Statistical Advance: Analyzing the UNOH Perfect Storm 150 at Bristol
Daytona Beach, FL — The inaugural trip for the NASCAR Whelen Modified and Whelen Southern Modified Tours to historic Bristol Motor Speedway will take place Wednesday with the UNOH Perfect Storm 150.
Bristol Motor Speedway Data
Race: NWMT, #8 of 14/NWSMT, #7 of 15 | ENTRY LIST
Track Layout: .533-mile concrete oval
Banking: 24-30 degrees in the turns, 6-10 in the straights
Race Length: 150 laps/79.95 miles
Qualifying/Race Data
This is the inaugural event for the NWMT and NWSMT at Bristol Motor Speedway
2009 NWMT Points Leaders
1. Ted Christopher, 1092
2. Todd Szegedy, 1078
3. Ryan Preece, 1065
4. Donny Lia, 1000
5. Rowan Pennink, 978
2009 NWSMT Points Leaders
1. George Brunnhoelzl III, 985
2. Andy Seuss, 919
3. Brian Loftin, 891
4. Frank Fleming, 877
5. L.W. Miller, 862
NWMT Wins Leaders – Active Drivers
1. Mike Stefanik, 69
2. Reggie Ruggiero, 44
3. Ted Christopher, 33
4. Ed Flemke Jr., 17
5. Todd Szegedy, 13
NWSMT Wins Leaders – Active Drivers
1. Brian Loftin/L.W. Miller, 10
3. Burt Myers, 5
4. Tim Brown, 5
5. Ted Christopher/Andy Seuss, 4
At Bristol Motor Speedway:
• First NASCAR race was on July 30, 1961 … The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race was won by Jack Smith.
• Bristol Motor Speedway was originally an even half-mile oval with a seating capacity of 18,000 … The configuration was expanded to .533 miles in 1969 and the capacity has increased to its current level of 160,000.
• Wednesday’s UNOH Perfect Storm 150 will mark the first time the NASCAR Whelen Modified and Whelen Southern Modified Tours have competed at BMS.
• There have been a total of 97 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 54 NASCAR Nationwide Series and 11 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events at BMS entering this week.
Up to Speed (NWMT):
• Ted Christopher earned the Coors Light Pole Award and a trip to Victory Lane in the season opener at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway.
• Christopher also earned the pole and the win in the second race of the year at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway.
• Christopher made it three-for-three when he earned the pole for the third race of the season, also at SMS, but finished second to Jimmy Blewett in the race.
• Christopher became the seventh driver in NWMT history to earn at least three-consecutive pole awards, and extended his mark for consecutive poles to start a season.
• At New Hampshire Motor Speedway Donny Lia earned his first win of the season and the 12th of his career … Doug Coby captured the pole, the second of his career.
• Erick Rudolph became the youngest winner in NWMT history when he took the checkered flag at Spencer Speedway … Qualifying was rained out and the race was pushed back a day.
• Ryan Preece took the pole and the checkered flag at Riverhead (N.Y.) Raceway … He then repeated at SMS, with Eric Berndt earning his first career pole award.
• Christopher regained the points lead from Todd Szegedy with a runner-up finish last time out … Szegedy had the lead for one week … Christopher has a 14-point lead heading into this week.
• The eight race of the season was to be at TIS on Aug. 13, but ran forced the event to be postponed until Sept. 3.
Up to Speed (NWSMT):
• George Brunnhoelzl III leads the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour this season with three Coors Light Pole Awards.
• Brunnhoelzl has one win this season, the Firecracker 150 at Caraway Speedway on July 3.
• Rookie Luke Fleming won the most recent NWSMT race when he won the Advance Auto Parts 199 at Bowman Gray Stadium.
• Andy Seuss and Ted Christopher lead the NWSMT with two wins each … Christopher won the season-opener at Concord Motor Speedway and the first race at Caraway … Seuss won at South Boston Speedway and Lanier National Speedway in April.
Selected Driver Highlights:
Jimmy Blewett (NWMT No. 12 Chevrolet)
• Has five wins and one pole in 69 career starts.
• Is sixth in the standings with top 10s in four of the seven races.
George Brunnhoelzl III (NWSMT No. 28 Ford)
• Has two wins and five poles in 31 career starts.
• Has finished in the top-five in five of the six races held this season.
• Has led a series high 226 of 949 competition laps.
• Is the current NWSMT points leader … 66 points ahead of Andy Seuss.
Ted Christopher (NWMT No. 36 Chevrolet)
• The 2008 NWMT champion.
• Has 33 wins and 21 poles in 272 career starts … Has at least one win in 11 consecutive seasons … His 33 wins rank fourth on the all-time list and his 21 poles rank ninth.
• Earned the pole award in the first three events of the year, and the race win in the first two … Became the first driver in NWMT history to begin the season by earning multiple poles.
• Regained the season points lead with a runner-up finish last time out.
• Is up to fourth in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national standings with seven wins, 20 top 10s and 747 points in 23 starts … Is fourth in points in TIS’s Sunoco Modified division.
• Also made three NWSMT starts at the beginning of the season and won twice … He has four career NWSMT victories, including the series’ inaugural race in 2005.
Ed Flemke Jr. (NWMT No. 10 Chevrolet)
• Has 17 wins and 15 poles in 377 career starts … Has made a record 318 consecutive starts … The last time he did not start a NWMT race was on July 22, 1992 at Riverside Park Speedway.
• Is ninth in the season standings with a pair of top 10s.
