Brunnhoelzl III Enters Showdown
Champ first to represent Mods in All-Star event
When George Brunnhoelzl III won his first NASCAR championship, one of the perks that went with being the 2009 NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour champion was a secure spot in the postseason NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown.
Brunnhoeolzl will become the first driver to represent the series in the “Daytona 500 of short-track racing” when he takes the track at the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale (Calif.) on Jan. 29-30.
“We had a great year in 2009 and I am looking forward to going out to Toyota Speedway at Irwindale and representing all of the Modified drivers in the Showdown,” Brunnhoelzl said. “I have been fortunate enough to have some experience in a stock car and look forward to racing against some of the best drivers in NASCAR.”
Brunnhoelzl, from West Babylon, N.Y., will race for Connecticut-based car owner Ted Marsh and will be teammates with former NASCAR Camping World Series standout and current RCR development driver Sean Caisse.
Brunnhoelzl will be sponsored by Whelen Engineering as well as Fibrwrap, one his primary sponsors in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour. He also enlisted the assistance from a former competitor of his from his stock-car days to help him secure a ride for the all-star event.
“I want to thank Ted Marsh, Whelen and Fibrwrap for making this all possible,” Brunnhoelzl said. “We also teamed up with Jeff Fultz Racing and his sponsors, Wearcrete Diamond Concrete Polishing, who are associated with Fultz. I also want to thank my dad for a lot of legwork in getting Oval Speed Unlimited and Heintz Performance on board with us, too.”
The NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown will be highlighted by the 225-lap NASCAR Camping World Series all-star race. In the first years, the event was limited to NASCAR Camping World Series competitors. In a move that further solidified the all-star aspect of the event, the format was changed in 2007 to open up the qualifying, while providing protected starting spots for each race winner during the 2009 Camping World Series season is eligible for a protected starting spot, and the 2009 champions from each of NASCAR’s six regional touring series and the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national champion.
In previous years, champions from the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series (Andrew Ranger and Scott Steckly) and the NASCAR Mexico Series (Antonio Perez) have competed in the showcase. As a champion, Brunnhoelzl will have spot in Saturday’s race. He will still qualify on Friday to determine his starting position.
Brunnhoelzl has previous stock-car experience in the Pro Cup Series and enjoyed several solid seasons before deciding to return to his roots in the Modified.
In his NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour championship season, Brunnhoelzl collected an astounding 13 top-five finishes in 14 races to claim the title. He capped the season with his fifth win in the season finale at Caraway Speedway in Asheboro, N.C.
In addition to eligible 2009 race winners and series champions, the starting lineup will be determined through time trials, limited provisionals for NASCAR Camping World Series regulars, and the last-chance “Open” race that provides drivers one final chance to make the grid.
The 2010 NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown schedule also includes 100-lap Whelen All-American Series Super Late Model and 75-lap Late Model races.
Both nights of racing will be televised live on SPEED and will also air live on SIRIUS NASCAR Radio.
Sources: NASCAR PR