Elkin, NC - With the Whelen Southern Modified Tour wrapping up its season at Caraway Speedway last weekend, many of the southern modified drivers who have also been competing in the ASA Southern Modified Tour traveled to Elkin, North Carolina this past weekend and the Friendship Motor Speedway.

The ASA Southern Modified Tour was part of the 5th annual Friendship "Fall Final" with notable WSMT drivers taking part in the event including Burt and Jason Myers, Junior Miller, Frank Fleming, Brian King, Brian Loftin, Jay Foley, Dean Ward, Johnny Sutton (who was not in attendance on Saturday for qualifying, but did show up for the race on Sunday) and Rich Kuiken, Jr.

Other drivers who are a fixture of the ASA Tour who were also in attendance included Southern Modified's only female driver, Susan Harwell as well as Kevin Wilson, John Lain, Greg Butcher, Scott Rigney and Brody Jones. Also in the pit area were a couple drivers from the Bowman Gray Stadium modified division including Luke Fleming (who was in a Johnny Johnson team car to Rich Kuiken, Jr.) and Jeremy Stoltz. I had come to Friendship to work as Jeremy's spotter for this event (we had worked together through the entire season at Bowman Gray), so the race report won't be as thorough as you're used to reading from me during my normal coverage of WSMT events. I apologize in advance.

Overall, there were twenty modifieds in the pit area on Saturday and they practiced in between the ASA Late Models that raced weekly at Friendship this past year, as well as the Mini Stocks under clear skies and bright sunshine. Both days at Friendship were absolutely picture perfect.

Both Late Model and Modified Qualifying were broken up into two sessions, and the fastest ten cars from the first session were held in line for a second round of qualifying that included a two tire pit stop and two flying laps. Teams were instructed to remove their right side tires after the first session to be bolted back on the car after the pit stop that was part of round two of qualifying.

Walnut Cove, North Carolina's Burt Myers broke the existing Friendship qualifying track record with a lap time of 13.785 followed by Brian Loftin, Scott Rigney, Jason Myers and Junior Miller who was behind the wheel of Puddin' Swisher's car, as he has been for the entire schedule of ASA events this season. Sixth through tenth were Frank Fleming, Brian King, Dean Ward, Jeremy Stoltz and Jay Foley.

Those of you who follow the message board here at MSS know that I'm openly critical of the ASA and the way a majority of their races have been run this year. But, I will give credit when it's due and second round qualifying at Friendship was very entertaining and it's a shame more fans were not in the grandstands Saturday afternoon to take in this unique qualifying session. Although, I do think having the NEXTEL Cup race at Charlotte less than 90 minutes away (and on TV) was probably a good reason for the thin crowd in the grandstands on Saturday.

The cars would start in between the exit of turn four and the start-finish line at a standing start just past the start-finish line and break the timing beam before coming to a stop in a designated "box" (that looked more like a parking spot at your local Starbucks) and the crews would bolt on the two right side tires from which they had made their qualifying run from the first session. After dropping the right side of the car, the driver would speed off for two flying laps, while the crew members would jump back over the wall separating the front stretch from pit road. The overall fastest time of the pit stop and laps combined would earn the pole for the 150 lap event on Sunday.

When round two of qualifying was over, Burt Myers and his All Star Truck Repair team would continue to keep the pole with an overall time of 49.510 seconds. Jason Myers and his team would leap from fourth in round one to come home second best with Brian Loftin third, Junior Miller fourth and Frank Fleming fifth. Sixth through tenth were Jay Foley, Jeremy Stoltz (who had three loose lug nuts at 5 second's penalty a piece), Brain King, (who suffered a 45 second penalty) Dean Ward, (who had issues getting the right rear tire off his car) and Scott Rigney, who chose to sit out the pit stop competition. In all honesty, Rigney had both his ASA Late Model and the silver Chassis Dynamics car he purchased from L.W. Miller and Baker Motorsports last year, but looked like he was short on crew members to take part on the competition. Rigney dropped from third fastest time and would start tenth on Sunday.

