News & Notes: Charlotte To Host ’12 Finale
Brunnhoelzl’s Third Southern Mod Crown Clinched With Start
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Although he wasn’t able to close out his third championship last week at Caraway Speedway, all that George Brunnhoelzl III needs to do is take the green flag this Thursday night Oct. 11 at the UNOH Southern Slam 150 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and he can start planning to celebrate.
Brunnhoelzl, from West Babylon, N.Y., also has more than a championship to think about this week at Charlotte as he looks to rebound from last year’s frustrating finish at CMS. Brunnhoelzl led a race-high 124 laps before Tim Brown took the lead on a late restart and held on for the win.
“A win at Charlotte is something every driver wants to have on his resume,” said Brunnhoelzl. “We had a great car and hopefully we can keep it out front again this year and I can’t think of a better way to end our season than win the UNOH Southern Slam 150.”
Although he doesn’t want to talk about the title, Brunnhoelzl knows he is about to make history on Thursday night.
“It will be a special moment and I look forward to sharing it with my family and friends at Charlotte,” Brunnhoelzl added.
While Brunnhoelzl is all but set to celebrate, there are several more points battles to be decided at CMS. Jason Myers leads Danny Bohn by just two points for second place (377-375) and Tim Brown is fourth at 360.
Andy Seuss continues his impressive run to finish the season and sits in fifth with 349 points. He leads Kyle Ebersole by just six points (343) heading into the finale.
Race Notes
Impressive Audience: The NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour will compete on the same day as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers will practice and qualify for the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte which will be held on Saturday night.
Rookies Battle Almost Decided: With his win last Saturday at Caraway Speedway, Danny Bohn remained in third-place in the standings and also remains out front in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year points standings with 375 points while Kyle Ebersole sits sixth with 343. Bohn also leads in the rookie points by 10 over Ebersole (88-78).
Another Ticket Punched For Daytona: Through the 10 races held so far this season six drivers have now earned a spot in the inaugural UNOH Battle at the Beach at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in February 2013. Bohn collected his ticket on Oct. 7 when he picked up his first career tour win at Caraway Speedway.
Christopher, Preece Return to Action: NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour veteran Ted Christopher will make his first start in a southern modified Thursday at Charlotte, while Ryan Preece will make his second start of the season as well at CMS. Christopher, who won the first tour race held in 2005, has six wins in 15 starts.
The Race: UNOH Southern Slam 150
Place: Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, N.C.
Date: Thursday, October 11, 2012
Time: 9 p.m. ET (Approx.)
Track Layout: .25-mile paved oval
2011 Winner: Tim Brown
2011 Polesitter: George Brunnhoelzl III
Event Schedule: Practice 11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; 1-1:45 p.m., Qualifying 5:05 p.m.; UNOH Southern Slam 150 8:30 p.m. (Approx.)
Track PR Contact: Scott Cooper (704) 455-3209; scooper@charlottemotorspeedway.com
Track Twitter: @CLTMotorspdwy
NASCAR IMC Contact: Tim Southers (386) 235-3634; tsouthers@nascar.com, Twitter: @tsouth1968
ENTRY LIST | RACE DAY SCHEDULE
Fast Facts
The Race: The UNOH Southern Slam 150 is the final race of 11 on the 2012 NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour schedule and the third event at the track since NASCAR began running the southern mods on the quarter-mile oval at CMS in 2010.
The Procedure: The starting field is 26 cars, including provisionals. The first 22 cars will qualify through two-lap time trials. The remaining four spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race will be 150 laps (68.25 miles) and will include a 10-minute competition caution at or near the conclusion of Lap 75.
The Track: Built in June 19, 1960, the 1.5-mile track has hosted NASCAR events ever since. The track was designed and built by Bruton Smith and Curtis Turner. The track has gone through various upgrades through the years and a state-or-the-art lighting system was installed in 1992, allowing Charlotte Motor Speedway to be the first modern superspeedway to host night auto racing. The Whelen Southern Modifieds compete on the quarter-mile track constructed along the front stretch of the speedway.
The Records: Qualifying: Andy Seuss, Oct. 13, 2011, 60.545 mph, 14.865 seconds; Race: Tim Brown, Oct. 13, 2011, 44.455 mph, 49 minutes, 30 seconds.
LAST TIME OUT: Caraway
The most recent NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour race was held at Caraway Speedway on October 6. Here are some highlights from the Mid-Atlantic Shoot-Out 150:
• Danny Bohn continued his impressive rookie campaign when passed Brian Loftin with seven laps remaining pick up his first career win in the Mid-Atlantic Shoot-Out 150. The Freehold, N.J., native now has five top-10 finish in 10 starts.
• Sunoco Rookie of the Year competitors Kyle Ebersole and Joe Scarbrough picked up career-best finishes at Caraway. Ebersole picked up his first podium finish of the season in third and Scarbrough came home sixth.
