Chris Fleming saw the great crowd — about 14,000-plus — and did what he does best. He put on a show in the first Modified race as "The Show Stopper” led from flag to flag for his third win of the season at Bowman Gray Stadium on Saturday night.
“You see how many people are here,” Fleming said after holding off Burt Myers for the victory. “When you see this many people, you want to put on a good show and the car was outstanding. We won the pole and made it stand up.”
Fleming started the night in fourth place in the points standings and continues to tell everybody he’s not interested in winning his first championship. He’s about winning races and putting on a show.
“Next week, we’ve got the 100-lapper, and if we qualify in the top four, we’re going for the fans’ challenge ($9,000) because that’s what the fans want to see,” Fleming said. “I’m not scared of trying.”
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The standing-room-only crowd was reminiscent of the opening night of racing in late April.
Myers tried to stay close with Fleming and had at least one chance to pull ahead, but he couldn’t do it in a clean race with just two cautions.
“He had the pole and made it stand up,” Myers said of the 25-lap race. “We just didn’t have enough for Chris in that first one.”
Myers said he also gets a little charged up when there’s a full house at the Madhouse.
“I think the monster trucks and the demolition derby helped with the crowd, but who knows?” Myers said. “This is the Madhouse, so you never know. But it’s cool to see such a big crowd here.”
In the second Modified race, Jeremy Gerstner started on the front row and led all the way in the 25-lapper. It was Gerstner’s first win of the season.
There were no cautions in the race, with Dan Speeny second, Randy Butner third and John Holleman fourth.
“This is emotional, and this is something we’ve waited a long time to do,” said Gerstner, who drives every weekend 18 hours round trip from Wesley Chapel, Fla.
On his way back to Florida on Sunday, Gerstner will drive home with his first Bowman Gray Stadium winner’s trophy.
“This is so cool to do this in front of these fans,” Gerstner said. “It’s something special.”
Special win for Adams
Michael Adams had somebody riding with him on his way in the first Sportsman Division 20-lap race. Derek Taylor, who grew up with Adams in Yadkinville, died at the age of 42 recently after a battle with leukemia.
“I was talking to Derek the whole race,” said Adams, who fended off Tommy Neal in a close finish on the final lap. “I wanted to win this one so bad for him. He was such a good dude and a good friend, so this means so much to me.”
It was Adams’ second win of the season, but he had to do some serious driving on the final lap with Neal breathing down his neck. The final lap was after a caution flag that had Amber Lynn and Casey Kepler Jr. mad at each other.
During the caution, they roughed up each other in their cars in turn three as they chased each other in front of the pace car. Finally, track officials broke it up as they continued to go at each other.
Other winners
- Brandon Brendle overtook A.J. Sanders for the lead in lap 11 and won the first race of the night, a 20-lapper in the Stadium Stock Division. It was Brendle’s fifth win of the season.
- In the second Sportsman Division race, Tommy Neal took advantage of a late wreck that knocked out leader Chase Robertson and Zack Clifton to win a 20-lap. With his finish in the first race, which was second, he and Adams had a good night for points. “It was a good points night, and we’ll take it,” Neal said.
Next week’s racing
The Fox 8 WGHP 100 Modified Division race will highlight next week’s racing. There also will be racing in Sportsman, Street Stock and Stadium Stock divisions. There are five weeks left of racing in the 73rd season of Bowman Gray Stadium racing.