Statistical Advance: Analyzing The Spring Classic 150 at Caraway Speedway
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour opens its 2012 season at Caraway Speedway on Sunday, March 25 with the Spring Classic 150. Below is a statistical look at the performance of selected drivers in the series:
Select Driver Highlights:
Tim Brown (No. 02 Hayes Jewelers/T&C Motorsports Chevrolet)
• Finished second in the season-ending points standings a record three times from 2006-2008.
• Has 73 career NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour starts, ranks second in top-five finishes with 41 and has 61 top-10 finishes.
• Has made 30 starts at Caraway with 24 top-10 and 15 top-five finishes.
• Has seven wins, the most recent came on Oct. 13, 2011 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
George Brunnhoelzl III (No. 09 Phoenix Pre-owned/Triad Auto Sales Chevrolet)
• The 2009 & 2011 NWSMT champion will attempt to become the first three-time champion this season.
• Owner of 11 wins, 13 poles and 42 top 10s in 56 career NWSMT starts.
• Has five wins and 18 top-10 finishes in 25 starts at Caraway. The last win was on Oct. 22, 2011 at Caraway Speedway.
• Also has five career Coors Light Pole Awards at Caraway.
Frank Fleming (No. 40 Lewisville Motors Ford)
• Is tied for the most career NWSMT starts with 85 and has only missed one race since 2005.
• Was credited with his first career win as highest finishing NWSMT driver in the UNOH Perfect Storm 150 at Bristol Motor Speedway last season.
• Has 39 starts at Caraway with 26 top-10 and 16 top-five finishes.
L.W. Miller (No. 88 Tax Slayer/Speedco Chevrolet)
• The 2007 NWSMT champion – won by 25 points over Tim Brown (1,930-1,905).
• Holds the record for most career wins with 13 in 69 starts. Most recent win at Bowman Gray Stadium on Aug. 6, 2011.
• Has a win (Martinsville) and 10 top 10s in 75 career NWMT starts.
• Has also made 13 NASCAR Nationwide Series and six NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts during his racing career.
Burt Myers (No. 1 Myers Racing Ford)
• Won the 2010 NWSMT championship.
• Holds NWSMT career records for poles (23), top fives (45) and top 10s (69).
• Has 28 top-10 finishes in 36 career starts at Caraway.
• Picked up his most recent win at Charlotte on Oct. 14, 2010.
• Missed a pair of starts last season due to an injury suffered at a non-NASCAR sanctioned race event and rebounded to finish ninth in the final point standings.
Jason Myers (No. 4 Myers Racing Ford)
• Is tied with Frank Fleming for most career NWSMT starts with 85.
• Picked up his lone win at Bowman Gray on Aug. 5, 2006.
• Has made 39 starts at Caraway with 29 top-10 finishes.
• Has 63 career top-10 finishes.
• Holds the record for consecutive NWSMT starts with 77; started every race since Martinsville on Sept. 5, 2005.
Andy Seuss (No. 11 Phoenix Pre-owned/Triad Auto Sales Chevrolet)
• Won last season at Caraway on March 14, Aug. 28, and Oct. 1. He led all 150 laps in his first two wins in March and August, respectively.
• Hampstead, N.H., native has 11 career wins, including a single-season high of four victories in 2009.
• Has 11 wins and 43 top-10 finishes in 57 career NWSMT starts.
• Has made 25 starts at Caraway with six wins and has finished in the top-10 in the past 10 races at the track.
• Also has three top-10 finishes in 24 career NWMT starts.
John Smith (No. 81 Shady Gray Racing Chevrolet)
• Has 29 career NWSMT starts at Caraway and picked up his first win at the track on July 3, 2010.
• Has 43 top-10 finishes in 64 career NWSMT starts.
• Finished in the top 10 in the final points standings four years in a row (2008-2011), with a career-best fifth last year.
Thomas Stinson (No. 7 Cowardin Jewelers Chevrolet)
• Finished second to record his best career finish in 16 starts at Caraway on April 23, 2011.
• Has 15 top-10 and five top-five finishes in 32 career NWSMT starts.
• Has finished in the top three in two of his past three starts at Caraway Speedway.
At Caraway Speedway
History
• The track was built in 1966, initially with a dirt surface, and was later paved and configured to its current size of .455-miles.
• The track has been owned and operated by Russell & Valastra Hackett and their family since 1977. Russell and Valastra handled operations from 1977-2010. In 2011, Russell’s son Darren and his wife Renee assumed day-to-day operations.
Notebook
• This will be the 40th NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour race at Caraway Speedway, the unofficial home track of the tour, and the first of five visits to the track this season.
• A total of six drivers who have visited Victory Lane in the NWSMT races at Caraway will compete this weekend. Leading the group will be L.W. Miller and Brian Loftin, who each have seven wins at the track.
Caraway Speedway Data
Race: #1 of 12 (3/25/12)
Track Layout: .455-mile paved oval
• Race Length: 125 laps (68.25 miles)
NWSMT Caraway 3/25/12 Entry List
CAR DRIVER TEAM OWNER CREW CHIEF
1 0 Greg Butcher, Mocksville, N.C. Frank Edwards Plumbing Chevrolet Frank Edwards Thomas Pendergrass
2 01 Rich Kuiken Jr., Staffordville, N.J. Flow Masters Testing & Balancing Chevrolet Rich Kuiken Sr. Rich Kuiken Sr.
