Whelen So. Modified Stat Advance: Charlotte
Analyzing The Southern Slam 150 At Charlotte Motor Speedway
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The 2014 NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour season will conclude Thursday when the tour returns to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Southern Slam 150. This is the fifth consecutive year the tour will compete on the .25-mile track located on the frontstretch of the facility. Below is a statistical look at the performance of selected drivers at the track:
Southern Slam 150 Setup:
• Andy Seuss was able to build his points lead to 17 (544-527) over George Brunnhoelzl III after he finished fourth last weekend at Caraway Speedway. Seuss needs to just finish in the top 12 to clinch his first career NASCAR championship.
• Burt Myers is the defending winner of this event and has enjoyed a successful second half of the season with three wins since Aug. 30. Myers, who was also victorious in the inaugural Charlotte event in 2010, is the only two-time winner at the track.
• Myers is tied with Seuss for the most wins this season with three. Brunnhoelzl, JR Bertuccio and Danny Bohn are the only other drivers with multiple wins this season with each scoring a pair of victories.
At Charlotte Motor Speedway:
Track History
• Construction began on Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1959.
• The track’s first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held on June 19, 1960 – won by Joe Lee Johnson.
• The track was repaved midseason in 1994.
• The track name changed from Charlotte Motor Speedway to Lowe’s Motor Speedway in 1999. It changed back to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the 2010 season.
• The track was re-paved again before the 2006 season.
• There have been 111 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points races at Charlotte Motor Speedway, two races per year since the track opened in 1960.
• The Charlotte quarter-mile track held its first NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour race on Oct. 14, 2010 – won by Burt Myers.
Notebook
• Charlotte has played host to the NWSMT each year since 2010.
• The four previous events have resulted in three different winners – Burt Myers (2010 & 2013), Tim Brown (2011) and George Brunnhoelzl III (2012).
• Brunnhoelzl has won two of the four Coors Light Pole Awards (2011 and 2012), with Andy Seuss and Ryan Preece each winning one.
• Burt Myers is the only driver to finish in the top five in all four Charlotte tour races.
• Brunnhoelzl has led the most laps of tour competition at Charlotte, running out front for 274.
• Eight drivers competed in all four tour races at Charlotte.
• Burt Myers has an average finish of second at Charlotte – best among drivers who competed in all four tour races.
• Thirty-eight different drivers have competed in the tour at Charlotte.
• Brunnhoelzl is the only driver to lead a race wire-to-wire at Charlotte in 2012.
Charlotte Motor Speedway Data
Race: #14 of 14 overall
Track Layout: .25-mile asphalt oval
Race Length: 150 laps / 37.5 miles
Qualifying/Race Data
2013 Pole Winner: Ryan Preece
2013 Race Winner: Burt Myers
Track Qualifying Record: George Brunnhoelzl III, Chevrolet, 14.727 seconds, 61.112 mph, Oct. 11, 2012
150-Lap Race Record: Tim Brown, Chevrolet, 49 min., 30 sec., 44.455 mph, Oct. 13, 2011
Active Category Leaders at Charlotte:
Wins
1. Burt Myers … 2
2. George Brunnhoelzl … 1
Tim Brown … 1
Poles
1. George Brunnhoelzl III … 2
2. Ryan Preece … 1
Top Fives
1. Burt Myers … 4
2. George Brunnhoelzl III … 3
3. Danny Bohn … 2
Andy Seuss … 2
Top 10s
1. Burt Myers … 4
2. Jason Myers … 3
George Brunnhoelzl III … 3
Thomas Stinson … 3
Laps Led
1. George Brunnhoelzl III … 274
2. Burt Myers … 161
3. Ryan Preece … 138
Laps Completed
1. Burt Myers … 600
Thomas Stinson … 600
3. Jason Myers … 546
Starts
1. Eight drivers with … 4
Selected Driver Highlights:
JR Bertuccio (No. 2 Gershow Recycling Chevrolet)
• Has two wins and 19 top 10s in 39 career NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour starts. The first win came at Southern National Motorsports Park on March 16, and he was credited with a win as the highest finishing NWSMT driver in the combination race at Bristol Motor Speedway on Aug. 20.
• Is fifth in points on the strength of a career-best six top fives.
• Finished 14th in his only previous career start at Charlotte.
