Whelen So. Modified News & Notes: Caraway
Points Battles Tightens Up After Brunnhoelzl Win
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Four-time NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour Champion George Brunnhoelzl III’s 22nd career win couldn’t have come at a more opportune time.
Brunnhoelzl took the checkered flag in last week’s Zooland 150 at Caraway Speedway to cut Andy Seuss’s championship points lead to just nine points with two races remaining, starting with a return trip to the .455-mile oval for this Saturday’s Prestoria Farms 150.
A three-time winner this year, Seuss had a 24-point lead over Brunnhoelzl just two races ago, but Brunnhoelzl has beat him on the track in those last two outings to chop the deficit.
In last week’s Caraway contest, Brunnhoelzl was able to get past Myers on lap 85 and held off the 2010 champion on a green-white-checkered finish to end a seven-race winless streak, which was the longest drought since the period between his first and second career wins during the 2008-09 seasons.
Brunnhoelzl and Seuss have enjoyed plenty of success at Caraway in recent seasons as they have combined to win 21 of the last 30 races held at the track. Brunnhoelzl’s Zooland 150 triumph moved him back into the all-time victories lead at the track with 11. He was tied for the Caraway lead with Seuss, who finished fifth on Saturday for his first result outside the top three in the last six races at Caraway.
Not to be forgotten, Burt Myers has also injected himself into the championship picture with three wins in the last five races, including the end of a long Caraway Victory Lane drought on Sept. 5. He is now 22 points out of first.
RACE: Prestoria Farms 150
PLACE: Caraway Speedway, Sophia, N.C.
DATE: Saturday, October 4
TIME: 8 p.m. ET
TRACK LAYOUT: .455-mile banked asphalt oval
2013 WINNER: George Brunnhoelzl III
2013 POLESITTER: George Brunnhoelzl III
EVENT SCHEDULE: Practice 4-4:50 p.m., Qualifying 5:45 p.m., Driver Autograph Session 6:15 p.m.
TRACK CONTACT: Renee Hackett, 336-629-5803 or 336-302-5803, renee@carawayspeedway.com
TRACK TWITTER: @CarawaySpeedway
EVENT HASHTAGS: #PrestoriaFarms150
NASCAR CONTACT: Tim Southers, 386-235-3634, tsouthers@nascar.com, Twitter: @tsouth1968
EVENT INFORMATION
Fast Facts
The Race: The Prestoria Farms 150 is the 13th race on the 2014 schedule for the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour, now in its 10th season. It will be the 53rd running of the tour at Caraway Speedway.
The Procedure: The maximum starting field is 26 cars, including provisionals. The first 23 cars will qualify through two-lap time trials. The remaining three spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race is scheduled for 150 laps (68.25 miles) with teams having an opportunity to pit and change one tire during the event.
The Track: Caraway Speedway is a .455-mile banked asphalt oval located in rural Sophia, North Carolina. The facility opened in 1966 with a dirt racing surface and was paved in 1972. Caraway, which features NASCAR Whelen All-American Series-sanctioned events on Saturday nights throughout the racing season, has hosted more NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour events than any other track in the tour’s history.
Race Winners: There have been 11 different winners across the 52 previous Whelen Southern Modified Tour events at Caraway, led by George Brunnhoelzl III with 11 wins. Andy Seuss is second with 10 wins.
Pole Winners: Seven different drivers have earned Coors Light Pole Awards at Caraway since the inaugural event in 2005. Burt Myers leads that contingent with 13. Brunnhoelzl holds the track qualifying record at 15.648 seconds and 104.678 mph, set on April 21, 2012.
Caraway Race Notes
Back-to-Back at Caraway: Due to a rain-out on April 19, the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour will compete at Caraway Speedway on consecutive weeks for the first time since the beginning of the 2012 season. Last week’s regularly scheduled Zooland 150 and this week’s postponed Prestoria Farms 150 will mark the 15th time in tour history overall that the North Carolina facility has held back-to-back events.
Measmer Wins Another Rookie of the Race Award: Bobby Measmer Jr. earned his third Sunoco Rookie of the Race Award in the last four events when he finished ninth in last week’s Zooland 150. Measmer’s first top-10 finish since April secured his fourth rookie of the race award overall, which matches rookie leader Spencer Davis and second-place Joe Ryan Osborne. With two races remaining on the schedule, Davis leads Osborne by just two points (108-106) with Measmer third at 102 points.
Loftin Enjoys Solid Day at Caraway: Brian Loftin enjoyed his strongest run at Caraway in almost two years winning the pole for the Zooland 150 for his first top starting spot in a race since 2011 and he finished eighth in the race. Loftin has scored eight of his 12 career tour wins at Caraway with six of those wins coming between the 2005-08 seasons.
