(Press release from Stafford Speedway)
When Stafford’s SK Modifieds® take to the track this Friday night, September 11, for their regularly scheduled 40-lap feature plus the TC 13 Shootout, there will be a special invader among the driver ranks. 10-time Bowman Gray Stadium champion and 2-time Whelen Southern Modified Tour champion Burt Myers will be behind the wheel of the #57 car prepared by Keith Rocco Racing.
“I’m pretty excited about the way this deal came together,” said Myers. “I talked with Keith [Rocco] 2 or 3 years ago at the NASCAR awards banquet in Charlotte about putting a deal together for me to come up to Stafford and run one of his SK cars. I got the opportunity to watch the SK’s several times whenever I came up for a Whelen Modified Tour race and it’s something that I’ve always wanted to do and it finally worked out. My schedule down south was always pretty hectic but we’re not doing much racing right now with our Covid restrictions so it was a really good deal for both of us. I’m excited for the opportunity and I have to thank Keith Rocco, Citrusafe Cleaners, and Superior Refinishing, there’s a lot of people who have come together to help make this possible for me.”
Myers has made 2 career Whelen Modified Tour starts at Stafford in 2018 with a best finish of 10th in the NAPA Fall Final and this Friday night will mark his debut in the SK Modified® division. Despite his lack of experience in a SK style car, Myers is relishing the challenge of driving the #57 car to the front in a field that is filled with top-notch modified talent.
“I can’t wait,” said Myers. “I don’t want to sound arrogant but I think I can win otherwise I wouldn’t be coming up to Stafford. One of the main reasons why I partnered with Keith is because his equipment is top notch and so is his knowledge of the cars and the track. I know if something goes wrong and we’re not competitive, everything is in my hands. I’m realistic and I know I’m coming into those guys’ backyard and it’s going to be a battle. At the same time, the old saying is adversity causes some men to break and some men to break records, and coming up there to do the best I can to compete with the SK guys is what makes this so exciting.”
Myers couldn’t have picked a much better partner than Rocco to team up with. Rocco is a 3-time Stafford SK Modified® champion and he just recorded his 61st career SK Modified® win last Friday at Stafford. Rocco leads all SK Modified® drivers this season with 4 victories and he currently leads the 2020 SK Modified® points standings.
“With Keith’s equipment, I know the car should be where it needs to be and it’ll be up to me to do my job,” said Myers. “I know there’s going to be a limited amount of practice so I wanted to make sure I checked off as many check marks as I could before I get to the track. It definitely helps to have some laps under my belt under my lap at Stafford. With the horsepower difference you have to drive the SK car totally different from a Tour car but I think I can get adapted to that pretty quickly. I feel like we should be pretty good and I’m looking forward to it.”
In addition to the regularly scheduled 40-lap feature event, SK Modified® drivers will be fighting to finish in the top-13 so they can transfer into the 13-lap TC 13 Shootout.
“I’m going to do everything I can to try to win both races, that’s why I’m coming to Stafford,” said Myers. “This might sound kind of odd, but I really enjoy racing up north because you guys have grip and we don’t. Most of the tracks down south here are tire eaters. It’s a welcome scene for me when I come up north because you can actually drive the car hard and not have to worry about a big fall off with the tires. To me a modified was built for driving hard and there’s not many times where you get to drive a modified as hard as you can so I’m looking forward to doing that and seeing what we can do. I promise you I’m going to give it all I’ve got and if that’s not enough then we’ll regroup and try again.”
This Friday night, September 11, the TC 13 SK Modified® Shootout and regularly scheduled 40-lap SK Modified® feature will be paired with Stafford’s Late Models, SK Lights, Limited Late Models, and Street Stocks for a full night of NASCAR Weekly Racing. Tickets are priced at $20.00 for adult general admission, $5.00 for children ages 6-14, and children ages 5 and under are admitted free of charge when accompanied by an adult. Paddock passes are $40 and all tickets for this event are available for purchase now at www.staffordspeedway.com. Don’t wait, most events have sold out. If tickets are sold the day of the event the price increases $5 at the gates.
Any fans who can’t make the race in person can watch a live stream of the entire evening starting at 6pm with qualifying heats all the way through the final feature event of the night on www.staffordspeedway.tv for only $20.
For more information, visit www.staffordspeedway.com, checkout Stafford Speedway on Facebook or Twitter, or contact the track office at 860-684-2783.
Does no one remember the last time he was in an sk? He wrecked the car, and crashed into the car owner. T Fox should remember this night at the Bowl
If big personalities are good for racing this is a shot in the arm for the SK’s and Stafford and something new to look forward to.
