Both my deuces had cracks in that exact spot. If you decide to weld the crack BE CAREFUL! I welded them on my tan deuce and the whole fender caught fire! I guess there is/was some kind of under coating on the backside that decided it didn't like heat! I dont think that part is a brace for fender support. If you think about it, the center portion being cut the way it is would allow that piece to bend at the top, acting like a hinge in a sense, so it would add no extra integrity to downward pressures on the fender. If the sides were solid I might be inclined to agree with the fender support theory. Just my opinion.