WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — With a car that became untouchable on long runs, Brian Loftin had to hold off defending Bowman Gray Stadium track-champion Burt Myers one final time during a green-white-checkered sprint to the finish to win Saturday night’s NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour Advance Auto Parts 199 at the stadium.
Loftin led from the outset with Myers in his rear-view mirror through 11 restarts, including the final one that would deliver Loftin’s eighth tour victory and his second of 2008.
“I hated to see that last caution,” said Lofton, who beat Myers to the finish by .234 second. “It took us three or four laps to keep going, the car just wouldn’t turn for us before that. We had to get heat in the right-front (tire) to do that. I had to keep heat in the tires on that last restart.
“But after three or four laps, I was on a rail. I don’t think anybody was going to touch me.”
Myers, who won Friday’s pole award, but started fifth after the inversion draw, was never able to get the nose of his modified under Loftin, despite ample opportunity with 11 cautions beginning with the first on the race’s opening lap.
With Loftin starting on the pole inside of Brian King and ahead of third-starting L.W. Miller, the field dove into turn one. Miller and King ended up in the fence, making Miller’s words during his pre-race introduction seem both ironic and prophetic after he found early troubles in last year’s event as well.
“I told the boys if I can make it through the first lap, we’ll be fine,” he said.
He couldn’t. Miller, restarted at the back of the field and ended up eighth — enough to maintain his tour point lead by 11 points over Loftin.
The early accident moved Myers to second with Tim Brown, Jason Myers, Bobby Hutchens and Andy Seuss in pursuit for most of the race until Jason Myers, last year’s winner of the 199, fell out with mechanical problems and finished 18th.
Loftin collected $2,000 for the victory. Brown settled for third behind B. Myers, Hutchens took fourth and Seuss finished fifth.
The finish:
Brian Loftin, Burt Myers, Tim Brown, Bobby Hutchens, Andy Seuss, Zach Brewer, John Smith, L.W. Miller, Brandon Hire, Brent Elliott, Buddy Emory, Thomas Stinson, Al Hill, Frank Fleming, Junior Miller, Brian King, Rich Kuiken, Jr., Jason Myers, Jay Mize, Johnathon Brown, Scott Rigney, Gene Pack, Randy Butner, Dean Ward, George Brunnhoelzl, Kevin Powell.