Brunnhoelzl Nabs Record 20th Tour Win
Wire-To-Wire For Whelen Southern Modified Victory At Caraway
ASHEBORO, N.C. – He had to wait a day to do it, but George Brunnhoelzl III went wire-to-wire at Caraway Speedway on Saturday to score a record 20th career win in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour.
It also marks a tour leading 10th win on the .455-mile track for the three-time tour champion, who hails from West Babylon, N.Y.
The Daggett Schuler Attorneys At Law/Rusty Harpe Memorial 150 had been scheduled for Friday, but persistent rain showers led to it being postponed for 24 hours. Brunnhoelzl’s No. 28 EpoxZ/Oval Speed Chevrolet gained the pole position for the event, when qualifying was also rained out on Friday.
Brunnhoelzl’s biggest threat came late in the race when Andy Seuss challenged for the lead. He pushed Brunnhoelzl through Turn 4 on Lap 135, but spun while going for the lead a lap later – bringing out the fifth caution of the night.
Seuss made a fierce charge back to the front after the restart, taking third at the finish behind Kyle Ebersole. They were followed by Brian Loftin and Gary Putnam, with his first career top-five finish. Sixth through 10th were Burt Myers, Luke Fleming, Danny Bohn, J.R. Bertuccio and Mike Norman.
Tim Brown, who was fastest in Friday’s practice and who was third in the championship standings prior to the race, withdrew after the postponement because of his wedding on Saturday.
With his win, Brunnhoelzl extended his lead in the championship standings to 24 points over Ebersole – 226 to 202. They are followed by B. Myers at 187, Seuss at 187, Brown at 184, Jason Myers at 181, Loftin at 175, Putnam at 173, Fleming at 168 and Bohn at 167.
Prior to Saturday, Brunnhoelzl had registered the four most recent wire-to-wire wins in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour – South Boston Speedway, April 13, 2013; Charlotte Motor Speedway, Oct. 11, 2012; Caraway Speedway, July 6, 2012; and Caraway Speedway, March 31, 2012.
This event, the third of five tour visits to Caraway Speedway this season, was the fifth event on the 2013 schedule and marked a return to competition after an 11-week break.
The next race on the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour schedule will be the Bowman Gray 199 presented by Q104.1 New Country at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C., on Aug. 3.
RACE RESULTS | LAP-BY-LAP RECAP | POSTRACE AUDIO: KYLE EBERSOLE | POSTRACE AUDIO: ANDY SEUSS
NWSMT Caraway 7/6/13 Unofficial Results
Whelen Southern Modified Tour
Race: NWSMT Caraway 7/5/13
Fin Str Car Driver Team Laps Points B/Points Status
1 1 28 George Brunnhoelzl, III Epox-Z/Oval Speed Chevrolet 150 48 5 Running
2 2 5 Kyle Ebersole Ebersole Excavating Ford 150 42 Running
3 6 11 Andy Seuss Tammie Davis/Phoenix Pre-Owned Chevrolet 150 41 Running
4 7 23 Brian Loftin L&R Trans./QMF Metal & Electronics Chevrolet 150 40 Running
5 9 77 Gary Putnam Stock Car Steel Chevrolet 150 39 Running
6 5 1 Burt Myers Citrusafe/Adam’s Towing & Recovery Ford 150 38 Running
7 11 40 Luke Fleming * Koma Unwind/AutosByNelson.com Ford 150 37 Running
8 10 65 Danny Bohn Cedar Peaks/Rustoleum Chevrolet 150 36 Running
9 13 2 J.R. Bertuccio Gershow Recycling Chevrolet 150 35 Running
10 15 12 Mike Norman Perfection Exhaust/Lewisville Motors Chevrolet 150 34 Running
11 12 97 Bryan Dauzat O.B. Builders Chevrolet 131 33 Running
12 14 70 Jeremy Gerstner * GMR Complete Lawn/Fountain Mtspts. Chevrolet 119 32 Running
13 16 04 David Calabrese * Diamond Back Towing/airgraphix.com Chevrolet 115 31 Overheating
14 4 4 Jason Myers Wendell Edwards Performance Ford 100 30 Engine
15 17 44 Brandon Ward Crane & Rigging/Kevin Powell Motorsports Chevrolet 56 29 Mechanical
16 8 25 John Smith G-Oil/Shady Grady Racing Chevrolet 50 28 Engine
17 3 02 Tim Brown Hayes Jewelers/T&C Motorsports Chevrolet 0 27 DNS
RACE STATISTICS
Fastest Qualifier: None (rain).
Time of Race: 59 mins, 2 secs Average Speed: 69.368 mph Margin of Victory: .537 Seconds
Caution Flags: Laps 52-55 (Car #25 stopped on backstretch. [none]); 58-64 (Cars #97 and #44 accident in Turn 4. [12]); 76-77 (Competition – Halfway Break. [none]); 117-123 (Car #04 spin in Turn 1. [12]); 136-139 (Car #11 spin in Turn 3. [97]); 145-146 (Car #12 spin in Turn 1. [97]).[Beneficiary in brackets] 6 for 26 laps.
Lap Leaders: George Brunnhoelzl, III 1-150.
Total Laps Led: George Brunnhoelzl, III 150. 0 changes involving 1 drivers.
Top 10 Driver Points: George Brunnhoelzl, III 226, Kyle Ebersole 202, Burt Myers 187, Andy Seuss 187, Tim Brown 184, Jason Myers 181, Brian Loftin 175, Gary Putnam 173, Luke Fleming * 168, Danny Bohn 167
Next Race:Aug. 3 at Winston-Salem, N.C.
* Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender
Sources: Kevin W. Green/NASCAR WSMT PR