Southern Mod News & Notes: Langley
Ebersole In Search Of First Series Victory
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Consistency has been the key for Kyle Ebersole this season in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour.
The 22-year-old from Hummelstown, Pa., still in search of his first career victory, currently sits in second place in the championship standings, 20 points behind leader George Brunnhoelzl III. His success is due in large part to a string of strong finishes throughout the first half of the season.
Ebersole finished in third in three of the first four events, and has recorded a pair of additional podiums since, including a career-best runner-up effort of second at Caraway Speedway on July 5.
Overall, Ebersole’s four top fives and six top 10s in seven races have the young driver feeling confident as the series rolls in to Langley Speedway for the running of the Newport News Shipbuilding/Bayport Credit Union 150 this Saturday in Hampton, Va.
“I think we were kind of under the radar most of the year [in 2012],” Ebersole said. “Towards the end of the year we had some top fives and some really strong runs and just had some bad luck, so it’s been really pleasing to start off this year with all those third-place finishes and top fives.”
Ebersole looks to improve on his sixth-place finish from his only prior start at Langley, knowing that he will likely need to make his way to Victory Lane before the end of the season if he hopes to top Brunnhoelzl.
“To beat George for the championship, we’re definitely going to have to win races,” Ebersole said. “I think we have a chance to win each and every race and I’m looking forward to them, we just have to capitalize where we can.”
RACE: Newport News Shipbuilding/Bayport Credit Union 150
PLACE: Langley Speedway, Hampton, Va.
DATE: Saturday, Aug. 31
TIME: 8:00 p.m. ET
TRACK LAYOUT: .395-mile asphalt oval
2012 WINNER: Jason Myers
2012 POLE SITTER: Danny Bohn
EVENT SCHEDULE: Final Practice 2:55-3:20 p.m., Qualifying 5 p.m., Driver Autograph Session 6:15 p.m.
TRACK CONTACT: Chuck Hall, 757-865-7223, Chuck@Langley-Speedway.com
TRACK TWITTER: @LangleySpeedway
EVENT TWITTER HASHTAG: #Langley150
NASCAR CONTACT: John Tejeda, 386-500-3015, jtejeda@nascar.com; Twitter: @onthegoJT
FAST FACTS
The Race: The Newport News Shipbuilding/Bayport Credit Union 150 will be the eighth of 12 races on the 2013 NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour schedule, and the lone trip to Langley Speedway.
The Procedure: The maximum starting field will be 26 cars, including provisionals. The first 23 starting positions will be based on two-lap time trials and the remaining three will be filled through the provisional process. The race will be 150 laps (59.40 miles).
The Track: One of NASCAR’s longest operating weekly short tracks, the facility first started hosting stock car races in 1960. Current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competitor Denny Hamlin was a division champion at the track in 1990. The track played host to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races until 1960 and this will be the fourth consecutive year the track has welcomed the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour.
Race Winners: There have been three different drivers to reach Victory Lane at Langley Speedway. Tim Brown won the first tour event at the track in 2010 driving for Virginia car owner Tommy Lythgoe. Andy Seuss earned the victory in 2011 while Jason Myers brought home the win last season.
Pole Winners: Three different drivers have won the pole at Langley with Danny Bohn setting fast time last season. Burt Myers started at the point in 2011 and James Civali captured the inaugural Langley pole in 2010. Myers set the qualifying record of 15.365 seconds (91.377 mph) on Sept. 3, 2011.
LANGLEY RACE NOTES
Burt Myers to Join Century Club: Series veteran Burt Myers is set to reach another milestone in his nine year career with the series, 100 starts. The 2010 NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour champion has 10 victories – including one at Langley Speedway in 2011 – and more Coors Light Pole Awards than any other driver on the tour.
Brunnhoelzl Ready for Langley: George Brunnhoelzl III suffered a wrist injury during the tour’s combination event at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 21. X-rays revealed a severe sprain that should not keep him from competing this weekend. The current points leader was cleared by doctors and says he looks forward to improving on his career best finish at Langley, seventh, obtained during the 2011 season.
Homecoming for Virginia Drivers: Virginia natives Thomas Stinson and A.J. Winstead, both of Richmond, will head to Langley this week for the second of two races on the schedule this season in their home state. Neither made the trip to South Boston Speedway earlier in the year. Stinson has two previous appearances at Langley while Winstead plans to make his first.
HOME TRACKS: Falk Leads Late Model Division
While C.E. Falk trails only Lee Pulliam – last year’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national champion and current points leader – in the Virginia points standings, he holds a strong 49 point advantage over Nick Smith 425-374 in the Late Model Stock division at Langley Speedway. Smith swept the Twin 63s late model event at the track on Aug. 24, with Falk finishing third and second respectively. Matthew Waltz, Casey Wyatt and Greg Edwards currently round out the top five in track points.
LAST TIME OUT: Bristol Motor Speedway
The most recent NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour race was held at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway on Aug. 21. Here are some highlights from the Titan Roof 150:
Burt Myers finished ninth overall in the action-packed event and by being the highest finishing NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour regular, collected his second win this season. The victory was the 10th of Myers’ career.
Jimmy Zacharias was the only other southern tour driver to finish in the top 10 overall, following Myers across the finish line.
Tim Brown was the fastest southern tour driver in qualifying to earn his 12th career Coors Light Pole Award.
NEXT TIME OUT: Caraway
The NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour will next head to Caraway Speedway on Sunday, Sept. 8. It will be the fourth of five visits to the rural Asheboro, N.C., track this year. George Brunnhoelzl III won the last two events at the track and has won five of his last eight events there.
Sources: John Tejeda/NASCAR WSMT PR