WINSON-SALEM, North Carolina — Both Tim Brown and Burt Myers, who come from families with a long history in racing, grew up at Bowman Gray Stadium. According to Brown, his earliest recollections go back to when he was five or six years old, playing alongside Myers and other kids on Saturday evenings along the tree-lined pit area as their elder relatives prepared, adjusted, and tuned. From that point on, they never really went anywhere, but today they have records that make them legendary in stadiums. They still use this as their playground. Brown explains, “That’s what makes it even more special to get to make a Cup debut here.”
As the only double-duty drivers for Sunday’s Cook Out Clash (8 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), which will hold its inaugural edition at the quarter-mile track, Brown and Myers will try to add some local flavor to the main-event lineup. In the 75-lap Last Chance Qualifier (6 p.m. ET), they will compete for the two available positions on the 23-car starting grid, hoping that their home field advantage over Bowman Gray regulars will hold sway. These early recollections have developed into one of the most fierce rivalries on the track. In the highlighted Modified Division, Brown and Myers have combined for 23 titles and 198 victories (in a nearly equal split), and their propensity to locate each other’s vehicles at the front of the pack has produced fierce racing between them through the years. Myers says at Bowman Gray, the roots typically run deep — to a lifelong level, in some cases — so it’s natural that altercations would sometimes flare.
According to Myers, “Tim Brown and I have been racing together for almost 30 years.” “Do you think that competing against one another and fighting for victories and titles every Saturday night will occur at least three or four times during our careers? That is the source of rivalries. Naturally, both of the Modified standouts were called up to the main leagues for Bowman Gray’s Cup Series return. Brown, a full-time suspension and drivetrain specialist at Rick Ware Racing, will pilot the No. 15 Ford. For a possible Clash debut, Myers struck an agreement with the No. 50 Chevrolet squad of AmeriVet Racing. When it was suggested to Brown that he may wish for Myers’ success in in a show of stadium solidarity against the Cup Series stars, he didn’t exactly throw water on his competitive fires.
He did, however, quickly realize how significant this occasion was for two Bowman Gray lifers. “It’s difficult to respond to that question because my inner racer says no, but I’m glad we both had this chance and I appreciate everyone who shares that opinion,” Brown says. “It’s extremely special and overwhelming to have the chance to do this at my age.” Brown is the oldest driver on this weekend’s entry list, at 53 years old. Myers, who is 49 years old and the second-oldest person in the Cup garage this weekend, warns against taking that figure at face value. “I’m in my prime, so don’t make a mistake now,” Myers says with a laugh.
That’s my message to others. I am in my prime and am like Doc Holliday. Myers, the current track champion, has some validity in the claim. Both Brown and Myers have won a staggering 15 of the last 17 Modified titles, and they continue to dominate events. With brilliant, Musco lights illuminating the action and new SAFER barriers around the oval, the track that will greet them this weekend has changed. Those changes are very personal to Brown and Myers. “It’s a double-edged sword,” Myers explains. I enjoy the fact that it was the vintage Bowman Gray, and I adore the nostalgic feel of the old-school Burt Myers and the track with the red and white guardrail.
Although I was disappointed to see it end, everything they are and have done only bodes well for Bowman Gray’s future. To put it another way, I believe we can all agree that Bowman Gray will most likely still be racing in 100 years. All of this won’t be done to operate a single show. This is for the Cup show, but it’s also for the short-track series’ continued success there, which has been going on for a long time. Brown says: It’s attractive cosmetically, which is also crucial for the spectators that attend and for advertisers who want to spend money there. “Hey, we’re partners with teams that race here,” you say and you show them this race track now, they’re gonna be impressed.
Although I was disappointed to see it end, everything they are and have done only bodes well for Bowman Gray’s future. To put it another way, I believe we can all agree that Bowman Gray will most likely still be racing in 100 years. All of this won’t be done to operate a single show. This is for the Cup show, but it’s also for the short-track series’ continued success there, which has been going on for a long time. Brown says: It’s attractive cosmetically, which is also crucial for the spectators that attend and for advertisers who want to spend money there. “Hey, we’re partners with teams that race here,” you say and you show them this race track now, they’re gonna be impressed.
Though it’s only a new chapter, it will still have the same personality, the same fan passion, and the ability to put on a fantastic race. It does, however, look fantastic now. It did have some history, with the old guardrails painted and laid over, and it had some character. In addition to the local fan base that will fill the stadium on Sunday night, two up-and-coming talents will have the opportunity to play in the major leagues. In addition to my family and all of our partners and sponsors who have supported me throughout the years, Brown adds, “It means everything to me.”
“Being able to shine at this level is simply amazing, and I am eager to make the most of it.” In several ways, the NASCAR Cup Series’ occupation of the Bowman Gray garage differs greatly from the evenings spent by Brown and Myers in the stadium fieldhouse throughout the spring and summer. Even though the complexions are different, it nevertheless feels familiar to each of them. The statement, “Our lives are planned around racing — vacations, parties, birthdays, childbirth, everything we do, is so cliche, and we joke about it, and I say it all the time,” Myers adds. In November and December, my brother Jason and I were born. That wasn’t a coincidence, in my opinion. I don’t at all, and it’s because of drivers and teams who are so engulfed in racing, and when you add in the spectacle of Bowman Gray stadium and how special that place is to Nascar and to us, that’s all we know.
