Silk Weathers Storm In Thunder Valley
Takes Checkered Flag In Whelen Modified Race At Bristol
BRISTOL, Tenn. — Ron Silk took a big step toward getting a chance to defend his NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship Wednesday with a win in the UNOH Perfect Storm 150.
It was Silk's second win of the season and first in the annual combination race between the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour on the track known as "The World's Fastest Half Mile." It was also the first victory for a driver running a NASCAR-approved SPEC motor on either Modified tour.
Todd Szegedy finished second, followed by Ryan Preece, Justin Bonsignore and Ron Yuhas Jr.
George Brunnhoelzl III was the top finishing NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour driver in sixth. The tour's points leader is credited with a win, his fourth straight and fifth overall.
Silk's finish combined with a late-race accident involving Whelen Modified Tour points leader Doug Coby allowed Silk to cut 14 points off Coby's lead. With five races left, the advantage is down to 27 as Coby's run of seven straight top-three finishes ended with a 17th-place finish.
Earlier in the day, Silk won the Coors Light Pole Award. The race was aired live on SPEED.
Rookie Danny Bohn was seventh, followed by Ken Heagy, Thomas Stinson and rookie Michael Speeney.
Brunnhoelzl leads Bohn by 52 points in the Whelen Southern Modified Tour standings with four races remaining.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Ryan Newman, who won the last two Bristol events, was involved in an accident on the opening laps and ended up 19th overall.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will return to the track Sept. 9 at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway for the Town Fair Tire 75, while the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour will race Sept. 1 in the Langley 150 at Langley Speedway in Hampton, Va.
RESULTS | LAP-BY-LAP RECAP | AUDIO: TODD SZEGEDY POST-RACE COMMENTS | AUDIO: RYAN PREECE POST-RACE COMMENTS | AUDIO: RON SILK POST-RACE COMMENTS
Race: NWMT Bristol 8/22/12
Fin Str Car Driver Team Laps Points B/Points Status
1 1 6 Ron Silk Calverton Tree Farm/TS Haulers Chevrolet 150 47 4 Running
2 3 2 Todd Szegedy Dunleavy Repair/A&J Romano Const. Ford 150 44 2 Running
3 6 16 Ryan Preece East-West Marine Ford 150 41 Running
4 12 51 Justin Bonsignore M3 Technology Chevrolet 150 40 Running
5 22 64 Ron Yuhas, Jr. DreamRide.org/Hughes Motors Chevrolet 150 39 Running
6 10 09 George Brunnhoelzl III Phoenix Pre-Owned Chevrolet 150 43S Running
7 31 65 Danny Bohn * Rifenburg Construction/Rustoleum Chevrolet 150 42S Running
8 29 18 Ken Heagy Buoy One Seafood/MacLad Drywall Supply Chevrolet 150 38 Running
9 35 7 Tom Stinson Cowardin Jewelers/M&M Painting Chevrolet 150 41S Running
10 33 80 Michael Speeney * MRI Graphics/Presto Painters Tape Chevrolet 150 40S Running
11 27 48 Jonny Kievman A Best Forklift Chevrolet 150 39S Running
12 5 79 Jon McKennedy Hill Enterprises/Coors Light/Mtn. River Trucking 149 37 Running
13 8 58 Eric Goodale Riverhead Building Supply Chevrolet 149 36 Running
14 25 51 Kyle Ebersole * Ebersole Excavating Inc. Chevrolet 147 38S Running
15 9 88 Bryon Chew Buzz Chew Chevrolet/Elbow East Chevrolet 147 35 Running
16 34 99 Jamie Tomaino Supreme Manufacturing Chevrolet 146 34 Running
17 13 52 Doug Coby Reynolds Auto Wkng/Furnace & Duct Chevrolet 138 33 Running
18 30 46 Eric Berndt Cape Cod Agts/North End Auto Parts Chevrolet 138 32 Running
19 7 77 Ryan Newman Menards/Aggressive Hydraulics Chevrolet 130 37S Running
20 28 4 Jason Myers Trantham Moorefield/Wendell Edwards Ford 122 36S Running
21 18 45 Eric Beers Horwith Freightliner/John Blewett, Inc Ford 119 31 Running
22 16 73 Cole Powell * Copp's Tricar/Fountain Motorsports Chevrolet 116 35S Accident
23 2 4 Donny Lia Mystic Missile Racing Dodge 116 30 Running
24 20 76 Jimmy Blewett John Blewett Inc/Atlantic Sprinkler Chevrolet 114 29 Accident
25 11 07 Patrick Emerling Emerling Chevrolet Chevrolet 108 28 Running
26 4 3 Ted Christopher Cape Cod Copper/Silver Dollar Const Chevrolet 105 28 1 Accident
27 32 28 Ed Flemke, Jr. Ron Bouchard Auto/RaceWorks TV Chevrolet 101 26 Accident
28 23 11 Andy Seuss RAHMOC Racing Engines/Phoenix Pre-Owned 101 34S Running
29 15 40 Frank Fleming Autos By Nelson/Jerry Hunt Auto Sales/Perkins Ford 56 33S Running
30 26 33 Gary Fountain Sr. * Andy Petree Racing Chevrolet 49 32S Accident
31 36 33 Wade Cole Performance Engines/Kendall Oil/Ryan's Oil Chevrolet 24 25 Running
32 14 1 Burt Myers Enforcer One Ext/Citrusafe/Adams Towing Ford 3 31S Accident
33 24 66 Mike Stefanik Canto Paving/Robert B. Our Const./Ed Marceau Ford 3 24 Accident
34 19 93 Rowan Pennick Monk Mechanics Hand Cleaner Chevrolet 3 23 Accident
35 21 25 John Smith Havoline Plus Svc/Shady Grady Rcng Chevrolet 3 30S Accident
36 17 02 Tim Brown Hayes Jewelers/T&C Motorsports Chevrolet 3 29S Accident
RACE STATISTICS
Fastest Qualifier: Ron Silk, Time: 15.067 Seconds, Speed: 126.634 mph
Failed to Qualify: Joe Scarbrough, Bryan Dauzat, Carl Long
Time of Race: 1 hrs., 16 mins, 34 secs Average Speed: 62.299 mph Margin of Victory: .864 Seconds
Caution Flags: Laps 4-9 (13 Car accident on frontstretch); 41-47 (Car #33 spins in Turn 4); 52-57 (Car #33 spins on frontstretch); 62-67 (Car #3 spins in
Turn 4); 76-80 (Competition caution); 103-111 (Car #28 spins on backstretch); 117-125 (Car #4N spins and Car #76 spins in Turn 2);
127-132 (Car #3 spins in Turn 2). 8 for 54 laps.
Lap Leaders: Ron Silk GRID, Todd Szegedy 1-12, Ted Christopher 13-58, Todd Szegedy 59-126, Ron Silk 127-150.
Total Laps Led: Todd Szegedy 80, Ted Christopher 46, Ron Silk 24. 4 changes involving 3 drivers.
Top 10 NWMT Driver Points: Doug Coby 383, Ron Silk 356, Ryan Preece 336, Todd Szegedy 314, Donny Lia 312, Jimmy Blewett 312, Justin Bonsignore 294, Eric Beers 292, Ted Christopher 291, Mike Stefanik 290
Top 10 NWSMT Driver Points: George Brunnhoelzl III 314, Danny Bohn 262, Jason Myers 258, Tim Brown 241, Kyle Ebersole 239, Burt Myers 238, Frank Fleming 230, Andy Seuss 224, Speeney 223, L.W. Miller 221.
* Denotes Rookie of the Year Contender
Sources: Jason Christley/NASCAR WMT PR