POINT RACES CLOSE COMING INTO MADE IN AMERICA WHELEN 300

   The Made In America Whelen 300 NASCAR Modified race at Martinsville Speedway will feature not one, but two tight point races when it takes the green flag Saturday afternoon at 3:30.
   The Made In America Whelen 300 is a rare NASCAR combination event with drivers from both the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour going head-to-head. It is the only combination event each year for the two series.
   Burt Myers broke a 13-race winless streak on the Southern Tour with a win at Southern National Raceway Park Saturday night. That win combined with leader Brian Loftin’s electrical woes tightened the Southern point race headed into Martinsville.
   Loftin still leads, but it’s a slim 32-point advantage over L.W. Miller. Miller, a former Martinsville winner, finished third Saturday night while Loftin wound up 15th. Loftin entered the night with a 79-point lead over Miller.
   Tim Brown, who finished second behind Meyers at Southern National, is third, 35 points back while Myers is 37 back.
   The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour point race is tight, but just not as close as the Southern Tour.
   Ted Christopher, who picked up his 30th career win in the New Hampshire 100 Saturday, has a 99-point lead on Matt Hirschman with four races to go. Chuck Hossfield is 167 points back in third.
   Christopher’s three wins tops the Northern Tour while Hirschman, Ronnie Silk and Jimmy Blewett have two each. Blewett is a former Martinsville winner with a victory in the Made In American Whelen 300 in 2006.
   Loftin leads the Southern Tour with three victories while Miller is the only other driver with multiple wins. He has won twice this season.
   Last year’s race and pole winner Donny Lia will not be back to defend this year. He is running for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series rookie-of-the-year title.
   Brown led the Whelen Southern Modified Tour competitors with his fifth-place finish in the Made In America Whelen 300 last year. Fellow southern competitor Brian King was sixth and Jay Foley ninth.
   The Made In America Whelen 300 is set to take the green flag at 3:30 Saturday afternoon, but there is a full day of activity on tap.
   There will be a 90-minute practice session beginning at 9:30 a.m., followed by time trials at 2 p.m. Spectator gates will open at 9 a.m.
   There will be an autograph session at 2 p.m. Fans will be allowed to enter the infield through the flag stand at the start-finish line and visit with drivers on pit road.
   The Made In America 300 will take the green flag at 3:30 p.m.
   Tickets for the Made In America Whelen 300 are $25. Children six to 12 years old are $5. Children under six are admitted free. Tickets may be purchased by calling 1.877.RACE.TIX or visiting www.martinsvillespeedway.com.

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