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Brown goes for 7th Stadium title tonight
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Published: August 16, 2008
Tim Brown dislikes being called a "points racer." But tonight, he'll have to be one.
Brown will enter the season-ending Carolina Farm Credit 150 at Bowman Gray Stadium very mindful of the Modified Division standings, where he has a bit of a cushion but not an entirely comfortable one.
He leads Burt Myers by 28 points and will need Myers to finish no more than seven positions ahead of him to secure what would be a seventh season title.
Lee Jeffreys and Bobby Hutchens haven't been mathematically eliminated, but they would need Brown and Myers to finish at or near the rear of a nearly full field of cars to have a chance.
Tonight's 150-lap Modified race will be worth twice the usual amount of points.
"You have to be aware of where you're at," Brown said. "This is what everybody works all year for, a championship. There are still three or four guys that can win it, and every one of us are thinking about the points. If they say they're not, they're full of it.
"I don't start out that way. A lot of people call me a points racer, but I'm not, but when it comes down to that last race, you have to be. I always try to be a smart racer.
"About the only way I'd rest easy would be if I had a 60-point lead and only 15 cars showed up. And that's not the case. If somebody wrecks you, it can cost you a championship in one night.
"That said, it is a whole lot better going into this race 28 points ahead than 28 points down."
Myers, who managed to bump his way around Brown in the final lap last year in a much tighter points chase to win the championship, will have to finish eight spots ahead of Brown to overtake him.
"We're just going to go try and win the race," Myers said. "If Tim finishes close enough to us to win the points, we've done all we can do."
Brown said that his strategy will depend on the starting order, which will be determined by a one-lap qualifying session. He said he knows that it might be safer running close behind Myers than being a potential target ahead of him. His goal will be to avoid trouble.
"I'd rather give him a win than give him a championship," Brown said. "We'll try to get qualified decent and just play it out and see. If I qualify on the pole and Burt's fifth or sixth, then I'm going to try and win the race. If Burt wins the pole, and I'm back there somewhere, then I'm going to try and finish in the top eight.
"It's hard to plan. I'm just going to go and do the same thing and hope it's good enough."
This year has been good for Brown. He has won six races, the most for him in any one season.
"I'm just thankful we've had a great year," said Brown, who won his first season title in 1996 and his most recent in 2005.
"Definitely, if we can be fortunate enough to win this championship, I think it's the best year we've ever had. Six wins in this day and time at Bowman Gray Stadium is really strong."
Ralph Brinkley holds the record for most wins in a season, with 13 in 1974.
"That record won't ever be broken for the simple fact they draw (the starting order) for most of the races now, and they didn't back then," Brown said. "And he won a bunch of first and second races in doubleheaders. He killed them."
Brinkley's record of eight season championships is in reach, and Brown could close in by adding a title tonight.
Season championships will be decided tonight in other divisions as well.
Ronnie Clifton will go for his seventh straight title in the Sportsman Division. He leads Kenny Bost by 40 points heading into the final race. Bost must finish 10 spots ahead of Clifton to unseat him.
Ryan Nelson leads the Street Stock standings by 26 points. Johnny Burke has a 50-point lead in the Stadium Stock Division. Nelson is going after his first title. Burke won in 2000.
■ Tommy Bowman can be reached at 727-7320 or at tbowman@wsjournal.com.
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