Staistical Advance: Analyzing The Firecracker 150
Daytona Beach, FL — The sixth season of the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour continues this weekend when the tour returns to Caraway Speedway for the Firecracker 150.
At Caraway Speedway:
History
• Since the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour formed in 2005, there have been 65 races in the history of the series.
• This will be the 31st NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour race at the track.
• The track was built in 1966 initially as a dirt track and was later paved and configured to its current size of .455-miles in length.
• The track has been owned and operated by Russell & Valastra Hackett and their family since 1977.
Notebook
• A total of four drivers who have visited Victory Lane in the NWSMT races at Caraway will compete this weekend. Leading the group will be Brian Loftin, who holds the record for most wins at the track with seven.
• Burt Myers holds the career record for the most Coors Light Pole awards at the track with 11 and won the pole at Caraway earlier this year.
• Caraway Speedway will also host the tour on Aug. 28.
Caraway Speedway Data
Race: # 4 of 10 (7-2-10)
Track Layout: .455-mile oval
Banking: semi-banked paved oval
Race Length: 150 laps/68.25 miles
Has hosted more Tour races than any other track.
Has one of the longest NASCAR sanctioning affiliations.
Qualifying/Race Data
2009 pole winner: Andy Seuss
2009 race winner: George Brunnhoelzl III (63.579 mph, 1:03:52)
Track qualifying record: George Brunnhoelzl III (102.844 mph, 15.752 seconds, 4/11/09)
Track race record (150 L): Tim Brown (90.977 mph, 44:31 min., 9-9-06)
NWSMT Active Win Leaders
1. Brian Loftin … 7
2. L.W. Miller … 6
3. Junior Miller … 5
4. Ted Christopher … 3
4. George Brunnhoelzl III … 3
4. Andy Seuss … 3
7. Tim Brown … 2
NWSMT Active Pole Leaders
1. Burt Myers … 11
2. Tim Brown … 5
3. Brian Loftin … 4
4. George Brunnhoelzl III … 3
5. Andy Seuss … 2
Selected Driver Highlights:
Zach Brewer (No. 11 Chevrolet)
• North Carolina driver is no stranger to competing in the NASCAR Touring program. Won races at Atlanta and Bristol Motor Speedways driving former Goody’s Series cars.
• Has 11 career starts at Caraway Speedway with a career-best finish of fifth on March 14, 2010.
• Made six starts in 2009 with two top-10 finishes.
• Won his first career Coors Light Pole award at South Boston in April.
Tim Brown (No. 83 Chevrolet)
• Brown has finished second in the season-ending points standings a record three times from 2006-2008.
• Has 53 career starts on the NWSMT and is tied for the lead in career top-fives with 34 and has 45 top-10 finishes.
• Has five wins on the NWSMT with his most recent coming in 2008 at Caraway Speedway.
• Brown works full time for Michael Waltrip Racing.
James Civali (No. 79 Pontiac)
• Enters this weekend as the points leader on the tour with 18-point lead over Andy Seuss (505-487).
• Was the 2006 Sunoco Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.
• Has five career starts on the NWSMT with his first win coming at South Boston in April.
• His best finish at Caraway was third this past March.
Bryan Dauzat (No. 97 Chevrolet)
• Lone Louisiana native who competes full time on the NWSMT.
• Has made nine career starts at Caraway with a personal best of 10th-place coming in the Fall Classic last October.
• Made 10 starts in 2009 finishing 12th in the final points standings and collected his first top-five finish on the tour at Bowman Gray Stadium last August.
• Owns his own business: O.B. Builders.
Buddy Emory (No. 02 Chevrolet)
• 2008 Sunoco Rookie of the Year in the NWSMT.
• Started 12 races in 2009 highlighted by his first podium finish of third at Myrtle Beach Speedway last September.
• Has 12 starts at Caraway Speedway with a seventh-place finish coming last July as his best showing to date.
• Has 11 career top-10 finishes in 29 starts since 2007.
Frank Fleming (No. 40 Ford)
• Tied for first for most career starts in the series with 64 in the NWSMT. Has only missed one race on the tour since 2005.
• Has finished second seven times with his most recent runner-up finish coming at Caraway Speedway last July.
• Is one of just two drivers to start every NWSMT race (30) held at Caraway. Has finished second five times at the track with 14 top-five and 22 top-10 finishes.
• Finished in the top 10 in 11 of 14 starts in 2009.
• Has over 50 wins at his home track of Bowman Gray Stadium.
• Brother, Chris Fleming, serves as his crew chief.
Brandon Hire (No. 44 Chevrolet)
• Returning to the NWSMT full time this season after missing last year with a broken leg.
• Has made 10 starts at Caraway with one top-five finish in 2007.
• Has 20 career starts on the tour with a career-best fifth place at Caraway Speedway in 2007.
Brian Loftin (No. 23 Chevrolet)
• 2008 NWSMT Champion. Won by 30 points over Tim Brown (1,780-1,750).