Matt Hirschman (NWMT No. 50 Chevrolet)
• Is slated to drive the car entered and driven the first seven races this year by Kevin Goodale.
• Has two wins, two poles and 27 top 10s in 56 career starts.
• Finished as the runner-up to Ted Christopher in the 2008 championship standings.
• Has one previous start this year … Finished 21st in one of Rowan Pennink’s back-up cars in the Spring Sizzler at Stafford Motor Speedway.
Kasey Kahne (NWMT No. 96 Chevrolet)
• Made NWMT debut with a 31st-place finish at NHMS in June.
• Has 10 wins, 16 poles and 72 top 10s in 203 career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts … Has four top 10s at BMS in NSCS action, including earning the pole and a runner-up finish in 2007.
• Earned a win at BMS in 2007 in one of his 152 career NASCAR Nationwide Series starts.
Donny Lia (NWMT No. 4 Dodge)
• The 2007 NWMT champion.
• Has 12 wins, 13 poles and 48 top 10s in 104 career starts.
• Is fourth in points with a win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and five top 10s in seven races.
• Finished 12th at BMS last year in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race.
Brian Loftin (NWSMT No. 23 Chevrolet)
• Defending NWSMT champion.
• Is tied for the series record with 10 wins in just 48 career starts.
• Has eight career poles.
L.W. Miller (NWSMT No. 38 Chevrolet)
• 2007 NWSMT champion … Is tied with Junior Miller and Brian Loftin atop the NWSMT wins list.
• Currently fifth in points with four top 10s … Has 10 wins and 36 top 10s in 41 career starts.
• Has 19 combined NNS and NCWTS starts, but none at BMS.
Burt Myers (NWSMT No. 1 Ford)
• Has five wins and 18 poles in 52 career starts.
• Is sixth in the season standings with a five top-10s.
Jason Myers (NWSMT No. 4 Ford)
• Has one win in 53 career starts.
• Is the brother of Burt Myers and his dad and modified veteran Gary Myers is crew chief and car owner.
Ryan Newman (NWMT No. 7 Chevrolet)
• Made NWMT debut with a pole and a 20th-place finish at NHMS in 2008.
• Second NWMT start came at NHMS this June … He finished 34th.
• Has 13 wins, 44 poles and 115 top 10s in 283 career NSCS starts.
• Reached Victory Lane at BMS in a NNS race in 2005.
Rowan Pennink (NWMT No. 93 Chevrolet)
• Has 14 top 10s in 37 career starts.
• Is currently fifth in points with six top 10s in seven starts.
Ryan Preece (NWMT No. 3 Chevrolet)
• Has three poles, three wins and 16 top 10s in 37 career starts.
• Became the 20th driver in NWMT history to earn back-to-back victories with recent triumphs at Riverhead Raceway and Stafford Motor Speedway.
• Is just 27 points back of points leader Ted Christopher.
Andy Seuss (NWSMT No. 47 Dodge)
• Has four wins and two poles in 69 career starts.
• Only full-time NWSMT driver with two wins this season.
• Also runs the NWMT when there are no conflicts with the NWSMT … Is 26th in the NWMT standings with four starts.
Mike Stefanik (NWMT No. 16 Pontiac)
• The 1989, 1991, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002 and 2006 NWMT champion.
• Has 69 wins, 42 poles and 258 top 10s in 387 career starts … Holds NWMT record for most championships, wins, poles, top fives and top 10s.
• Is currently 10th in points with four top 10s in seven starts … Enters this race off a pair of DNFs.
• Finished 20th in both of his NNS starts at BMS in 2000 … Was 22nd in a NCWTS appearance at BMS in 1999.
Todd Szegedy (NWMT No. 2 Ford)
• The 2003 NWMT champion.
• Has 13 wins, five poles and 74 top 10s in 117 career starts.
• Is just 14 points back of season leader Ted Christopher … Is only driver to have a top-10 finish in each of the season’s first seven races.
Jamie Tomaino (NWMT No. 99 Chevrolet)
• The 1990 NWMT champion.
• Has three wins, six poles and 235 top 10s in 505 career starts.
• Become the first driver in series history to start 500 races at the Icebreaker … Has missed only five of the 509 races in the history of the NWMT (1985-present) … Is one of only two drivers, along with Carl Pasteryak, to make a start in each of the 25 years of the NWMT.
• Is 14th in points with one top 10 in six starts.
Upcoming Milestones/Benchmarks:
• Ed Flemke Jr. will attempt to extend his NWMT record consecutive starts streak to 319.
• Jamie Tomaino will attempt to extend his NWMT record for total starts to 506.
• Ted Christopher is two wins shy of tying Tony Hirschman for third on the NWMT all-time list at 35.
• Donny Lia’s next win would move him past Richie Evans and George Kent on the NWMT all-time wins list … The trio currently has 12 apiece … A 13th win would then place him in a tie with Todd Szegedy.
• Mike Stefanik’s next NWMT victory would make him the eighth driver in NASCAR history to earn 70 wins in a series … All others on the list accomplished the feat in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
• Ryan Preece will look to become the first driver to earn three-consecutive NWMT wins since Lia in 2007.
• The next win by either L.W. Miller or Brian Loftin will break their tie with Junior Miller atop the NWSMT all-time wins list … The trio is currently tied with 10.
• Burt Myers currently owns the NWSMT record for career poles with 18.
Sources: Jason Cunningham/NASCAR WMT PR