northeastern NC to showcase the SMRT Modifieds and a foothold to grow into eastern NC.  We plan to return to tracks like Dillon Motor Speedway and at least one more SC track and return to Franklin County Speedway and Motor Mile Speedway is high on the list of possible tracks.  Hickory Motor Speedway should return on 2009 and Ace Speedway returns on Memorial Day weekend and on Labor Day as well for the 2nd Annual “Brian Pack Memorial 150. The complete schedule of approximately 14 events should be finalized soon and will feature 10 of those events during the “peak” summer months”, Myers said.

News 9/25/08 - Due to scheduling conflict beyond control of the ASA Southern Modified Officials, the Hickory race has been pushed back one week to Saturday, November 1st.  Pit passes from the Dillon rain-out will still be honored. The race is also the final Southern qualifier for the “North-South Shootout”.  More details to follow...