” the old saying is adversity causes some men to break and some men to break records”
Whether it’s racing with Jesus, conflating a race event to patriotism or comparing racing a car with some kind of life defining adversity always count on Myers to be over the top.
Here’s the deal. This is a money making deal for Rocco. It’s a distraction in a tight points race but it’s his business so you do what you have to make a buck. Myers may think he’s unleashed now as compared to that “conservative” style of racing they practice at Bowman Gray but he’s got no idea how competitive that field is. A lot of cars operate at minuscule intervals with success dependent on who is more perfect on a given night.
His goal should be making the TC13. That whole winning thing just good race hype.
Hasn’t the Burt Myers, madhouse hype been over for some years now? I remember the year he showed up to the turkey derby and nobody even knew who he was. Then that year when he raced Waterford and the SK’s put on probably the most horrible race I’ve ever seen there. Had to red checker it. Unless Rocco puts something extra special in that 57, he ain’t winning nothin.
🌈🦄2020,
In all fairness, Burt wasn’t really the cause of issues with that red-checkered event at Waterford.
I hope 😷😷😷 Burt Myers 😷😷😷 has his required COVID-19 testing paperwork in order.
Myers and the MadHouse factor ‘jumped the shark’ long ago.
Myers was never a factor up north. Southern mod racing was never competitive with the northern Mods. Myers was the big fish in the small and polluted ponds down south, and he thinks that his name will carry on up here. Good luck with that. After all these years, he has never been a factor up north.
Does Rocco need cars in the race to up the car count so he gets national points?
True that Burt wasn’t the issue that night but that race will always be known as that time that Bert Meyers showed up. Do national points even factor in anymore for Keith? Can he compete for the championship without all 3 tracks running weekly Nascar points?
🌈🦄2020,
No way he can really competitive in the national points this year. Not enough events between Stafford and Thompson. He’s currently 24th nationally.
All these years??? How many tour starts up this way? A few at Thompson, one at NHMS. A few SK starts. The guy races up here once a year. 10 championships is 10 championships. He gets a little better each time he comes up.
Part of me wonders if tomorrow is a dry run for the tour race in two weeks.
A driver with personality. The horror!! The sport needs more Myers and Saps.
I watched the show “Bowman Gray” on Discovery. Yes Burt has an ego, but he’s somewhat a down to earth guy. Hope he enjoys the opportunity.
Anytime you can bring in an OUTSIDER in its a Win Win for the fans and competitors …. The Fans can either root for him with Myers wearing the White hat good guy side , Or The fans can root against Myers and root for the local guys to push him around out of the groove to the back .. How many times did Bodine show up with the Armstrong # 1 Car and the whole pits and grandstands took notice, Some with complete distain for the Big Money operation… So the locals wanted to beat Him in their backyard… Half the fans rooted for Bodine, The other half wanted to see him get banged around by the locals so He wouldn’t come back to town. The fans got to booo or to Cheer… But everyone benefited including the Track ….. The Outsider is coming … Which group are you in …???
Let’s make something clear here… Myers is a 10x Bowman Gray Champ… a track championship.
Looks like he was a 2x WSMT champ. Still, that never translated to success running against the northern tour. When northern teams invaded the southern races, they often pushed the southern teams out of the way on their home tracks. The northern teams were extremely competitive down south. The northern teams were not competitive up north. Heck, the southern teams stopped coming up to the northern events.
The SKs are very competitive. It will be enlightening to see how far his God given talent takes him. Myers in a SK race is like feeding him to the lions. 🦁
Suitcase 🧳, some outsiders can pique interest, others not so much. When guys like Richie Evans or Geoff Bodine showed up, that was exciting. They were a bigger dog muscling in on the dog dish. Myers? What’s he gonna do? His record OUTSIDE of his precious Bowman Gray is not impressive, and particularly his appearances against northern teams, even on southern tracks.
He’s been up here enough to have used up any honeymoon period. It will be fun watching him get eaten alive by the locals. Hope the car is good so he can try to drive away from the field.
We don’t need his kind turning the awesome SK series into some northern fried MadHouse.
Based on info I’ve read previously and listening to him talk at a Thompson pit party once, I think he has a genuine respect for the northern Modified teams and recognizes them as being the top level of Modified racing. I think that’s what keeps him coming back up here when he can. Too bad he doesn’t have a ride for Saturday, as he said he had a great time running there before. I think he had a top five at one of the Thompson races previously, so he is certainly capable of competing up here.
there is no way anyone in the Northeast can compete for the Nascar National title this year. The tracks up here were closed for half the season. Down south they may have lost a few dates but not nearly as many as up here. Most tracks down south opened up well before tracks up here did.