Danny Bohn (No. 65 Rustoleum/Cedar Peaks Chevrolet)
• The 2012 Sunoco Rookie of the Year has three wins, five poles, 16 top fives and 28 top 10s in 35 career NWSMT starts.
• Ranks fourth in points after 13 races, highlighted by wins last weekend at Caraway and at Bowman Gray Stadium on Aug. 2. Bohn also won the Coors Light Pole Award in both of those races.
• Has top fives in both of his previous starts at Charlotte.
George Brunnhoelzl III (No. 28 Composite Technologies Chevrolet)
• Has a record four NWSMT championships (2009, `11, `12, `13).
• Has 22 wins, 22 poles, 48 podiums, 60 top fives, 74 top 10s and 2,750 laps led in 91 career starts.
• Holds NWSMT all-time records for wins and laps led. Ranks second in poles, third in top fives and fourth in top 10s.
• Has recorded at least one win a season in every year he has competed full-time on the NWSMT since 2008 with two wins so far this season at Caraway on Sept. 27 and at Langley in April. Brunnhoelzl competed in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour in 2010.
• One win (2012), three top fives in three starts with an average finish of second at Charlotte.
• Has led more laps than anyone at Charlotte with 274.
Bryan Dauzat (No. 97 O.B. Builders Chevrolet)
• One top five and 12 top 10s in 49 tour starts with a best career finish of fifth at Bowman Gray (2009).
• Average finish this season of 12th.
• Has finished in the top 15 in all four starts at Charlotte.
Spencer Davis (No. 79 Hillbilly Racing Pontiac)
• Has two top fives and seven top 10s in 13 career starts.
• Is the leading contender for the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award ahead of fellow rookies Joe Ryan Osborne and Bobby Measmer Jr.
• This will be his first start at Charlotte.
Kyle Ebersole (No. 5 Ebersole Excavating Ford)
• Has two wins, 17 top fives and 26 top 10s in 35 career starts. The first victory was earned at Langley in 2013 and second came at South Boston on Sept. 13.
• Ranks sixth in points with nine top-10 finishes this season.
• Finished second last year to Burt Myers and sixth in 2012 in his previous two starts at Charlotte.
Luke Fleming (No. 40 AutosByNelson.com/Koma Unwind Ford)
• The 2013 NWSMT Sunoco Rookie of the Year has a win and 14 top 10s in 23 career starts. The win came at Bowman Gray Stadium in his 2009 tour debut.
• Ranks seventh in points with 10 top 10s in 13 starts this year.
• Finished ninth last season in his only start at Charlotte.
Brian Loftin (No. 23 L&R Transmissions Chevrolet)
• The 2008 NWSMT champion has 12 wins, 13 poles, 39 top fives and 52 top 10s in 85 career starts.
• Sits 17th in points with one top five and three top-10 finishes (2nd – Caraway (10/4/14) in seven starts.
• This will be his first tour start at Charlotte.
Burt Myers (No. 1 Citrusafe/Speedway Auto Auction/Adams Towing Ford)
• The 2010 NWSMT champion has 14 wins, a tour record 28 poles, 61 top fives and 97 top 10s in 117 career starts.
• Ranks third in points with three wins, 11 top 10s and eight top fives in 13 races.
• Has two wins, four top fives, an average finish of second and 161 laps led in four starts at Charlotte.
Jason Myers (No. 4 Adams Towing/Corks, Caps & Taps Ford)
• Has recorded three wins, 37 top fives and 88 top 10s in a NWSMT-record 121 career starts. Has competed in all but one race (2005-Martinsville Speedway) in the tour’s 10 seasons.
• Sits 10 in points with eight top 10s and two top fives.
• One top five and three top 10s in four tour starts at Charlotte with a best finish of fifth in 2011.
Mike Norman (No. 12 Nationwide Insurance by Stormie Speaks/Hometown Auto Chevrolet)
• Six top 10s in 49 series starts highlighted by a career-best tour finish of sixth at Bowman Gray in 2011.
• Currently 14 in championship standings, with one top 10-finish in 12 starts.
• Average finish of 14.5 and a best of 13th in three tour starts at Charlotte.
Joe Ryan Osborne (No. 15 Pinnacle Trucking/Osborne Construction Chevrolet)
Ryan Preece (No. 107 Curb Records/Menards Chevrolet)
• The 2013 NWMT champion has 10 wins, 12 poles, 27 podiums, 47 top fives and 63 top 10s in 107 career starts.
