A packed crowd of nearly 17,000 fans witnessed history as four NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Division Champions were crowned at the end of Saturday night’s finale at Bowman Gray Stadium. It was the 76th season of crowning champions at the “famed quarter-mile” in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. 

BRANDON WARD WINS MODIFIED TITLE

In the premier division, the NASCAR Brad’s Golf Cars Modifieds, veteran Modified racer Brandon Ward came into the night only needing to finish 14th to win the title. The pad atop the standings was a false sense of security, as Championship Night was a double-points showdown, meaning each position was worth four-points instead of the usual two. 

Ward turned in a lap of 13.82 seconds around the tight-quarter mile to qualify seventh for the AG South Farm Credit 150. During the race, the Winston-Salem native kept his nose clean, and despite several close calls, brought the Q104.1 “Country and Western” car home to a safe sixth-place finish to secure his second Stadium title. 

“It was a tough season as it always is racing over here week in and week out,” said Ward. “We picked up a few wins and got this championship for the second time for this KP Speed Motorsports team. I can’t thank them enough. Kevin Powell (team owner) and all he has done for my racing career, to get a second championship for him is really cool.”

Ward, who also won the title in 2023, became only the fourth driver to repeat as champion in the 21st century at the Madhouse. Since 2000, only Burt Myers (10 of his 11 titles), Tim Brown (9 of 12), and Junior Miller (3 of 6) have captured multiple championships. Danny Bohn won the Mod crown in 2014.

On Saturday night, Tim Brown took home the victory in the 150-lapper ahead of Burt Myers and Danny Bohn. For the Tobaccoville, North Carolina driver, it was his fourth victory of the season, as he continues to re-write the record books with his 105th career win, the most of all-time at Bowman Gray. Myers, after a five win season, wound-up second in the division standings in front of Brown. 

SPORTSMAN WINNER ZACK ORE SUSPENDED INDEFINITELY

In the Law Offices of John Barrow Sportsman Division, the well-noted controversies surrounding technical inspection were still the buzz heading into the night. After multiple disqualifications, both Zack Ore and Amber Lynn had their engines inspected during morning practice before being allowed to compete in Saturday night’s 40-lap finale. Ore took the lead early and went on to win the race. But, for the third straight week Bowman Gray Stadium officials disqualified the Pulse Vodka No. 55 from its win in post-race tech. Tommy Neal was awarded the win, the 57th of his career. 

On Monday, Bowman Gray Stadium indefinitely suspended Zack Ore for repeated refusals to tear down his vehicle for technical inspection. Ore was disqualified from races on July 26, Aug. 9, Aug. 16, and Aug. 23 for refusing to tear down his car after those events. In a statement issued from Bowman Gray Stadium it says that “Per the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Rulebook Section 12-4.9: any member who fails to tear down a vehicle for inspection when requested to do so by track officials is subject to fines, disqualification, probation, and suspension.”

CHASE ROBERTSON SCORES SPORTSMAN TITLE NUMBER-TWO

The highlight of the night came with 21-year old Chase Robertson picking up his second division title. Robertson started on the pole but lost the lead to Ore early-on. He got shuffled back and forth in the running order during the wild Sportsman feature event but recovered nicely for a sixth-place finish. With that result and Mitch Gales finishing 12th, the Jerry Hunt Supercenter No. 31 team took the championship. 

“The plan for the race, after we drew the pole, was to lead until someone pressured us,” admitted Robertson. “I knew that Zack 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 to me we just let them go and just tried to file in behind and ride it out. 

Robertson was part of a slew of disqualifications, after finishing second in the Colors Edge 100 on July 26, a night that saw the top-four thrown out for various reasons. While the Robertson Team was the only team that night that dropped their oil-pan to have their engine inspected, they suffered a penalty due to a tire infraction that night. The DQ and a points penalty greatly reduced his massive points lead in the division making the final night of racing a little closer than the Wallburg, NC driver wanted it to be. 

“This is a dream come true after the year that we had. We shouldn’t have really raced that hard tonight. I wish we could’ve sat in the trailer. It is what it is. We had a really good year. Dylan Ward racing really helps me with this stuff and I can’t thank him, my parents, my crew guys enough.” 

Robertson was the Stadium’s Rookie of the Year in 2022 and followed it up with a championship in his sophomore season. In 2024, he narrowly missed a repeat title performance in a thrilling finale with ‘23 champion Zach Ore. This year’s impressive season saw Robertson only finish outside of the top-10 once, and that was the night of his disqualification. Besides the July 26 result, he had 22 top-five finishes in 26 races. Robertson scored five Sportsman wins en route to the season-ending trophy. 

