BRISTOL, Tenn. — Patrick Emerling took the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour to school on Wednesday evening, converting a nearly perfect scorecard at Bristol Motor Speedway into his first series victory.
Emerling was fastest in practice, won the pole and led all but two laps in the Bush’s Beans 150 en route to what he called the biggest win of his career.
The only times the 24-year-old native of Orchard Park, N.Y. lost the top spot was at the start-finish line on a lap-67 restart, and again under caution at lap 73 as the field came down pit road.
Both of those laps were led by Justin Bonsignore, but Emerling was the unbridled star under green-flag conditions.
“It’s just incredible for us,” Emerling said. “Being a part-time team, to come out here and perform like this against the best modified drivers in the world … it’s an unbelievable feeling, really. I’m having trouble putting it into words because days like this don’t happen very often. You have to savor them when they do.
“Any time you show up to a more neutral track … one like Bristol, where these guys don’t run all the time … it makes it easier for a team like ours because it levels the playing field, in a sense. We took advantage of that today.”
A full-time Race of Champions modified competitor and that series’ defending champion, Wednesday’s performance marked a break through for Emerling on the Whelen Tour.
Emerling also added that the VHT traction compound applied to the bottom of the race track may have made it easier for him to maintain his track position.
“The track bite … it may have helped me, in a sense, because a couple tracks that we run up north in New York use it, so we know how to adjust to it and I think it showed,” he said. “We were the fastest car in practice, in time trials and in the race. I don’t know how you can ask for better than that.”
Emerling was only seriously challenged by Bonsignore during the first half of the race, as the teal No. 51 stalked Emerling’s every move in and out of traffic.
A three-car accident, collecting Austin Pickens, Calvin Carroll and Rob Summers, drew the red flag for the first time on lap 10 before a 47-lap green-flag run broke out and allowed the field to spread out and race among one another.
From there, only a spin by Kyle Bonsignore in turn two on lap 62 and a crash on the frontstretch between Bobby Santos and points leader Timmy Solomito on the ensuing restart slowed the pace before the halfway point.
The second half of the race kicked off with 67 laps to go and quickly saw Emerling get away, as Dowling fired off into second after dispatching Justin Bonsignore, who restarted on the front row.
Dowling gave chase to Emerling, who opened up a 1.3-second lead before the caution flew on lap 92 for a hard crash, with Jeremy Gerstner popping the outside wall in turn four before slamming the sand barrels at the entrance to the frontstretch pit road.
That brought out the second red flag of the race, with Emerling leading Dowling and Coby, who had worked his way into third just before the incident.
After the red flag was lifted, Ryan Preece pitted from third for a chassis adjustment, while Emerling and Dowling led the field back to green with 49 laps to go.
A well-timed shot to Dowling from third-running Coby saw the young gun wiggle big-time off turn two, with Coby moving into the runner-up spot and immediately moving into pursuit of Emerling for the win. That cause was aided when defending race winner Eric Goodale blew an engine in turn three and then spun to the inside of the track.
Source :speedsport.com
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