3 02 Tim Brown, Cana, Va. Hayes Jewelers/T & C Motorsports Chevrolet Tommy Lythgoe Mark Ruhmann
4 07 Patrick Emerling, Orchard Park, N.Y. Emerling Chevrolet Chevrolet Patrick Emerling Patrick Emerling
5 09 George Brunnhoelzl III, West Babylon, N.Y. Phoenix Pre-Owned Chevrolet Howard Harvey George Brunnhoelzl Jr.
6 1 Burt Myers, Walnut Cove, N.C. Myers Racing Ford Philip Smith Scott Widener
7 2 J.R. Bertuccio, Centereach, N.Y. Gershow Recycling Chevrolet Joseph Bertuccio Joseph Bertuccio
8 4 Jason Myers, Walnut Cove, N.C. Myers Racing Ford Gary Myers Mike Queen
9 7 Thomas Stinson, Hampton, Va. Cowarding Jewelers Chevrolet Mark Hunter Mark Hunter
10 8 Jonathan Kievman, Deerfield Beach, Fla. A Best Forklift Chevrolet Jonathan Kievman Jason Athanas
11 9 AJ Winstead, Richmond, Va. Clarke American Sanders Chevrolet Susanne Winstead Neil Culley Jr.
12 11 Andy Seuss, Hampstead, N.H. Phoenix Pre-Owned Chevrolet Eddie Harvey Eddie Harvey
13 12 Mike Norman, Lewisville, N.C. Lewisville Motor Company Ford Mike Norman Kenny Minter
14 23 Brian Loftin, Lexington, N.C. QMF Metal & Electronic Solutions Chevrolet Bobby Loftin Will Spaugh
15 33 Gary Fountain Sr. Clermont, Fla. Fountian Motorsports Chevrolet Nanette Fountian Gary Fountain
16 37 Joe Scarbrough, Richmond, Va. Hyperion Stud Chevrolet Vicky Castegren Johnathan McLullen
17 40 Frank Fleming, Mt. Airy, N.C. Jerry Hunt Auto & Truck Sales Ford Gina Fleming Chris Fleming
18 44 Brandon Ward, Winston-Salem, N.C. Clemmons Speed Shop/Hire's Automotive Chevrolet Bryan Fishel Jim Hire
19 51 Kyle Ebersole, Hummelstown, Pa. Ebersole Excavating, Inc. Chevrolet Bob Ebersole Bob Ebersole
20 65 Danny Bohn, Freehold, NJ Rifenburg Construction/Rustoleum Chevrolet Eddie Bohn Eddie Bohn
21 77 Gary Putnam, Concord, N.C. Stock Car Steel Chevrolet Marcy Putnam Michael Larochelle
22 79 Daniel Hemric, Kannapolis, N.C. Hill Enterprises/21 Means 21/LeBleu Water Pontiac Sandra Hill David Hill
23 80 Michael Speeney, Newtown, Pa.* MRI Graphics Chevrolet Michael Speeney Bruce Hilleman
24 81 John Smith, Mount Airy, N.C. Shady Grady Racing Chevrolet Grady Jeffreys Grady Jeffreys Jr.
25 88 L.W. Miller, Dushore, Pa. TaxSlayer/Speedco Chevrolet Danny Baker Tony Templeton
26 97 Bryan Dauzat, Alexandria, La. O.B. Builders Chevrolet Bryan Dauzat Bob Rahilly
* Sunoco Rookie of the Year Contender
NWSMT Caraway 3/25/12 Schedule
Time Event
Saturday
7:30 a.m. Haulers Enter
8 a.m. Garage Opens
12-12:20 p.m. Practice
12:35-1 p.m. Final Practice
2:30 p.m. Qualifying
4 p.m. Garage Closes
Sunday
10 a.m. Garage Opens (No Engines Cranked Before Noon
11:30 a.m. Driver/Crew Chief Meeting
1:15 p.m. Driver Autograph Session
3:20 p.m. (Approx.) Driver Introductions
3:30 p.m. (Approx.) Spring Classic 150
All times ET and subject to change
Active Series Career Leaders
Wins
L.W. Miller 13
George Brunnhoelzl III 11
Brian Loftin 11
Andy Seuss 11
Junior Miller 10
Poles
Burt Myers 23
George Brunnhoelzl III 13
Brian Loftin 10
Tim Brown 9
Andy Seuss 7
Top Fives
Burt Myers 44
Tim Brown 41
L.W. Miller 37
Andy Seuss 34
Brian Loftin 33
Top 10s
Burt Myers 69
Jason Myers 63
Tim Brown 61
L.W. Miller 57
Frank Fleming 54
Laps Led
L.W. Miller 1,746
Andy Seuss 1,401
George Brunnhoelzl III 1,215
Burt Myers 1,095
Brian Loftin 886
Starts
Frank Fleming 85
Jason Myers 85
Burt Myers 82
Tim Brown 73
L.W. Miller 68
Sources: Tim Southers/NASCAR WSMT PR