Rumors have been swirling in the Stadium pit area about the future of the young racer, as he eyes a move up in the Late Model ranks, potentially with the zMAX CARS Tour.

BRYAN SYKES JR. TAKES TITLE IN STREET STOCK THRILLER

The tightest points battle across all divisions came down to a dramatic finish as the QRC Hvac and Refrigeration Street Stocks gave the fans their money's worth in a 20-lap title showdown. 

19-year-old Bryan Sykes Jr. had to finish second or better to win his first title. Veteran Stadium racer Brad Lewis, who won the previous week’s feature event after contact with Sykes on the final lap, needed to finish two spots ahead of Sykes’ No. 99 to secure his first championship. If the drivers would end in a tie, Lewis’ win from the week before, his third of the season, would be the tie-breaker.

Lewis’ luck continued as he drew the pole position for the feature event. He pulled out to a healthy lead with two-time defending Street Stock Champ Christian Joyce in tow. In third was third-place points man “K-Train” Kevin Gilbert. At about the halfway mark, Sykes gently nudged his way by Gilbert to move into third but it looked like he wasn’t going to have time to reel in the front two cars. With eight-laps to go the lapped car of TJ Whaley went for a wild spin and came inches from clipping Lewis’ US Unlimited Services No.16 car to bring out the caution flag.  When the green flag came out Lewis stretched out his lead again. But the Whaley car slowed in front of the lead pack and brought the caution flag out again. This set-up a green-white-checker finish to decide the season. Lewis fired off well but Joyce did not. Sykes moved his way by the No.1 in turn-one and his Priority One Auto Sales car took the second spot.  Lewis held on for win number-four but Sykes Jr’s dramatic pass earned him the championship by a slim two-point margin. 

Lewis stopped in the North Turn to salute his friend Robbie Brewer, the Sportsman driver who lost his life two weeks prior after a medical emergency during the race.  The Lewis crew and family pushed their car to victory lane as the Sykes camp celebrated wildly doing donuts on the football field and waving title flags in front of a ruckus East Grandstand. 

“I’m speechless,” said the quiet youngster in victory lane. “Billy Gregg told me (on the radio) it was now or never, and it was then.”  After the races Sykes Jr. admitted to FloRacing that “it hadn’t quite sunk in yet” that he was the 2025 Champion. With the music bumping from speakers atop his racecar in the back pit area, Sykes Jr said that “they probably wouldn’t go to bed until sunrise.” 

Just a mere 30-yards away in the pit area, Lewis was puzzled by the two caution flags in the closing laps and how they transpired. Instead of focusing on that, he chose to only talk about the four-win-season that brought his family together despite tragedy. 

“I told God before this race I was at peace with it. Whatever he wanted, that's what we were going to do.” Lewis explained that he “stopped in turn three for Robbie (Brewer). That’s my boy. This is all for Robbie. Top Gun (most division wins) and Hard Charger (most positions gained), we did everything we could. I leave the night happy. We won back-to-back races and we celebrated him. The 68 (Robbie Brewer’s number) will never leave the inside of my number again. Yeah, we won and got trophies but we have memories with my family, our families, or team members and my grandkids that matter more.”

Lewis hinted that he may make the move up to the Sportsman division in 2026.

DOMINANT BRANDON BRENDLE SECURES SECOND CHAMPIONSHIP

In the nightcap, Brandon “Scooter” Brendle drove his white No. 68 (re-numbered from 43 in honor of Robbie Brewer) to a fourth-place finish to secure his second Q104.1 Stadium Stock Championship. He did exactly what he had to do to win the title, even with second-place points man Luke Smith parking his No. 80 in victory lane, Brendle was able to celebrate with his family after the 15-lapper as the Champ.

Brendle was the Top-Gun of all drivers at Bowman Gray Stadium ending the season with six-wins and a staggering average finish of 2.62 for his Infinity Insurance Group team. 

The Bowman Gray Champions will be officially crowned during their 2025 Awards Banquet put on by the Bowman Gray Stadium Ladies Auxiliary on December 13. 

The next event at the Madhouse will be the February 1, 2026 Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium with the NASCAR Cup Series. Stay tuned to FloRacing for more news about that event and the Modified Cookout Madhouse Classic during that weekend. 

All NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series racing from historic Bowman Gray Stadium are broadcast live on FloRacing.