Building memories together
Brunnhoelzl’s bond strong on & off track
This weekend, millions of dads across America will spend time with their children celebrating the annual ritual of Father’s Day. For NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour points leader George Brunnhoelzl III, he gets to see his dad every day and it is something he wouldn’t trade for the world.
Brunnhoelzl III and his dad George Brunnhoelzl Jr. have become a very formidable team on the Tour and while they are enjoying a strong start to the 2009 season, George Jr. feels the foundation for their success started long ago in Long Island, N.Y.
While George Jr. built his name worldwide as an innovative developer of an aluminum lightweight jack used by almost every pit crew and team in NASCAR racing, he remembered his time behind the wheel with his dad, George Sr., the most.
“I raced for about 25 years up North,” said George Jr. “A lot of times it was me and my dad and we had a very good career and a lot of fun.”
A typical day for the Brunnhoelzls was to get up on Fridays, pack all the gear on the trailer and hop on a ferry to Connecticut to race, when they weren’t racing at one of the four local tracks back home on Long Island.
“Racing was all I ever did and I raced right up until George III turned 16,” said George Jr. “Once he turned 16, I wanted to help him like my father helped me.”
George Jr. said he has been fortunate enough to make many great memories racing with his dad and now his son and wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.
“We don’t always agree on everything when it comes to the car, but that is because we both have a desire to be the best we can be and that is the ultimate goal so we always work things out,” said George Jr.
VIDEO INTERVIEW WITH GEORGE BRUNNHOELZL III
The chemistry between the two has been evident on the Tour, especially last year and so far this season. George III leads the points standings and has won a season-high three Coors Light Pole Awards. But if he winds up winning the title this season, one race the father and son team can point back to might be the season opener at Concord (N.C.) Speedway.
Brunnhoelzl III was one of the quickest cars on the track during practice – then a near-disaster occurred to the team. The No. 28 Fibrwrap/Oval Speed/PT Ford lost a motor. The problem for them was that they only had the lone motor with no back up in the trailer.
“We talked for a while on trying to decide what to do,” said George Jr. “Do we just pack up and go home or do we try and find a motor? We race on a very tight budget and knew our options were limited. That is when Roger and David Hill from the No. 79 team offered to rent us a motor. We were nervous to run someone else’s stuff but we did and it worked out.”
Worked out is an understatement as the father, son and a few dedicated crew volunteers worked all afternoon to get the motor changed and George III fired it up for the first time to line up on the grid at the rear of the field.
The motor ran well and George III came up from last at the start to finish third. That is why they have the points lead, according the younger Brunnhoelzl.
“I love Concord and it is one of my favorite tracks to race,” said George III. “If it wasn’t for my dad helping us get things together that afternoon, there is no way we would have made the race. Without my dad, I wouldn’t be able to race at all.”
George Jr. added that the entire team made a difference that day.
“We have a very good crew and George and I kick a lot of things back and forth with each other and it helps us,” said George Jr. “We were fortunate things worked out for us that day.”
Racing is something George III has done since he was a youngster in Long Island and when he decided to move south, he got do something he had always dreamed of – race against his dad. While the pair have plenty of interesting stories about their life together in racing, the one time they did race together was memorable as well.
They decided to enter a modified race at Caraway Speedway in 2003, before NASCAR began sanctioning the Whelen Southern Modified Tour. George Jr. qualified on the pole and remained on the point for most of qualifying until George III hit the track. George III made a lap that put him at the top, knocking dad back a position.
“It was special for me because I was fortunate enough to get to race against my dad and I wanted to have that memory with my son, too,” said George Jr. “For us to qualify first and second is something I will always remember.”
George III said it was a special weekend.
“My birthday was on that weekend and I will never forget that,” said George III. “Dad kicked my butt on the track that day, too.”
Another special memory was getting that first NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour win at Lanier National Speedway in Georgia last year.
“We had looked forward to that moment for nine years and it was worth it,” said George III. “I have learned everything I know in racing from dad and it was great to finally get to celebrate a win with him and my entire family.”
George III went on to say that he owes everything to his family, especially his father, and is proud to be a part of the Brunnhoelzl name.
“The thing I love about the Whelen Southern Modified Tour is that it is a big family and we are able to bring my fiancée Heather along, my mom and family to share in this together,” said George III. “We want to have fun and be together as a family. We are able to do that here.”
While it takes support from people like Bill Higbie from Fibrwrap, Dennis Freese from Oval Speed Unlimited and Jim Mikel of Performance Technology to help pay the bills to keep the car on the track, it also takes something else that George Jr. feels you can’t put a price on – love, dedication and support that only a family can give to one another. For him, it is all about family and that is why he has worked so hard to help his son get to this point in his career.
“I am blessed to be able to race with my son and have our entire family be a part of it as well, and that is something I will always remember and cherish,” said George Jr. “I just want to be there for him like my dad was for me.”
Sources: Tim Southers/NASCAR WSMT PR