The 2025 season kicked off with NASCAR returning to the iconic Bowman Gray Stadium first time since 1971. And while that was massive in itself, we had two Cup Series debutants, who are Legends when it comes to BGS. Maybe even calling them a legend is an understatement. Tim Brown and Burt Meyes race Modifieds. And Brown has 100 wins on his resume in BGS alone. And Meyers has 11 Bowman Gray Modified championships to his name. He’s the grandson of ‘Mr. Bowman Gray’ himself, Billy Myers, was a legend in his time. Anyway, ‘The Clash’ was supposed to have them as an added challenge for our Cup drivers. But it all ended in a crash for Meyers. However, he might get a chance of redemption.
And if you recall “The Clash’s’ format, it had a Last Chance Qualifier. Here, drivers who did not make it in the heat races got one final chance to qualify. And Meyers was running top 10, slowly climbing up (had reached P8), but that’s when Ricky Stenhouse Jr wrecked him out. And just like that, Meyers’ Cup debut was up in smoke. This caused an uproar among the modified fans in the grandstands. Even on social media, Stenhouse Jr got a lot of backlash for ruining Meyers’s probably only opportunity at NASCAR’s highest level. However, after some recent rumors, that might not have been his only shot.
Is Burt Meyers coming back for another race?
So, folks, this hasn’t been confirmed yet, but there is a rumor flying that Burt Meyers is running at Martinsville next. A photo of a Chevy Camaro is making rounds on the internet with Meyer’s name on it. And this looks like the same #50 car he ran at BGS. The photo was posted by the Instagram page, ‘nascarrumornostalgia.’ It’s a page that often posts rumors and unheard-of garage talk. And it has been a whistle-blower in the past, so they can be trusted.
Their recent post was this photo, with the caption, “This could be nothing but I can’t help but wonder if Burt Myers and the 50 return to race Martinsville. Makes the most sense to me but I’m making this up as I go ” Look at the car:
And don’t take their word for it. Meyers, after the LCQ, was asked if we’d see him again in the Cup Series and he had kind of hinted at it. Meyers had said, “There are rumors, can’t say anything just yet we were gonna wait and see how this night went… we’ll evaluate and we’ll get through the night, assess the situation and see where it takes us.” So we could see the short track racer at Martinsville or maybe even Bristol is a possibility.
The point is…that he deserves another shot. It’s many drivers’ dream to run a full cup race and Meyers did not get that chance at BGS. Especially after he was so excited about his debut, “I’m very excited to be a part of such a monumental even. Every short-track driver dreams of an opportunity like this. For mine to happen at my home track and to be able to continue my NASCAR family legacy means the world to me.”
And his BGS run kind of felt like a dream that did not come true. But there is still hope. Moreso, he ran with Team AmeriVet in the #50 car. And they tend to run 2-4 races per season. So maybe Meyers would pilot their next one, too. And there were also some rumors he could be at this year’s All-Star race at North Wilkesboro. Maybe there he could fulfill his dream. And he also needs another race to settle the score with Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
But speaking of a dream come true…it is just as sad for Tim Brown.
BGS was a bummer for Tim Brown
Brown, too, couldn’t make it past the LCQ. And it was truly supposed to be a special moment for him. As all his life, he wanted to race in the Cup Series. Ahead of the race, Brown had said, “I woke up with the biggest smile on my face this morning and such at peace with the Lord that I’m just so blessed to be here. I’m going to enjoy every moment of it and I hope that we put that thing up front and make a show out of it.”
And not making it to the main event must have felt more disappointing for Brown because he had more eyeballs on him than Meyers. After all Brown is the winningest driver of BGS ever. With over 100 wins and 12 championships. And while the race did not go as planned, he enjoyed every moment of being a Cup driver. Sharing the experience, he had said, “The coolest thing was to walk in. They wrapped the car Sunday to surprise me when I went to work on Monday and when you walk in and flip the lights on and you see that thing sitting there, it was like super emotional, right? Then, to get to bring my family down and have the modified there to unveil it and have our sponsors there and my wife and kids, it is super, super special.”
What makes this extra special is Brown finally getting his chance. During his prime, Brown was a talented Modifieds driver. But it wasn’t common for Cup teams to take modified racers into NASCAR. More focus was on sprint car drivers, someone like Kasey Kahne maybe. Also, it was really expensive to get a seat, as the team looked for drivers who could get in the sponsors. And Brown neither had the money nor the experience of running in sprint cars. So the dream always remained a dream until BGS happened. But it feels incomplete…let’s hope he gets more starts too.
Folks, what did you think about the two veteran racers coming into the Cup Series? Do you want to see them again? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
The post Rumor: After Disappointing NASCAR Debut, Short Track Legend Could Make Cup Series Return at Iconic Track appeared first on EssentiallySports.