I dont think you will see another National champion from the Northeast again. Losing shows at Thompson and Waterford for national points hurts our Sk drivers for sure. You also have a handicap up here that isnt as prevalent down south. Most of the time southern tracks will time trial then start them straight up. Here they run heats then start the favorites back in the field based on past performance. Plus here you have several different division running for Nascar points in the Northeast. Crate sport mods, sk mods, tour type mods, late models, pro stocks, star was going to have street stocks as their tier 1 division. Down there its mostly all late model stocks. If you are chasing National points you can run 2 or 3 nights per week down south. Unfortunately that isnt possible up North right now. The sourthern tracks also assist their drivers by running double features fairly frequently which you dont see up here much.
Its actually very impressive TC and Kid Rock were able to win National titles racing up here when they did. Currently the odds seems to have gotten a little longer for our drivers up here. Does anyone know what the National Champion currently gets for money? Did they announce it when they switched to Advance Auto Parts as title sponsor?
2020…
i was at that Turkey Derby as well, and you and i have a much different memory about Burt being there! everyone knew he was! he received loud ovations anytime his name was announced and he set fast time. i believe the top 6 or 8 redrew and Burt started back a few rows back and got caught up in a first lap mishap.
but, back to your original point that noone knew he was couldnt be further from the truth. he was well known at that point, having been on The History Channel MADHOUSE program already and he was very cordial to the fans.
You people can be so petty sometimes. Enjoy the moment. Say what you want, the man wins. Yes, Modified racing is MUCH bigger in the Northeast, but it is due to guys like Myers, that there is even ANY form of Modified Racing in the south. WHERE IT BEGAN!!!. Give the guy some slack. I am wishing him the best, and YES I may even be routing for him. GO Bert
I Agree . When The Flying # 11 showed up for a race up North Even the top dogs took notice. Ray Hendrick Won Races at every track on the East Coast … Just like in the South when The Eastern Bandits showed up they took notice,” we may be racing for 4th or 5th place tonight boys ” The OUTSIDER carried a-lot more weight back then…….
With the return of the SMART Tour there will be fewer opportunities for Burt to come up north moving forward. Enjoy them while you can. I enjoy his visits myself. I wish some of the other southern drivers would come with him. It’s good for the sport.
One thing Burt has that may help, he knows modified cars inside out. He builds out his Fury cars as well as setting them up, and has enough experience that he can interpret what he feels behind the wheel as it applies to the setup. What he’s got going against him is that Keith’s cars are Troyer. That coupled with the fact he’s never driven an SK, and will be competing against a field of very competitive drivers.
I truly hope he has a good showing, and has some fun Friday night.
This isn’t an invader. Racing success starts with great cars and the people who prepare them.. The Roc is providing the great car. This is a dabbler. More of a Rent-a-Racecar situation. A driver with a rep unfamiliar with SK’s with a top ride is more a point of interest I should think. As opposed to Bodine, Evans or even Preece last year coming through the gate unexpectedly with their own equipment which was electric.
I have little emotion wrapped up in Myers other then a couple things I associate with him. Being disqualified for tire soaking is one. I’m pro intelligent cheating pushing the rules to the edge. Tire soaking is one of the lowest, non-creative forms of cheating. His apology involved the Almighty and a clarification that the Lord gave him the ability to make decisions and he made a bad one. It was all very confusing.
https://racedayct.com/2019/11/burt-myers-disqualified-from-north-south-shootout-tour-type-modified-victory/
Then there was the video As the plague was breaking over the country in late May Myers did an energetic video in support of the first race at Ace Speedway in which the Bowman Gray modifieds would appear. Enthusiastic as ever his focus was getting cars and people to the track. The capacity restrictions that turned out to be a joke he mentioned only as a reason to get there early. No appreciation at all for the big fat unknown he was essentially asking people to pay no regard to as long as he could race and there and fans to support the racing. I suppose his religious beliefs he wears on his sleeve came into it. Completely self serving while having no regard for people he may be putting in harms way is not what I associate with the behavior of a man of God.
All that adds up for me is there is nothing special about the guy at all really other then the big personality. Don’t even know if he’s a good or bad driver although I suspect Friday will give us the best objective indication of how good he is.
