Grigas Runs Up Front Before Bad Luck at Martinsville

Martinsville Speedway (VA) is a historic facility with plenty of Modified racing tradition. The best of the best from both the Northern and Southern divisions of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour come out to tackle the Martinsville half-mile, each driver hoping to take home the grandfather clock that the track gives to its winners.

So with so many Modified stars all going for the same goal, there's bound to be some rubbing and banging as racers scratch and claw for a chance to add their name to the Martinsville win list.

Even though he ran inside the top-five and top-10 at times during the 300-lap race Saturday night, some of that beating and banging cost Bobby Grigas, III a shot at Martinsville glory. But the young racer was still able to salvage home a 14th-place finish, bouncing back from an on-track incident and some scoring confusion.

tells my spotter that where they've got me now is right. The NASCAR official told us we weren't a lap down but according to the track, we were. So they were black flagging me when it was their fault. I wouldn't have been up there if they hadn't told me to go up there.

"That cost me a top-five finish. I cost myself a better finish than a top-five, but that right there put me to the tail [of the field] and I burned up my tires the second time coming up through the field. When they did that to me, I was done there. I think I would have gotten a top 10, easy."

Grigas will be out to secure a strong finish in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour's next event, a little closer to home, on Sunday September 9th at Thompson International Speedway (CT).

"I think I got up to fifth and I was driving behind the #20 car [George Brunnhoelzl III]," said Grigas. "I've got to get by him before the leaders take off on me, because I'd just put on four brand new tires. When I got a run and went to go drive it in there, I worried that he was going to turn left on me. I knew he was going to turn left. Just as I had it in there, and while I looked right, I see his left front wheel turn. I thought, "No he's not going to turn left into me," and yep, that's what he did.

"My spotter was told by the official who runs the spotting stand that we weren't a lap down, and to get back where we belong up at the front. So my spotter was like 'alright' and all my teammates were telling me no, I was a lap down, that the leaders had just passed me. That's why I got the black flag. So the official up in the spotters stand