Brunnhoelzl Clinches Whelen SoMod Title
Takes Record Fourth Championship, While Burt Myers Grabs Win
CONCORD, N.C. – George Brunnhoelzl III clinched the 2013 championship for the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour in the season finale at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Thursday night, to extend his record for tour titles to four.
It also marks the third consecutive tour championship for the 30-year-old West Babylon, N.Y., driver – who in addition to his 2011 and 2012 titles, won the crown in 2009.
“To win one championship is crazy enough, but to win three in a row and four is impossible unless you have the people behind me that I do,” said Brunnhoelzl. “A lot of people work really hard to make all of this happen and I can’t thank them enough.”
While Brunnhoelzl wrapped up the championship just by taking the green flag in his No. 28 EpoxZ/Oval Speed Chevrolet, there was plenty of drama late in the race as Burt Myers inherited the lead and won the UNOH Southern Slam 150 on the quarter-mile oval at CMS.
Myers took over the top spot when Ryan Preece, who had won the pole and appeared to be headed to his second victory in three starts, slowed with a broken rocker arm in his engine just 12 laps from the finish. Myers, then, paced the field the rest of the way in his No. 1 CitruSafe/Adams Towing & Recovery Ford.
“I knew we had a good car, but Ryan’s was probably a little better,” said the victorious Myers. “I was hoping for a caution to make up the track position, but he quit and I turned around my strategy and didn’t want a caution.”
It marks the third win this season and 11th career tour victory for the 2010 tour champion from Walnut Cove, N.C. – who started fourth on the grid Saturday night. Myers won the inaugural Charlotte race in 2010 and now has four top-five finishes in four starts at the track.
“There’s nothing like winning here at Charlotte,” he said.
Kyle Ebersole, who trailed Brunnhoelzl by 32 points coming into the final race, finished second behind Myers. Brunnhoelzl came home third while Tim Brown and Danny Bohn were fourth and fifth, respectively. Rounding out the top 10 were A.J. Winstead, John Smith, Jason Myers, Luke Fleming and Thomas Stinson.
The UNOH Southern Slam 150 was streamed live on NASCARHomeTracks.com, NASCAR.com’s official home for touring and weekly series news and results.
Brunnhoelzl will be honored for his championship season along with NASCAR’s other touring series champions on Saturday, Dec. 14 at the NASCAR Touring Series Awards in the Grand Ballroom of the Charlotte (N.C.) Convention Center at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
RACE RESULTS | LAP-BY-LAP RECAP | POSTRACE AUDIO: KYLE EBERSOLE | POSTRACE AUDIO: GEORGE BRUNNHOELZL III
Sources: Kevin W. Green/NASCAR WSMT PR
NWSMT Charlotte 10/10/13 Unofficial Results
Whelen Southern Modified Tour
Race: NWSMT Charlotte 10/10/13
Fin Str Car Driver Team Laps Points B/Points Status
1 4 1 Burt Myers Citrusafe/Adam’s Towing & Recovery Ford 150 47 4 Running
2 3 5 Kyle Ebersole Ebersole Excavating Ford 150 42 Running
3 8 28 George Brunnhoelzl, III Epox-Z/Oval Speed Chevrolet 150 41 Running
4 2 02 Tim Brown Hayes Jewelers/T&C Motorsports Chevrolet 150 41 1 Running
5 11 65 Danny Bohn Cedar Peaks/Rustoleum Chevrolet 150 39 Running
6 5 99 AJ Winstead * Health Diagnostic Laboratory Chevrolet 150 38 Running
7 9 25 John Smith G-Oil/Shady Grady Racing Chevrolet 150 37 Running
8 12 4 Jason Myers Westbend Vineyards & Brewery Ford 150 36 Running
9 6 40 Luke Fleming * Koma Unwind/AutosByNelson.com Ford 150 35 Running
10 14 7 Thomas Stinson Dennis’ Towing/New Image Cleaning Chevrolet 150 34 Running
11 7 04 David Calabrese * Diamond Back Towing Chevrolet 150 33 Running
12 15 11 Andy Seuss Tammie Davis/Phoenix Pre-Owned Chevrolet 149 32 Running
13 21 12 Mike Norman Auto Solutions/Combs Wholesale Produce Chevrolet 149 31 Running
14 13 2 JR Bertuccio Gershow Recycling Chevrolet 146 30 Running
15 1 41 Ryan Preece East West Marine/NAPA Chevrolet 136 31 2 Engine
16 18 8 Dalton Baldwin * ChildrensDreamRacer.com Chevrolet 124 28 Running
17 22 70 Jeremy Gerstner * GMR Complete Lawn/Fountain Mtspts. Chevrolet 108 27 Overheating
18 17 73 Cole Powell * Copp’s BuildAll/Tricar Chevrolet 73 26 Overheating
19 10 97 Bryan Dauzat O.B. Builders Chevrolet 26 25 Suspension
20 20 80 Cody Ware * SupportMilitary.org Chevrolet 26 24 Accident
21 16 77 Gary Putnam Stock Car Steel Chevrolet 26 23 Accident
22 19 82 Danny Watts Horton Avenue Materials Chevrolet 24 22 Accident
RACE STATISTICS
Fastest Qualifier: Ryan Preece, Time: 14.778 Seconds, Speed: 60.901 mph
Time of Race: 0 hrs., 51 mins, 25 secs Average Speed: 43.760 mph Margin of Victory: 1.140 Seconds
Caution Flags: Laps 3-6; 10-13; 19-21; 27-33; 77-78. 5 for 20 laps.
Lap Leaders: Ryan Preece grid, Tim Brown 1-7, Ryan Preece 8-136, Burt Myers 137-150.
Total Laps Led: Ryan Preece 129, Burt Myers 14, Tim Brown 7. 2 changes involving 3 drivers.
* Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender