Whelen Southern Modified News & Notes: Charlotte
Myers Looks to Collect Second Tour Championship
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Burt Myers is no stranger to success on the .25-mile track at Charlotte Motor Speedway having won three of the six races held at the facility since 2010.
While Myers enters the Bad Boy Off Road Southern Slam 150 as a favorite to pick up his fourth win of the season, all he needs to do is start the race to become the fourth driver in the history of the tour win multiple titles.
Myers has led the standings since the beginning of the season after winning the season opener at Caraway Speedway in Sophia, North Carolina, in April.
The Walnut Cove, North Carolina, driver enters this week’s race tied with four-time tour champion George Brunnhoelzl III in wins with three, and can tie his personal best for most wins in a season with a fourth win at CMS.
Andy Seuss sits second in points, 22 behind Myers, entering the season finale and will likely finish second after becoming the third driver in the history of the NWSMT to win back-to-back titles in 2014 and 2015, respectively.
| RACE: | Bad Boy Off Road Southern Slam 150 |
|---|---|
| PLACE: | Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, N.C. |
| DATE; | Thursday, October 6 |
| TIME: | 8:45 p.m. ET (Approximately) |
| TRACK LAYOUT: | .25-mile asphalt oval (Front stretch of CMS) |
| 2015 WINNER: | George Brunnhoelzl III |
| 2015 POLE SITTER: | George Brunnhoelzl III |
| EVENT SCHEDULE: | First Practice 11:15 a.m. – Noon; Final practice 12:30 – 1:15 p.m.; Two-Lap Qualifying 4:05 p.m.; Autograph Session 6:30 p.m. |
| TV: | NBCSN, Friday, Oct. 14, 3:30 p.m. |
| TRACK CONTACT: | Scott Cooper 704-455-3209; scooper@charlottemotorspeedway.com |
| TRACK TWITTER: | @CLTMotorSpdwy |
| EVENT HASHTAG: | #SouthernSlam150 |
| NASCAR CONTACT: | Tim Southers, 386-235-3634 Cell: 386-235-3634; tsouthers@nascar.com, Twitter: @tsouth1968 |
Fast Facts
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 (37.5 miles) with teams having an opportunity to pit and change one tire during the event.
The Race: The Bad Boy Off Road Southern Slam 150 is the 11th and final race on the 2016 schedule for the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour, now in its 12th season. It will be the seventh time the series has competed on the .25-mile track along the front stretch at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
The Track: Built in 1960, the 1.5-mile track has hosted NASCAR events ever since its opening. The track was designed and built by Bruton Smith and Curtis Turner. The track has gone through various upgrades through the years and a state-of-the-art lighting system was installed in 1992, allowing Charlotte Motor Speedway to be the first modern superspeedway to host night stock car racing. The Whelen Southern Modifieds compete on the quarter-mile track constructed along the front stretch of the speedway.
Race Winners: Burt Myers won the inaugural event at the track in 2010 and again in 2013 and 2014. Brunnhoelzl is the only other active driver with multiple wins at the track capturing a checkered flag last year and in 2012.
The Records: Qualifying: Preece holds the quarter-mile track qualifying record at 14.612 seconds and 61.593 mph, set on October 9, 2014. Race: George Brunnhoelzl III owns the race record speed of 52.440 mph set on October 8, 2015.
Bad Boy Off Road Southern Slam 150 Notes
Burt Myers Continues Streak: Although he’s likely to pick up his second NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour win this Thursday night at Charlotte, Burt Myers has already secured a record no other driver on the tour can claim. Myers is the only driver in the history of the tour to finish in the top-10 in the final season points standings since NASCAR began sanctioning the series in 2005. He can also continue his streak of never finishing outside the top five in a race at the CMS track. The third generation driver joins Seuss as the only driver to finish in the top 10 in every race this season and has nine top-five finishes as well.
Bohn Still Looking for Win: Danny Bohn is the only tour regular who won in 2015 that is still looking for a win in 2016. Bohn was in contention for the win at Bowman Gray Stadium in August before an incident on a restart with Kyle Ebersole cost him a chance at the win. Bohn’s last win came at the Stadium in August of last year.
Bonsignore Closes In On Rookie Honor: Kyle Bonsignore will just need to start the Bad Boy Off Road Southern Slam 150 to capture Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors. The Bay Shore, New York, driver has scored eight top-10 finishes in nine starts this season and is the only rookie competitor to start every race this season.
Sources: Tim Southers/NASCAR PR