Southern Mods Stat Advance: Caraway
Analyzing The Mid-Atlantic Shoot-Out 150 At Caraway Speedway
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour will hold its penultimate race of the 2012 season on Saturday, Sept. 29 at Caraway Speedway with the running of the Mid-Atlantic Shoot-Out 150. Below is a statistical look at the performance of selected drivers in the series:
Caraway Race Setup
• The Mid-Atlantic Shoot-Out 150 will be the fifth race at Caraway Speedway this season and the 44th in NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour history.
• There have been five different winners in 10 races this season. Previous winners are George Brunnhoelzl III (Caraway 3/31/12; 4/21/12; 7/6/12; Bowman Gray 8/4/12; Bristol 8/22/12); Brian Loftin (Caraway 4/7/12); Brandon Ward (South Boston 4/14/12); Jason Myers (Langley (9/1/12); and Andy Seuss (Thompson (9/9/12).
• Seuss is the defending race winner of the Mid-Atlantic Shoot-Out 150.
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.
Caraway Data
Race: #10 of 11 overall, #5 of 5 at Caraway
Track Layout: .455-mile asphalt oval
• Race Length: 150 laps (68.25 miles)
• Banking/Corners: 13 degrees
• Banking/Straights: nine degrees
Qualifying/Race Data
Qualifying Record: George Brunnhoelzl III, April 21, 2012, (15.648 seconds, 104.678 mph)
Race Record: Junior Miller, Sept. 9, 2012, (44 minutes, 30 seconds, 90.977 mph)
2011 Pole Winner: George Brunnhoelzl III
2011 Race Winner: Andy Seuss
Active Series Career Leaders
Wins
George Brunnhoelzl III … 16
L.W. Miller … 13
Brian Loftin … 12
Andy Seuss … 12
Junior Miller … 10
Poles
Burt Myers … 24
George Brunnhoelzl III … 16
Brian Loftin … 10
Tim Brown … 10
Andy Seuss … 7
Top Fives
Burt Myers … 45
Tim Brown … 44
L.W. Miller … 41
Andy Seuss … 38
Brian Loftin … 35
Top 10s
Burt Myers … 75
Jason Myers … 70
Tim Brown … 66
L.W. Miller … 61
Frank Fleming … 57
Laps Led
George Brunnhoelzl III … 1,979
L.W. Miller … 1,748
Andy Seuss … 1,453
Burt Myers … 1,130
Brian Loftin … 1,009
Starts
Frank Fleming … 94
Jason Myers … 94
Burt Myers … 90
Tim Brown … 81
L.W. Miller … 75
Select Driver Highlights:
Danny Bohn (No. 51 Rifenburg/Rustoleum Chevrolet)
• Is competing for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors this season.
• Has four top-five finishes in nine career starts, highlighted by third-place finishes at South Boston Speedway on April 14, 2012 and Caraway Speedway on July 6, 2012. He also was credited with a second-place finish (seventh-overall) among NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour competitors in the UNOH Perfect Storm 150 at Bristol Motor Speedway, a combination race with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.
• Won his first Coors Light Pole Award at Langley Speedway on Sept. 1, 2012
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 44 top-fives and 66 top-10 finishes in 81 career starts.
• Has seven wins, the last on Oct. 13, 2011 on the quarter mile at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
• Has made 33 starts at Caraway with 26 top-10 and 16 top-five finishes
George Brunnhoelzl III (No. 09 Phoenix Pre-owned Chevrolet)
• The 2009 and 2011 NWSMT champion – attempting to become the first three-time champion and has won five of nine race this season.
• Owner of 16 wins, 16 poles and 50 top 10s in 65 career NWSMT starts.
• Has eight wins and 22 top-10 finishes in 29 starts at Caraway. The last win was on July 6, 2012 at Caraway.
• Has won nine career Coors Light Pole Awards at Caraway.
Kyle Ebersole (No. 51 Ebersole Excavating Chevrolet)
• Competing for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors this season.
• Has two top-five and five top-10 finishes in nine career starts, highlighted by a pair of fourth-place finishes, the most recent coming at Caraway on April 21, 2012.
Frank Fleming (No. 40 AutosbyNelson.com Ford)
• Is tied for the most career NWSMT starts with 94. Has missed just one race since 2005.
• Was credited with his first career win as the highest finishing NWSMT driver last season in the Bristol combo race.
• Has more than 50 career wins at his home track, Bowman Gray.
• Has made 43 starts at Caraway with 27 top-10 and 16 top-five finishes.
• Brother, Chris Fleming, serves as his crew chief and also competes full-time in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series modified division at Bowman Gray.
Burt Myers (No. 1 Adams Towing Ford)
• Won the 2010 NWSMT championship.
• Holds NWSMT records for poles (24), top fives (45) and top 10s (75).
• Myers has 31 top-10 finishes in 40 career starts at Caraway.
