Brandon Ward headlines list of champions crowned at Bowman Gray Stadium

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Coming into Saturday's season finale at Bowman Gray Stadium, it was going to almost be impossible for Brandon Ward not win his second Brad's Golf Cars Modified championship. So, Saturday's AgSouth Farm Credit 150, which proved to be 155 laps after finishing in overtime, was pretty much a coronation for Ward. And he did indeed capture his second championship in three seasons. "Man, I'm telling you, they all mean so much," Ward said. "I mean, they don't ever quit mattering. You know, the first one's always special, of course. This one, I think it's more special because it's tonight, you know what I mean?" Ward made his effort in winning the championship a sentimental statement. "The more you win, the more you want to win," he said. "And the more you expect to win, and these guys, they work hard, and it's about them, man. It's about getting them in Victory Lane. It's about seeing them smile for their hard work, and that's, when you've been racing as long as I have that's the enjoyment I really get is just seeing these guys happy, man. They work hard for me. I've got to work hard for them. And that's what it's all about." In order for Ward to have held on for the championship, Ward needed to finished 14th or better to win no matter what second-place Burt Myers and third-place Tim Brown did. Ward all of that a moot point after Ward finished sixth even though Brown won the race, and Myers was runner-up. There was straight qualifying before the race and Ward finished seventh. Brown sat on the pole and Myers was alongside on the front row. "I'll be honest with you, we put our qualifying tires on and just weren't as good as we were practice," Ward said. "And I don't know why. I was hoping it was just it was a lap there. It didn't fire off, but even in the race I wasn't as good tonight as I have been, which we did have to play the strategy tonight. "This is the first race I've really come into kind of looking at it that way. But, we just did what we had to do. The car wasn't terrible. It just took it a few laps to go. It wasn't as good as it has been tonight." Ward had to face some adversity in that there were 12 cautions during the 155-lap race. "The only real worry I had was with about 15 to go I lost power steering," Ward said. "That made it a little harder to manage, especially if you get in traffic and start getting banged around. Luckily enough everybody raced us tonight. I'm thankful for that." Ward was a model of consistency throughout the season. He won three races, had 17 top fives, and 20 top-10 finishes. "It's what it takes to win championships," Ward said. "That's why it's such a team effort. You have to be consistent. You have to finish the laps, log the laps. You can't win them if you're not there at the end. "So, to get three wins this year, one them in the Hayes Jewelers 200 (season opener), and to win this championship is, it's what our goal was. So, just glad to be able to accomplish that again." As for Brown, after not winning a race all season, since July 19, he won four races, including Saturday night. "Man, honestly, it's great," he said. "So, it's what we expected to be doing all year, not just the last six weeks, right? So, my hat's off to all these guys, everybody that works on this car, everybody that does everything for us is super-special for all of our sponsors, my family, my fans. "Just be back running the way we're supposed to be running, like we feel like we need to be running. It's just a great night. Great way to end the season." Other than Brown, who won the race, and Myers, who finished second, Danny Bohn finished third, followed by Mike Speeney, Fleming, and Ward. Brown had the fastest qualifying lap at 13.670 seconds, better than Myers' 13.685. "it's how we need to be running. It's how we're supposed to be running. It's how I expect us to run," Brown said. "So does our sponsors. In addition, Brown led all 155 laps and had to witness all the cautions in his rear-view mirror. "It's part of racing at the Stadium," he said. "Great race car, grear race team. Super-blessed, God's great to me, so I hate the season's ending right now. Not only did he win, he picked up 105th win, which is three more than Myers for the most wins at Bowman Gray Stadium. "Perfect," Brown said. [caption id="attachment_484986" align="aligncenter" width="1300"] Chase Robertson celebrates after clinching his second Bowman Gray Stadium Sportsman championship on Saturday night. (Photo: Erick Messer/Bowman Gray Stadium)[/caption] In the 40-lap race in the Law Offices of John Barrow Sportsman Series, Chase Robertson finished  sixth, which was good enough to win his second championship in three years. Robertson, who had five win this season, was the points leader before Saturday's race and had to finish eight positions ahead of Mitch Gales. "The plan for the race when we drew the pole was to, you know, just lead until somebody pressured us," Robertson said. "And I knew Zack (Ore) was going to be hungry for the win, and he had nothing to lose, so we might as well just let him go. When other people got up to me we just them go and just tried to file right behind and just ride it out. "Man, this is a dream come true after the year we had." Ore was originally declared the winner, but after the race, he was once again disqualified for not breaking down his car. He passed pre-race inspection, but he failed to break down, the fourth time he's been disqualified this season. Tommy Neal, who was originally called the runner-up, was declared the winner after Ore was disqualified. Neal needed to finish a combination of 11 positions ahead of Robertson and four positions ahead of Gales in order to win the championship. Michael Adams finished runner-up, followed by Sterling Plemmons, and Justin Taylor. The QRC HVAC and Refrigeration 20-lap race turned out to have the most drama. With double points in all the races, Bryan Sykes Jr. needed to finish no more than one spot behind Brad Lewis and more than three positions behind Kevin Gilbert. Lewis ended up winning the race, but Sykes ended up winning the championship by two points. It was Sykes' first championship. "I'm speechless," Sykes said. "Billy Gregg told me it was now or never, and it was then." Even though he didn't win the championship, Lewis, who won his fourth race of the season, took what proved to be the consolation prize. "Yeah, it's OK,' Lewis said. "I told God before this race that I was at peace with it. Whatever He wanted, that's what we were going to do. I stopped at turn 3 for Robbie (Brewer, who died two died two weeks ago). That's my boy. That's where he went out the first time...This is all for Robbie." Bryant Robertson finished third, followed by Gilbert and Craig Hartless. The Q104.1 Stadium Stock 15-lap race came to how points leader Brandon Brendle finished after starting 12th. Brendle needed to finish eighth or better in order to maintain his lead over Luke Smith. Smith won the race, but Brendle moved up eight positions and finished fourth. It was Brendle's second championship. "I first want to thank Todd Barnhart because he gave ne this hot rod and gave me free reins on it, and it shows," Brendle said. "I want to thank all the guys that help me." Tyler McDonald finished runner-up in the race behind Smith, which was his third win of the season. AJ Sanders was third, followed by Brendle, and Chuck Wall. "We've learned a lot this year," Smith said. "And to come home with three wins, it feels real good."