• Scarbrough used his sixth-place finish to win Coca-Cola Move of the Race honors while Ebersole collected Featherlite Most Improved Driver honors advancing 16 spots from his finish at Thompson to his third-place showing at Caraway. Bohn’s first-place finish also earned him the Sunoco Rookie of the Race Award.
NEXT TIME OUT: Celebrations and History To Be Made
Before the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour returns to action next spring, there are two major events on the offseason schedule. The Whelen Southern Modified Tour champion will be crowned as part of the NASCAR Night of Champions Awards banquet, which will include ceremonies for the seven NASCAR touring series on Saturday, Dec. 8 at the Charlotte (N.C.) Convention Center in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The inaugural UNOH Battle at the Beach will then take place Feb. 18-19 on a temporary .4-mile oval on the backstretch at Daytona International Speedway as part of 2013 Speedweeks. By virtue of wins through the Whelen Southern Modified Tour’s first 10 events, George Brunnhoelzl, Brian Loftin, Brandon Ward, Jason Myers, Andy Seuss, Danny Bohn have locked-in starting positions for the 150-lap exhibition Whelen Modified-Whelen Southern Modified Tour combination race on Feb. 19.
Sources: Tim Southers/NASCAR WSMT PR
NWSMT Charlotte 10/11/12 Entry List
CAR DRIVER TEAM OWNER CREW CHIEF
2 Tim Brown, Cana, Va. Hayes Jewelers/T & C Motorsports Chevrolet Tommy Lythgoe Mark Ruhmann
9 George Brunnhoelzl III, West Babylon, N.Y. Phoenix Pre-Owned Chevrolet Howard Harvey George Brunnhoelzl Jr.
1 Burt Myers, Walnut Cove, N.C. Citrusafe/Adams Towing Ford Philip Smith Scott Widener
4 Jason Myers, Walnut Cove, N.C. Trantham Moorefield/Wendell Edwards Ford Gary Myers Mike Queen
7 Thomas Stinson, Hampton, Va. Cowarding Jewelers Chevrolet Mark Hunter Mark Hunter
9 AJ Winstead, Richmond, Va.* Clark American Sanders Chevrolet Susanne Winstead Neil Culley Jr.
10 Johnny Sutton, Concord, N.C. TBD Chevrolet John Sutton John Sutton
11 Andy Seuss, Hampstead, N.H. Danny Gald Dodge/Phoenix Pre-Owned Chevrolet Eddie Harvey Eddie Harvey
12 Mike Norman, Lewisville, N.C. Lewisville Motor Company Ford Mike Norman Kenny Minter
25 John Smith, Mount Airy, N.C. Shady Grady Racing Chevrolet Grady Jeffreys Grady Jeffreys Jr.
37 Joe Scarbrough, Richmond, Va.* Hyperion Stud Chevrolet Vicky Castegren Johnathan McLullen
40 Frank Fleming, Mt. Airy, N.C. Lewisville Motor Co./Adams Towing Ford Gina Fleming Chris Fleming
41 Ryan Preece, Berlin, Conn. L.I. Mod Maniac, Mizzy Construction Chevrolet Jodie Preece Gerald Mocarsky
48 Jonny Kay Kievman, Deerfield Beach, Fla. A Best Forklift Chevrolet Tammi North Jason Athanas
51 Kyle Ebersole, Hummelstown, Pa.* Ebersole Excavating, Inc. Chevrolet Bob Ebersole Bob Ebersole
65 Danny Bohn, Freehold NJ* Rifenburg Construction/Rustoleum Chevrolet Eddie Bohn Eddie Bohn
70 Jeremy Gerstner, Wesley Chapel, Fla.* Milling Cleaning Services/Kooks Headers Chevrolet Dawn Gerstner Derek Silver
77 Gary Putnam, Concord, N.C. Stock Car Steel Chevrolet Marcy Putnam Michael Larochelle
79 Ted Chistopher, Plainville, Conn. Hill Enterprises, Coors Light, LaBleu Water Pontiac Sandra Hill David Hill
80 Michael Speeney, Newtown, Pa.* UNC Charlotte Motorsports Chevrolet Michael Speeney Mack Kanupp
97 Bryan Dauzat, Alexandria, La. O.B. Builders Chevrolet Bryan Dauzat Todd Cooper
* Denotes Rookie of the Year contender
NWSMT Charlotte 10/11/12 Schedule
Time Event
7:30 a.m. NWSMT Haulers Enter
8:30 a.m. NWSMT Garage Opens
8:45 a.m. NWSMT Crew Chief Meeting
9:30 a.m. NWSMT Rookie & Spotters Meeting
11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. NWSMT First Practice
1-1:45 p.m. NWSMT Final Practice
5:05 p.m. NWSMT Qualifying
6 p.m. NWSMT Drivers Meeting (In Media Center)
6:20-7:40 p.m. (Approx.) NWSMT Driver Autograph Session
8:30 p.m. (Approx.) UNOH Southern Slam 150
(Schedule subject to change)