Southern Modified Stat Advance: Caraway
Analyzing The Charles Kepley Memorial 150
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour kicks off its ninth season of championship competition on Saturday, March 16 in the Charles Kepley Memorial 150 at Caraway Speedway near Asheboro, N.C. Below is a statistical look at the recent performance of the series and selected drivers at Caraway, as well as some other statistical trends:
Caraway Race Setup
• Seven of the 11 Whelen Southern Modified Tour drivers to win a race at Caraway are expected to be on hand for the Charles Kepley Memorial 150.
• George Brunnhoelzl III, who has eight career Caraway wins, went to Victory Lane there three times in 2012.
• Brian Loftin, also with eight Caraway victories to his credit, last won on April 7, 2012 on the .455-mile oval.
• Burt Myers has started from the pole 12 times at Caraway, but has just one victory.
• Tour rookies Dalton Baldwin, Luke Fleming, Jeremy Gerstner and Cole Powell all enter the race with at least one career tour start under their belt.
NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour At Caraway Speedway
• This is the Whelen Modified Tour’s 45th visit to the .455-mile oval near Asheboro, N.C., that boasts 13 degrees of banking in the corners with nine degrees of banking on the straightaways.
• Caraway has hosted the most Southern Modified Tour races in history with 44 – Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C., is second with eight.
• Chevrolet has won the last seven Caraway tour races dating back to an Andy Seuss win in a Dodge on Aug. 26, 2011.
• George Brunnhoelzl III has won four of the last six Caraway events, but L.W. Miller scored five consecutive wins over the 2006 and 2007 seasons.
• For seven of the track’s 11 winners, Caraway was the first of their career including Danny Bohn, Brian Loftin, Burt Myers and John Smith.
• The pole sitter has won four of the last seven Caraway events including three by Brunnhoelzl.
Caraway Data
Race: #1 of 12 (3/16/13)
Track Layout: .455-mile paved oval
Race Length: 150 laps (68.25 miles)
Records
1-Lap Qualifying: George Brunnhoelzl III, Chevrolet, 15.648 seconds, 104.678 mph, April 21, 2012
150-Lap Race: Junior Miller, Chevrolet, 44 min., 31 sec., 90.977 mph, Sept. 9, 2006
Race Winners
George Brunnhoelzl III … 8
Brian Loftin … 8
L.W. Miller … 7
Andy Seuss … 6
Junior Miller … 5
Pole Winners
Burt Myers … 12
George Brunnhoelzl III … 9
Tim Brown … 6
Brian Loftin … 6
Andy Seuss … 5
Manufacturer Wins
Chevrolet … 25
Dodge … 8
Pontiac … 7
Ford … 3
Laps Led
L.W. Miller … 1,048
Andy Seuss … 1,013
George Brunnhoelzl III … 938
Brian Loftin … 891
Ted Christopher … 506
Selected Driver Information:
J.R. Bertuccio Jr. (No. 2 Gershow Recycling Chevrolet)
• Finished 19th in his last Caraway start on April 7, 2012.
• Scored a Caraway tour-best finish of sixth on April 11, 2009.
• Led 11 laps in his SoMod Tour debut at Caraway in March 2005.
• Has 14 career Southern Modified Tour starts and 28 career Modified Tour starts.
• Finished 14th in February’s UNOH Battle At The Beach at Daytona International Speedway.
Danny Bohn (No. 65 Rustoleum/Rifenburg Construction Chevrolet)
• Earned his first tour win in his last Caraway start on Oct. 6, 2012.
• Also has scored Caraway finishes of third (July 6) and fifth (April 7) last season.
• Was 2012 Sunoco Rookie of the Year for the Whelen Southern Modified Tour.
• Was championship runner-up to George Brunnhoelzl III a season ago.
Tim Brown (No. 02 Hayes Jewelers/T&C Motorsports Chevrolet)
• Finished seventh in his last Caraway start on Oct. 6, 2012.
• Finished 13th in last year’s season opener at Caraway.
• Two-time Caraway winner last won on Sept. 27, 2008.
• Has recorded a top-10 finish in seven of his last 10 Carway starts.
George Brunnhoelzl III (No. 28 Brunnhoelzl Racing Chevrolet)
• Finished 10th in his last Caraway start in October of last year – lowest finish in last 17 starts there.
• Eight Caraway wins is tied for a tour-best with Brian Loftin.
• Has wins in four of his last six starts at the North Carolina track.
• Has started from the pole in each of his last three Caraway outings.
• Registered a top-five finish in 15 of his last 17 starts at the .455-mile oval.
• Won the Southern Modified Tour championship in 2009 and 2011 and 2012.
Kyle Ebersole (No. 5 Ebersole Excavating Ford)
• Scored a third-place finish in his last Caraway start in October of last year to establish career-best at track.
• Posted a fourth-place finish on April 21, 2012.
• Placed 24th in last year’s Caraway season opener.
Brian Loftin (No. 23 L&R Transmission/QMF Metal & Electronic Solutions Chevrolet)
• Finished second to Danny Bohn in his last Caraway start in October of last season.
• Began the 2012 campaign with a seventh-place effort at Caraway last March.
• Eight wins at Caraway is tied for the tour lead with George Brunnhoelzl III.
• Most recent win at the ,455-mile oval came on April 7, 2012.
• Won the 2008 Whelen Southern Modified Tour championship.
Burt Myers (No. 1 CitruSafe/Adams Towing & Recovery Ford)
• Finished 11th in his last Caraway start in Oct. 2012.
• Placed eighth in the Caraway season opener last year.
• Leads tour with 12 Caraway pole wins.
• Lone Caraway victory came on April 9, 2005.
• Won the 2010 Whelen Southern Modified Tour championship.
Jason Myers (No. 4 Myers Racing Ford)
• Logged a fourth-place finish in last Caraway outing in Oct. 2012.
• Registered runner-up finish to eventual tour champion George Brunnhoelzl III in the 2012 opener at Caraway.
• Career-best Caraway finish of second on two occasions – March 31, 2012 and April 21, 2007.
• Has recorded eight straight top-10 finishes at Caraway.
• Leads all tour drivers with 32 career top-10 finishes at Caraway.
Mike Norman (No. 12 Auto Solutions Magazine Ford)
• Scored a 12th-place finish after clutch problems in last Caraway start on July 6, 2012.
• Opened the 2012 season with a 20th-place finish after a Lap 129 accident.
• Career-best Caraway outing is 11th accomplished two times with the last coming on Oct. 22, 2011.
Andy Seuss (No. 11 Ideal Racing/RAHMOC Engines Chevrolet)
• Finished eighth in last Caraway start in Oct. 2012.
• Opened the 2012 season with a 17th-place showing at Caraway after an accident shortened his day.
• Has six career Caraway wins with the last coming Oct. 1, 2011.
• Leads active drivers with 1,013 laps lead at the North Carolina oval.
John Smith (No. 15 Bill Mathews Motors Ford)
• Placed ninth in last visit to Caraway in October of last year.
• Recorded a fifth-place finish in last year’s season opener at Caraway.
• Earned his only tour win on July 2, 2010 at Caraway Speedway.
• Has nine top-five and 21 top-10 finishes in 34 career Caraway starts.
Thomas Stinson (No. 7 Cowardin Jewelers Chevrolet)
• Was seventh last October in his most recent Caraway start.
• Finished 23rd in the 2012 season opener at Caraway.
• Has two top-five and seven top-10 career finishes at Caraway.
Sources: Shon Sbarra/NASCAR WSMT PR