Jason Myers Still Looking for First Win of Season: Jason Myers is the lone full-time driver who scored a win in 2013 that has yet to visit Victory Lane in 2014. Myers’ last win came in the 2014 season opener at Caraway.
Last Time Out: Caraway
The 12th race of the 2014 NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour season took place on Sept. 20 at Caraway Speedway. Here are some highlights from the Zooland 150:
• George Brunnhoelzl III became the fourth driver this season to pick up multiple wins, joining Andy Seuss (3), Burt Myers (3) and J.R. Bertuccio (2).
• Brian Loftin earned the Coors Light Pole Award for the first time this season, and 13th of his career. Nine of his pole awards have come at Caraway.
• Bobby Measmer Jr. led all rookies with a ninth place finish to win Sunoco Rookie of the Race honors. Joe Ryan Osborne followed in 10th and leading rookie contender Spencer Davis was 13th.
Next Time Out: Charlotte
After this week’s race at Caraway Speedway, the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour will crown its champion for the fourth time in the past five seasons at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s .25-mile frontstretch oval. Seuss is looking for his first championship while Brunnhoelzl is attempting to win his fifth. Burt Myers is also in the mix, going after his second crown.
NWSMT Caraway 10/4/14 Schedule
Time Event
12:45 p.m. Crew Chief Meeting
12:50 p.m. Garage Opens
2:30 p.m. Rookie Driver/Spotter Meeting
4-4:50 p.m. NWSMT First Practice
5:45 p.m. Qualifying
6:15 p.m. Driver Autograph Session
6:50 p.m. Driver/Crew Chief Meeting
8 p.m. Prestoria Farms 150 (150 laps/68.25 miles)
NWSMT Caraway 10/4/14 Entry List
CAR DRIVER/HOMETOWN TEAM OWNER CREW CHIEF
1 Burt Myers, Walnut Cove, N.C. Citrusafe /Adams Towing & Recovery Ford Kim Myers Ronnie Holbrook Jr.
2 JR Bertuccio, Centereach, N.Y. Gershow Recycling Chevrolet Joe Bertuccio, Sr. Joe Bertuccio
4 Jason Myers, Walnut Cove, N.C. Adams Towing & Recovery Ford Gary Myers Mike Queen
5 Kyle Ebersole, Hummelstown, Pa. Ebersole Excavating Ford Bob Ebersole Bob Ebersole
11 Andy Seuss, Hampstead, N.H. Northeast Race Cars/Ideal Finance Chevrolet Eddie Harvey Eddie Harvey
12 Mike Norman, Lewisville, N.C. TriCity Trading/DMC Auto Exchange Chevrolet Donna Norman Charlie Fulchem
15 Joe Ryan Osborne, Holland, Pa. * Pinnacle Trucking/RTX/Osborne Const. Chevrolet Grady Jeffreys, Jr. Grady Jeffreys Sr.
23 Brian Loftin, Lexington, N.C. L&R Transmissions/QMF Metal Chevrolet Bobby Loftin Mike Adams
28 George Brunnhoelzl, III, West Babylon, N.Y. Composite Tech./Performance Tech. Chevrolet George Brunnhoelzl, Jr. George Brunnhoelzl Jr.
40 Luke Fleming, Mount Airy, N.C. AutosByNelson.com/Koma Unwind Chevrolet Gina Fleming Frank Fleming
43 David Calabrese, Toms River, N.J. DiamondBack Towing/Dunleavy Truck & Trailer Repair Chev. Michael Calabrese Bobby Foley
51 Bobby Measmer, Jr., Concord, N.C. * Powerhouse Recycling Chevrolet Bob Dillner Ernie Mayo
65 Danny Bohn, Freehold, N.J. Rustoleum/Cedar Peaks Enterprises Pontiac Eddie Bohn Eddie Bohn
73 Cole Powell, Mount Brydges, Ont. Copp’s BuildAll/Tricar Chevrolet Todd Powell Todd Powell
77 Gary Putnam, Vernon, Conn. Curb Records Chevrolet Mike Curb Donald Tarantino
79 Spencer Davis, Dawsonville, Ga. * Coors Light 21 Means 21/Hillbilly Racing Pontiac Susan Hill Jason Shephard
80 Daniel Speeney, Newtown, Pa. www.limitlesswalls.com Chevrolet Michael Speeney Michael Speeney
* – Denotes Rookie of the Year Contender
Sources: Tim Southers, NASCAR PR