• Ranks sixth in points after 12 races with nine top 10s and is coming off of his first win of the season on Sept. 28 at Stafford Motor Speedway.
• Won the pole for this event last year and has one top-five finish (2012) in two starts at Charlotte.
Gary Putnam (No. 77 Curb Records Chevrolet)
• Has 19 top 10s in 44 career starts with a best finish of fifth at Caraway in 2013.
• Ranks ninth in the 2014 standings with seven top 10s in 13 races.
• Has one top 10 in four tour starts at Charlotte with a best finish of 10 in 2012.
• Average finish at Charlotte of 14.
Andy Seuss (No. 11 Ideal Finance/Phoenix Motors Chevrolet)
• Has 18 wins, 11 poles, 56 top fives and 73 top 10s in 93 career NWSMT starts. His 18 wins rank second all-time.
• Leads the championship standings with wins a pair of wins at Caraway and one at South Boston. He has 11 top fives and is the only driver to finish in the top 10 in all 13 races this season.
• Two top fives in four tour starts at Charlotte with a best finish of fourth in 2011.
• Average finish at Charlotte of 10.
Thomas Stinson (No. 7 Dennis’ Towing & Recovery Chevrolet)
• Has 26 top 10s in 54 career starts.
• Sits 16th in points after nine starts with a best finish of ninth in the season opener at Caraway.
• Has three top 10s in four tour starts at Charlotte. His best finish there was ninth in 2011.
Up To Speed:
• The 2014 NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour schedule consists of 14 events at seven different tracks across three states.
• The competition season opened with the non-points UNOH Battle At The Beach on the short track at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 18. Ryan Preece was the polesitter and Doug Coby took the checkered flag. Jason Myers was the highest-finishing NWSMT driver in the event when he crossed the line second.
• Andy Seuss won from the pole in the points season opener on March 9 at Caraway Speedway.
• JR Bertuccio captured his first career victory on March 15 at Southern National Motorsports Park. George Brunnhoelzl III was the event’s pole winner.
• The Prestoria Farms 150 at Caraway was to be contested on March 29, but was postponed due to rain. That event will be made up on Oct 4.
• Danny Bohn sat on the pole, but it was Seuss who led all but one lap en route to victory at South Boston Speedway on April 5.
• At Langley Speedway on April 12, Ryan Preece earned the pole in his fourth NWSMT appearance in a row and Brunnhoelzl drove to Victory Lane for his first win at the track.
• Seuss picked up his third win of the season and second at Caraway with a victory in the Daggett Shuler Attorneys at Law 150 on July 4.
• Danny Bohn picked up his first win of the season and second of his career in the Strutmasters.com 199 at Bowman Gray Stadium on Aug. 2.
• Bertuccio was credited with the win at Bristol Motor Speedway as the highest finishing NWSMT driver in the annual combination event with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour on Aug. 20. The win moved him to third in the standings, 12 points behind second-place Brunnhoelzl (286-274) and 28 points behind leader Seuss.
• Burt Myers won an action-packed race on Aug. 30 at Langley after he and then leader Brunnhoelzl made contact in Turn 4 on the final lap. It was the first win of the season for Myers. Seuss maintained his points lead and enjoys a 14-point lead (343-329) over Brunnhoelzl after eight races.
• Burt Myers was able to get the lead from Seuss on a green-white-checkered restart to score his second straight victory on Sept. 5 at Caraway. It was the first time Myers has won back-to-back races since 2010.
• Kyle Ebersole used effective pit strategy and key track position while racing Seuss for the win around lapped traffic at South Boston to score his first checkered flag of the season and second of his career on Sept. 13.
• On Sept. 20 Burt Myers won the pole and led every lap en route to his third win in the past four races and third win in seven starts at Southern National. This is the third time in his career he has won three races in a season.
• Brunnhoelzl was able to pass Burt Myers on Lap 85 and later held off Myers in a green-white-checkered finish to score his second win of the season on Sept. 27 at Caraway. The win allowed Brunnhoelzl to trim Seuss’ points lead to single digits (nine) for the first time since April of this year when Seuss led Brunnhoelzl by just fives points.
• Bohn held off Brian Loftin in a photo finish on Oct. 4 at Caraway in a green-white-checkered finish to score his second win of the season. Bohn was also the event’s pole winner.
Sources: Tim Southers/NASCAR WSMT PR