Support him….why? I sure won’t and it has nothing to do with tire soaking or a video. It’s has more to do with nearly 40 years of SK’s. These are my guys and I think they’re terrific. There’s a fierce points battle afoot as we enter the home stretch. Ideally what I would like to see is for Myers to be completely unprepared to deal with the large number of very well prepared, very equally matched cars driven by terrific drivers the likes of which he has never seen at Bowman Gray. He flies through the field and makes my guys look like a bunch of Friday night amateurs without a clue like Tim Richmond did a million years ago and there’s gonna be a problem.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0k_Yj8_s44&t=1146s
Burt Myers is no outsider or invader here trying to steal a purse. He’s no Richie or Bodine on the prowl for big purses to harvest. Myers got no where to race and needs to stay active to keep his name out there. That he chooses to douse himself with blood 🩸 and swim with sharks 🦈 is his choice. That he is going to run in what is perhaps the most competitive series is a ballsy move. At best, he’s hoping to not look like a minor leaguer. But he’s got God given driving talent, so he should be just fine.
Anyways, weather looks perfect, this should be a spectacular event.
Please be careful. Respect yourself and those around you.
Oh please, the entire sport is based on cheating. First it was cheating the law. Then it was cheating the rules. Ray Evernham still laughs about all the “stuff” he pulled with the 24. The name of the game is speed. Teams try and find it anyway they can. All the greats had their secrets.
Let’s make sure we show Burt some northern congeniality.
Dareal, yes I can see having self respect, but respect for those around you… a rare thing to see. The past 3 years have seen respect being lost, division has made respect it’s bitch. The atmosphere these last 3 years has been hostile, and nothing like what I experienced the first 50 years of my life. Such a shame
Hope everyone is safe strong and sane. If your going to Stafford tonight enjoy the racing, but take precautions, as now we know this virus is much deadlier than what we’ve been told.
We now know what? We need to take extra precautions this week that we didn’t take last? What do we need to do extra tonight at Stafford?
2020 that was what you call sarcasm. I hope everyone knew how dangerous the virus is, long before the Woodward tapes. Hope everyone at the races has an enjoyable night, and leaves the track as healthy as they arrived
🌈🦄2020, do what you’re supposed to do, what has been on PSA’s for months.
Keep your distance, wear a mask. No contact. Social gatherings are NOT completely safe, especially for the compromised, or those that come in contact with them. And there are too many people that refuse to be smart and safe.
What’s the problem with wearing a mask? It makes you look smart.
If only it was that easy Dareal. Many stupid people out there. My wife has COPD, and yet manages to wear a mask. With me it’s as if I’d been wearing one for years, almost second natured. Until EVERYONE starts taking these easy steps, we will continue to battle this virus.
Well the Burt Myers experience is in the record books and worked out satisfactorily as far as I’m concerned. Stafford TV got Citrusafe as a commercial sponsor that in a way was a public service announcement. Who knew metal wire in grilled food from metal brushes was such a hazard.. Myers got the SK experience and was singularly mediocre. The capper was Todd Owen, the epitome of SK racing, wins everything in a repaired car and makes it look easy. Seeing Myers dirt tracking in the corners in the heat was very unlike a KRR prepared car.
“I can’t wait,” said Myers. “I don’t want to sound arrogant but I think I can win otherwise I wouldn’t be coming up to Stafford.
YYAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWNNNNNNNN!
It takes arrogance to say one can win like that.
That was like when Trump said at a big meeting, right in front of Kim Jung Un, that he was not going to call Kim Jung Un fat.
People that say they aren’t making everything about themselves are always making everything about themselves.
So the “outsider” “invader” starts 17th, finishes 15th. Oh my!!!!! 😮
That’s so cute. He’s dying of neglect down south and has to get his name out in the public before he’s forgotten. That is all.
Why the hell are you so full of VENOM?
Why do you care? you not going to any races so hide in yur basement with yur HAZMAT suit on and shut up
you say hes NO RICHIE Evans, WELLL WHO Is????????????? why has NO Modified put a 61 on their car since 1985? because Richie was the greatest of all time!!! SORRY Doug
What is he supposed to say i hope to go to STAFFORD and finish 15th, 20th?
You get on yur basement laptop and cut down YES A 10 time BOWMAN GRAY CHAMPION why???? nothing bettter to do????? GET tired of staring at alll yur degrees on yur pathethic wall?
Doug how did the KRR 57 do in previous races this year at Stafford , was there an improvement with Myers or not
Burt Myers won’t do anything, He can only race at BG Stadium.