( South Boston, VA) On a beautiful Spring day in South Boston, VA, the Nascar Southern Whelen Modified Tour held their 3rd event of the season on the 4/10 of a mile South Boston Speedway oval. After a round of time trials earlier in the day, where Zach Brewer set the fast time with a lap of 14.765,  the top 8 redrew, with Tim Brown picking the pole.

    Tim Brown took the lead at the start, but Andy Seuss took over the lead on lap 2 as he passed Brown on the outside., while James Civali watched from 3rd, as George Brunnhoelzl III and John Smith followed. On lap 6, Tim Brown spun the Seuss and himself after contact, causing George Brunnhoelzl III to hit Brown as he also spun.  James Civali took over the lead as John Smith moved to 2nd, with Jason Myers, L.W. Miller,  and Zach Brewer rounding out the top 5 as the caution flew for the first time.  With  green out again on lap 10, Civali shot out front as Jason Myers came to 2nd, with Brewer moving up to 3rd as Smith and Miller follow. With Civali holding the lead by 2 car lengths, the top 12 ran single file by lap 15.  On lap 16, Miller looks to the outside of Brewer to take 3rd and they battled side by side until Miller takes it on the back stretch on lap 18, as Jonathan Kay is black flagged for a pit violation.  Miller passed Jason Myers for 2nd as Brewer followed with Jason Myers dropping to 4th, as Miller took over 2nd and looked to pass Civali as he closed in on him on lap 25. On lap 26, Gary Putnam spun in turn 4, and yellow came out. 

     As green flew once more on lap 28, Civali chooses to start inside line, and he takes off like a shot, dropping Miller 2 car lengths back at the end of one more lap. Brewer, Smith and Jason Myers follow, with Brandon Hire and Frank Fleming making up the top 7. Civali stretched his lead even more to 3 car lengths by lap 35, as Miller, Brewer and Smith run one car apart behind him. As the green flags laps mounted up, Miller began to close on Civali for the lead, and was now running just a car length behind on lap 40 and closing in as Brewer stayed within striking distance. Miller was right on Civali’s bumper by lap 45, but Civali was running a ‘wide’ car, even while Miller looked to the outside and inside waiting for Civali to make the smallest mistake. On lap 51, Hire spun inside turn4, bringing the yellow out on lap 52. No one pitted from the top 5 at this point, and green flew once more on lap 56, with Civali getting a good jump to hold the lead, pulling away by 5 car lengths by lap 57.  Putnam spun on lap 59 in turn 4, but resumes racing, no yellow. Lap 64, Hire crashes into outside wall at the Start/Finish line, as the yellow flew once again.

      When the green came out again on lap 75, Miller led that lap, but Civali retook the lead a lap later, but then Brian King, Darrel Krentz, and Gene Pack came together in turn 3, bringing the yellow out once again. NASCAR officials decided to put a red flag out on lap 80, more to preserve the laps than for any other reason.  Once the clean up was completed, green came back out again on lap 83, with Miller jumping to the lead, as Civali fought back yet again, retaking the lead on lap 85 and pulling away, all as Brewer watched and waited in 3rd, with Seuss riding patiently in 4th. Civali still led by a car length as Miller followed him very  closely. 

      On lap 98, Civali split 2 slower cars coming off of turn 2, as Miller  followed the same path as they closed in on lap 100.  By lap 105, the leaders had pulled away from just about everyone as they experienced a long green stretch. Only Brewer and Miller stayed near as the leaders encountered more slow cars to put a lap down. As Civali pulled a bit in front of Miller, Brewer and Seuss were side by side for 3rd, with Seuss finally getting by on lap 114. Tim Brown was once again moving through the field as he got by both Burt and Jason Myers to move into the top 10, to no avail at this point, as he was ¾ of a lap behind the leaders. Civali had built a 10 car length lead over Miller by lap 128, as Civali continued to sail along unimpeded by traffic. Greg Butcher spun in turn 4 on lap 133, causing Gene Pack to hit outside wall as he avoided Butcher, bringing out yellow once more, and closing up the field once more for a shootout to the finish. Green came out once more on lap 139, leaving us with a tight 11 lap shootout to the finish. 

      As the green waved, Miller grabbed the lead, and Civali took it back, but yellow flew again as Josh Nichols spun and stalled in turn 2, bringing out the yellow once again. Green flew again with only 6 laps to go, and Miller and Civali battled once more for the lead, with Miller finally getting it as Seuss came to 3rd, while Civali went low on lap 147 to retake the lead, with 2 to go. Civali  then began to pull away as Seuss worked on Miller to try to take 2nd, but they all remained in position as Civali took the win, with L.W. Miller, Andy Seuss, Thomas Stinson, and Zach Brewer rounding out the top 5. 

Finishing Order (unofficial): Civali, Miller, Seuss, Stinson, Brewer, Tim Brown, John Smith, Burt Myers, Brian King, Brian Loftin, Frank Fleming, Jason Myers, Dave Brigati, Josh Nichols, George Brunnhoelzl, Brad Robbins, Greg Butcher, Gary Putnam, Mike Norman, Gene Pack, Bryan Dauzat, Jonathan Kay, Darrel Krentz, Buddy Emory, and Brandon Hire.

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