During the "fan walk" on Sunday morning, I was asked if I was covering the event for the site, or working for Jeremy and his team. It was nice to receive positive feedback and compliments of my work covering modified racing in the south this year, but the one question I most often got was why was I not covering the ASA Tour? I had explained that in the coming months, there would be more sections of the site devoted to the different modified touring divisions and that the ASA Tour was part of that plan. But I was with the Stoltz Motorsports team this weekend, so that's where my commitment was.

I had started out the year in the spotter's stand with Junior Miller and the Puddin' Swisher team, but finished out the BGS season with Jeremy and his family-owned team. Jeremy had expressed some curiosity about going tour racing in 2008, and had asked me to join him at Friendship this weekend. So, while I was not gathering any information to cover the event from a media stand point, the ASA officials were gracious enough to supply me with enough information after the event to bring this article to you.

Burt and Jason Myers would lead the field to the green and Jason would make quick work of his brother and lead from the outside pole position. Burt would slide in behind Jason's number four car and follow him for a good majority of the event. Overall, there were ten cautions for a few single car incidents, but with things getting physical towards the end of the event; Junior Miller and Frank Fleming made contact sending Fleming for a spin off turn four. As the caution came out, Fleming righted his Patterson Automotive Group, Pro Health Center Chevrolet and headed towards turn two where Miller's red #53 sat. As the two played bumper tag, one of Junior's crew members jumped onto the racing surface to take down Fleming's window net and instigate a conflict which promptly drew the red flag. That crew member was immediately escorted out of the track, as well as one of Fleming's crew members who also got involved in the fracas. With Fleming's window net secured back in place, the field resumed under caution behind the pace car.

So again, Kudos to the ASA officials and the local law enforcement for handling the episode with authority and not letting it detract from what was turning into one of the best ASA Modified races I had seen all year. Jeremy was suffering from a loose condition and we had him make two separate pit stops under different caution periods to help adjust on the car, but with our team not being in the points battle, we decided to be as respectful as possible to the guys who were racing for points, while still trying to chase a top ten finish.

The race would go into overtime with a Green, White, Checkered finish and Brian Loftin would duck underneath Burt Myers for second as the two raced off turn four and would bring Brian King with him (who had started back in the eighth position.) Burt looked like he was suffering from yet another car that had gone terribly loose as the race went on in the later stages and Loftin would use a slight tap to work underneath Burt on the white flag lap, but not wreck him while trying to get past him for position.

This was huge for Brian King, who held a slight 16 point lead on Burt Myers for the ASA Modified Tour Championship before this event.

Jason Myers would lead every lap and get his first modified win of the year over Brian Loftin, Brian King, Burt Myers and Dean Ward. Sixth through tenth were Scott Rigney, Johnny Sutton (who started dead last in 21st due to not posting a qualifying time) and would earn the "Goodyear Hard Charger Award" (strange to me, seeing how every car was on Hoosiers, but that's what was on the post race report) for improving fourteen positions. Eighth was Junior Miller with John Lain ninth and Jeremy Stoltz coming home tenth.

Brian King won the previous event at the Dillon Motor Speedway in Dillon, South Carolina as well as having a win earlier in the season at the Hickory Motor Speedway. Burt Myers had swept all four of the previous races at Friendship before this event. Jason Myers and Ted Christopher both have one win each.

The ASA Southern Modified Tour wraps up its season this Saturday at the Franklin County Speedway in Callaway, Virginia with the 104.9 "The Bull" 200. The series will be making its second visit to the facility that has held modified races in its previous history and is the home track to Talmadge and Speedy Thomas' #07 team. The pit gate opens at 1 PM and grandstand gates opening at 2 PM. Qualifying is scheduled to start at 5 PM with a "Fan Walk" shortly thereafter at 6 PM. Tickets are just $15.00 for adults with kids aged 6-12 only $10.00. Kids 6 and under are admitted free.

Brian King holds a 19 point lead over Burt Myers as the series heads to Virginia this weekend. With his win on Sunday, Jason Myers moves back into third in the standings with John Lain fourth and Jay Foley fifth. This is the final race of 2007 for the ASA Southern Modified Tour and a champion will be crowned at Franklin County.

For more information about the Franklin County Speedway, click on over to www.franklincospeedway.com and for more news and stats from the ASA Southern Modified Tour, head on over to www.southernmodtour.net.