News & Notes: Brunnhoelzl hopes to celebrate in return to Ace
Friday might be a day that George Brunnhoelzl III (No. 28 Oval Speed/Fibrwrap/PT Ford) might never forget.
Although he doesn’t want to talk about it until it actually happens, the West Babylon, N.Y., native who now calls Mooresville, N.C., home has a chance to clinch the 2009 title and become the fourth champion in the history of the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour this Friday night after the running of the Lightning Fast 150 at Ace Speedway.
Brunnhoelzl III enters this Friday’s race with a 140 point lead over Andy Seuss (No. 47 Advance Auto Parts/Q Racing Oil/Stuart Auto Dodge) and if he can build that lead by 41 points during the running of the Lightning Fast 150, there will be one big party after the race.
The third-generation modified driver is the odds-on favorite to win the crown, but the four drivers who will be racing Friday are not giving up just yet.
“It is going to take some good luck for us and definitely some bad luck for him to give us a chance to catch him and win the title,” said Seuss. “It seems we have had nothing but bad luck but that’s the way it goes sometimes,” Seuss said. “We are going to give it everything we can and one thing our team definitely wants to do is win these last two races and see what happens.”
Brunnhoelzl III fell one lap down at Martinsville last week but he was able to rebound and finish in the top-10 to add to his lead.
Another driver who enters this weekend with a mathematical shot at the title is Burt Myers. After a rough stretch of races in the summer, Myers has enjoyed his strongest stretch of finishes this season with three top-five finishes in a row highlighted by his top-five finish at Martinsville in the Made In America Whelen 300. By virtue of being the highest NWSMT regular he was credited with a win that gives him six for his career and keeps his streak alive of at least one win in the past three years.
“We probably won’t be able to catch George but we are going to make sure he knows we are here,” Myers added. “It took us a little while to get things going like we wanted this year but was are finishing the season strong and hopefully that will carry over to next year.”
Myers trails Brunnhoelzl by 207 points and will need to win both races and have Brunnhoelzl have some low finishes to have a chance to catch him.
“It would take a miracle to win the title now but I won’t give up,” Myers said.
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| Next Race | Lightning Fast 150 |
|---|---|
| The Place | Ace Speedway, Altamahaw, N.C. |
| The Date | Friday, Oct. 2, 2009 |
| The Time | 8 p.m. ET |
| Track Layout | .4-mile paved |
| Race Purse | $24,806 |
| 2008 Winner | L.W. Miller |
| 2008 Pole | L.W. Miller |
| Schedule | Friday: Practice 2:30-4 p.m.; Time Trials: 7 p.m. |
| Track Contact | Joette Muprhy, (336) 585-1200, joette@acespeedway.com |
| NASCAR Contact | Tim Southers, (386) 235-3634 tsouthers@nascar.com |
News & Notes
The Race … The Lightning Fast 150 will be the 13th of 14 races on the 2009 NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour schedule and the race is a make-up from the spring rain-out at Ace Speedway from March 27.
The Procedure … Starting positions 1-24 will be set from time trials. The remaining two will be filled through the provisional process. Fastest qualifier will draw to determine redraw of top 6, 8, or 10 cars. The race is 150 laps (60 miles).
The Track … Ace Speedway, a 4-mile paved oval, the track is located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina.
The Records … Qualifying: Tim Brown, Sept. 3, 2007, 97.893 mph, 14.710 seconds; 150-Lap Race: Tim Brown, Sept. 3, 2007, 85.914 mph, 41 minutes 54 seconds.
Ace Winners … Six different drivers have won at Ace. L.W. Miller and Junior Miller are two former champions have won races at the track. Other winners include Tim Brown, Jay Hedgecock, Brian King and Burt Myers.
Ace Speedway pole winners … Tim Brown has won two Coors Light Pole Awards there with Burt Myers, L.W. Miller and Michael Clifton have captured the other poles.
Strong Finishes … Burt Myers leads all drivers with five top-five finishes in six races at the track under the NWSMT banner.
2008 NWSMT champion Brian Loftin has the next best average finish with three top-five finishes with a runner-up finish on Oct. 29, 2005 as his highest finish to date.
Other current competitors in the NWSMT that have top-five finishes include: Jason Myers, John Smith, Frank Fleming, and Jay Foley.
Final Notes From Last Weekend At Martinsville
Rough Day for Regulars … The Made In America Whelen 300 was a short day for several tour regulars. J.R. Bertuccio (No. 22 Gershow Recycling Chevrolet), Zach Brewer (Piedmont Flooring Chevrolet), Greg Butcher (No. 0 Triad Mulch and Stone) all had their day end on lap 27 when they were involved in an accident on the back stretch. Butcher would up on top of Bertuccio’s car when the smoke cleared Sunday afternoon.
John Smith (No. 25 Tutterow Surveying/Rick’s Home Improvement Chevrolet) ran as high as the top-five at times before he was involved in an accident on lap 172. It was the second time this season Smith was running near the front when bad luck ended his day early when he appeared to be in contention for a top-five run.
Lose Wires Cost Seuss A Chance … Andy Seuss (No. 47 Advance Auto Parts/Q Racing Oil/ Stuart Automotive Dodge) hoped his weekend at Martinsville was going to be a chance to cut into George Brunnhoelzl’s lead. Seuss was forced to the pits during the race to repair loose wiring on his Dodge ending his chances for the win.
Seuss rebounded to finish 21st and, more importantly, finish fifth among NWSMT regulars to collect fifth-place points and remain in contention for the 2009 NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour championship.
Tough Luck For Emory … Buddy Emory (No. 02 RCS Construction Chevrolet) always wanted to race a NASCAR Whelen Modified at Martinsville but his day also ended early when he lost a motor on lap 165 Sunday at Martinsville.
The reigning NWSMT rookie of the year still remains in the top 10 in the overall point standings.
Fleming Having Fun … Frank Fleming (No. 40 Jerry Hunt Auto Sales/Pro Health Centers Pontiac) enjoyed another third-place finish on the season, this time at Martinsville. Fleming finished 11th in the Made In America Whelen 300 and also won the Coca-Cola Move of the Race Award for advancing the most spots (11) among the NWSMT regulars.
Loftin Falls Out … Brian Loftin (No. 23 L & R Transmissions/QMF Metal Solutions Chevrolet) was ready for Martinsville.
Unfortunately for the defending NWSMT champion his car wasn’t quite as ready as he suffered terminal engine damage on lap 144.
Loftin has won two Coors Light Pole Awards in 2009 and also picked up his 11th career win earlier this year at Caraway. He holds the record for the most wins in the history of the NWSMT.
Sources: Tim Southers/NASCAR WSMT PR