• Picked up his most recent win at Charlotte on Oct. 14, 2010.
Jason Myers (No. 4 Moorefield & Trantham Ford)
• Is tied with Frank Fleming for most career NWSMT starts with 93 and has 70 career top-10 finishes.
• Owner of two wins. He ended a 71-race winless streak winning at Langley Speedway on Sept. 1, 2012 after he scored his first win at Bowman Gray on Aug. 5, 2006.
• Has made 43 starts at Caraway with 33 top-10 finishes.
• Holds the record for consecutive NWSMT starts with 86. Has started every race since Martinsville on Sept. 5, 2005.
Cole Powell (No. 73 Copp’s Tricar Chevrolet)
• Lone competitor from Canada on the tour has three top-10 finishes in four career starts, highlighted by a third-place finish at Bowman Gray Stadium on Aug. 3, 2012.
• Made his 2012 debut at Caraway in July and finished 17th, his only finish outside the top-10 this season.
Gary Putnam (No. 77 Stock Car Steel Chevrolet)
• New England native has 18 career starts, highlighted by an eighth-place finish at Langley on Sept. 1, 2012.
• Works full-time at Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing as car chief for the Sprint Cup Series No. 1 car.
• Served at crew chief for Ryan Newman’s entry at Bristol Motor Speedway on Aug. 22, 2012.
Andy Seuss (No. 11 RahMoc Racing Engines Chevrolet)
• Has 12 wins and 49 top-10 finishes in 66 career NWSMT starts.
• Won this race at Caraway last season after starting second.
• Has made 29 starts at Caraway with six wins.
• Also has four top-10 finishes in 27 career NWMT starts.
John Smith (No. 25 Shady Grady Racing Chevrolet)
• Has 48 top-10 finishes in 72 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.
• Has 33 career NWSMT starts at Caraway and picked up his lone tour win at the track on July 3, 2010.
• Works full-time at Richard Childress Racing.
Thomas Stinson (No. 7 M&M Painting/Cowardin Jewelers Chevrolet)
• Has 19 top 10s in 40 career starts.
• Finished second at Caraway on April 23, 2011 for his best career finish on the tour.
Up To Speed:
• George Brunnhoelzl III picked up where he left off at Caraway Speedway last fall as he won the season-opening Spring Classic 150 on March 31. It was his fourth win in his past six starts at Caraway. Gary Fountain Sr. picked up his first career top-10 finish on the tour.
• Brian Loftin scored an emotional win when he captured the checkered flag in the Farm Bureau Insurance 150 at Caraway on April 7. It was the Lexington, N.C., driver’s 12th career win overall and record eighth at the track.
• Brandon Ward outdueled Brunnhoelzl to become the 17th winner in NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour history when he took the checkered flag at the South Boston 150. Ward is also the first driver to pick up his first career win since Frank Fleming was credited with a win as the highest finishing NWSMT driver in the 2011 Bristol combination race.
• Brunnhoelzl became the first repeat winner of the season when he won the Parking Lot Maintenance Headquarters 150 at Caraway on April 21. Brunnhoelzl also won the season-opening Spring Classic 150 on March 31 at Caraway Speedway. It was his fifth win in his past seven starts at Caraway. Michael Speeney picked up his first career top-five finish on the tour.
• Brunnhoelzl won his third consecutive pole award and led every lap en route to his third win of the season and second in a row at Caraway on Friday, July 6. It was his sixth win in his past eight starts at the track. Danny Bohn tied his career best finish of third while Jon McKennedy finished sixth in his first start driving for Hillbilly Racing replacing Daniel Hemric who started the season in the car.
• Brunnhoelzl continued his hot streak during the 2012 season as he passed pole-sitter Burt Myers on Lap 26 and remained out front the rest of the way to record his first tour win at Bowman Gray Stadium. Brunnhoelzl also built to his point lead. Canadian Cole Powell finished third in just his second career start on the tour.
• Brunnhoelzl once again was the class of the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified field in the UNOH Perfect Storm 150 combination race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Brunnhoelzl, who also led the division in the inaugural event in 2009, finished sixth overall to get credit for the win as the highest finishing southern regular and picked up his fifth win in seven races this season.
• In one of the more popular wins this season, Jason Myers ended a 71-race winless streak with his win at Langley Speedway. Myers, who picked up his only other career win on the tour at South Boston Speedway on Aug. 5, 2006, passed Tim Brown on Lap 116 and held off Frank Fleming for the victory. The win also moved Myers into second place in the point standings – 44 behind Brunnhoelzl – with three races remaining.
• Andy Seuss ended a winless streak that dated back to last October when he finally had something to smile about after winning the win at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway. The win ended a frustrating stretch to his season that features several DNF’s due to getting caught up in accidents.
Sources: Tim Southers/ NASCAR WSMT PR