• Holds the record for most wins at Caraway with seven. Also has 22 top-10 and 19 top-five finishes.
• Holds the record for most consecutive top-five finishes at Caraway with seven from 2007-2009.
• Holds records for most wins (11), consecutive races won (3) and shares the record for winning a race wire-to-wire (Bowman Gray, 2008).
• Has 40 top-10 finishes is 59 career starts on the NWSMT since 2005.
• Currently in second place for most career Coors Light Pole awards with nine.
• Finished fourth in the Spring Classic 150 at Caraway in March.
L.W. Miller (No. 36 Pontiac)
• 2007 NWSMT Champion. Won by 25 points over Tim Brown (1,930-1,905).
• Is second in wins at Caraway with six. Four of these wins came all in a row during his championship season.
• Sits in second place for most career wins with 10 in 47 starts.
• Has 74 NWMT career starts.
• Has finished second in the past two NWSMT races in 2010 (South Boston in April and Caraway in March)
Burt Myers (No. 1 Ford)
• Most decorated driver in the history of the NWSMT to have not won a championship. Holds NWSMT records for most Coors Light Pole Awards (22), most top-10s (51), top-fives (34), and most consecutive starts (48).
• Has made 29 starts at Caraway with one win and 13 top-five and 22 top-10 finishes.
• Holds the record for the most Coors Light Pole Awards at Caraway with 11.
• Has raced with his brother Jason in the NWSMT since 2005.
Jason Myers (No. 4 Ford)
• Tied with Frank Fleming for most career starts on the NWSMT with 64.
• Joins Frank Fleming as the only driver to start all 30 NWSMT races at Caraway.
• Has 10 top-five and 20 top-10 finishes at Caraway with a runner-up finish coming back in 2007.
• Picked up his lone win on the tour at Bowman Gray Stadium in 2006.
• Has 45 top-10 finishes since 2005.
Mike Norman (No. 12 Ford)
• Will compete full-time this season on the tour competing for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors.
• Won rookie of the race award in the season opener at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
• Drives a car owned by the legendary Myers family.
• Finished 18th in the season-opening race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Gene Pack (No. 31 Chevrolet)
• Career-best finish of second at Martinsville Speedway in 2006 as second-highest finishing full-time NWSMT competitor at combination event.
• Has made 26 starts at Caraway with his best finishes a pair of sixth-place showings in 2009 and 2006, respectively.
• Enjoyed most successful season to date in 2009 with seven top-10 finishes and two top-five showings in 13 starts.
• Holds two track championships at Bowman Gray Stadium in the Sportsman Division.
• Finished ninth in the Spring Classic 150 in March at Caraway.
Gary Putnam (No. 77 Chevrolet)
• Has started all three races in 2010 with a pair of top-20 finishes.
• Works full-time as car chief for Earnahrdt-Ganassi Racing with Jamie McMurray.
• Finished 13th at Caraway Speedway in the Spring Classic 150 in March.
Andy Seuss (No. 47 Dodge)
• Most recent winner at Caraway, taking the checkered flag in the Spring Classic 150 in March.
• Hampstead, N.H., native won four times in 2009.
• Has made 17 career starts at Caraway with three wins, nine top fives and 11 top 10s.
• Has 23 top-10 finishes in 33 career starts and a total of six wins.
• Picked up wins at Lanier, South Boston, Myrtle Beach, Music City (Nashville), Caraway and Ace Speedways.
• Commutes regularly from New Hampshire to drive in the NWSMT and also competes in the NWMT when his schedule permits.
John Smith (No. 25 Chevrolet)
• Has 27 top-10 finishes in 43 career NWSMT starts.
• Made 13 starts in 2009 with nine top-10 finishes highlighted by a second-place showing at the season-ending Fall Classic 150 at Caraway.
• Has made 21 starts at Caraway with three top-five and 12 top-10 finishes.
• Finished eighth in the Spring Classic 150 in March.
• One of four drivers to finish in the top 10 in all three races so far in 2010. (The others are James Civali, Tim Brown and Zach Brewer).
Up To Speed:
• This will be the second of six NWSMT races to be held in the state of North Carolina this year. Charlotte Motor Speedway, Bowman Gray Stadium and Tri-County Motor Speedway will host the remaining events in the Tar Heel State.
• The NWSMT has crowned four different champions: Junior Miller (2005, 2006), L.W. Miller (2007), Brian Loftin (2008), and George Brunnhoelzl III (2009).
Upcoming Milestones/Benchmarks:
• L.W. Miller’s next win would place him in a tie with Brian Loftin for the all-time series wins list with 11.
• James Civali can become just the fifth driver in the history of the NWSMT to win back-to-back races if he wins this weekend at Caraway. L.W. Miller, Brian Loftin, George Brunnhoelzl III and Junior Miller are the only other drivers in the history of the tour win consecutive events.
• Frank Fleming and Jason Myers can add to their record for most starts at Caraway with career Caraway start No. 31 this Friday night.