11/9/2009
MYERS GOES
BACK-TO-BACK IN NORTH SOUTH SHOOTOUT
Hirschman Makes History with SK Win &
Fultz Scores Emotional Late Model Victory |
The South rose again at the 7th Annual John Blewett III Memorial North-South
Shootout on Saturday night as Burt Myers of Walnut Cove, NC, successfully
defended his North-South Shootout championship. It was the second straight
victory for Myers in Shootout Modified competition at the annual event. By
virtue of his victory Myers earned $13,080 in prize money and contingencies.
Matt Hirschman of Northampton, PA, made history with his victory in
the SK-Type Modified event on Saturday. Hirschman, a previous Tour Modified
victor, became the first driver to win in both the Tour-Type and SK-Type
Modifieds. Just days after losing his son in a tragic accident, Jeff Fultz
of Troutman, NC, bested a talent-laden field of Super Late Models to score
the WearCrete North-South Shootout victory. Dave Steele of Tampa, FL was
victorious in the Tampa Bay Area Racing Association (TBARA) Sprint car debut
at the Shootout. A pair of NJ natives combined to take the Vintage action at
the Shootout. Pete Brittain of Oakhurst, NJ, and Anthony Colosimo of Red
Bank, NJ were winners in Vintage Modified and Vintage Sportsman divisions
respectively.
With his victory on Saturday night, Burt Myers became the second
driver to score back-to-back Shootout Tour-Type Modified victories. He now
joins the late John Blewett III and Matt Hirschman as two-time winners of
the event. Myers took the lead from Matt Hirschman on lap eight and would
never be headed. Quick work by his pit crew during a mandatory pit stop at
lap 70 had Myers in position to win the event. Myers dominated the
competition by leading 118 of the 125 lap race.
An incident on lap four that began with contact between the leaders, pole
sitter Chuck Hossfeld and Matt Hirschman, caused a chain reaction that
collected a number of cars including contenders Hossfeld and Les Hinckley.
George Brunnhoelzl III, Eric Beers, Bobby Grigas, and Ted Christopher were
among others involved. On the restart Myers sat second. It only took a
handful of laps before taking the lead.
Over the later portion of the event Myers was chased by Rowan Pennink but
never really challenged. Newly crowned Whelen Southern Modified Tour
champion Brunnhoelzl was on the move; looking to be a serious contender for
the win. His progress was halted when a flat tire sent him to pit road.
Brunnhoelzl put on a show working his way back toward the front. Doug Coby
recovered from an early race incident to run inside the top three.
Myers went on to score a popular win in front of a solid and clearly
Southern skewed crowd. Pennink continued his strong 2009 season with a
runner-up finish. The hard-charging Coby earned a podium finish in third.
Matt Hirschman and Jamie Tomaino completed the top five.
A total of 44 Modifieds attempted to qualify for the John Blewett III
Memorial North-South Shootout.
Matt Hirschman of Northampton, PA, a two-time Shootout Modified winner,
jumped aboard the Bob Horn #58 SK-Modified to make history. Hirschman came
out on top of a highly competitive main event to win the SK-Type Modified
50-lapper; becoming the first driver to double up in Shootout competition.
In the SK-Type Modifieds it was a duel of the double-duty drivers. Pole
sitter Ryan Preece, driving the #99 usually piloted by Woody Pitkat, and
Hirschman duked it out for the lead for much of the race with Ronnie Silk in
tow. The two went wheel-to-wheel lap after lap as first Silk and then Coby
lurked. A classic dual for the win was thwarted when Preece went spinning on
lap 42. The spin left Hirschman on his own as he went on to score the
victory. The strong Shootout performance by Doug Coby started with a
runner-up finish in the SK-Type Modified main event.
Ted Christopher had problems with his #00 early in the race forcing him down
pit road. After restarting deep in the pack, Christopher methodically picked
his way through the field and to a third-place finish. Steven Reed, who was
presented with the Racing Electronics SK Bonus as the highest finishing SK
only driver, came home in fourth. Silk faded in the closing laps to finish
in the fifth position.
The Super Late Models are not a rare sight at Concord Speedway but the 7th
Annual North-South Shootout provided some variety to the full-fendered
division. The WearCrete Diamond Concrete Polishing 125 saw some new faces as
the CRA Super Series hosted race teams from as far away as Canada,
California, Michigan and Tennessee and from as close by as Charlotte, NC, to
take part in the event. Local and sentimental favorite Jeff Fultz of
Troutman, NC, proved to be the class of the field as he took the lead on lap
53 and never looked back.
A crowd of crew members, fans, and well-wishers greeted Fultz at the start
finished line after he took down the victory. The well-deserved and much
need victory was capped off by a series of impressive burnouts. Fultz was
racing with a heavy heart after an automobile accident claimed the life of
his son only days prior.
John VanDoorn chased Fultz to the checkers. Early leader and Fultz teammate
Cassius Clark also posted a podium finish. Hometown driver Preston Peltier
of Concord, NC, finished fourth. Showing a talent beyond his years, 13-year
old Chase Elliott used poise and patience to complete the top-five . Brian
Ickler, driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports had a disappointing performance
to finish 19.
7th Annual John Blewett III Memorial Town & Country Ford North-South
Shootout ™
presented by Cabarrus County Visitors Bureau & Capital Bank
MODIFIED FEATURE
FINISH: 1. #1 Burt Myers, Walnut Cove, NC; 2. #93 Rowan Pennink, Huntingdon
Station , PA ; 3. #19 Doug Coby, Milford , CT ; 4. #60 Matt Hirschman,
Northampton , PA ; 5. #99 Jamie Tomaino, Howell , NJ ; 6. #28 George
Brunnhoelzl III , Mooresville , NC ; 7. #58 Eric Goodale, Riverhead, NY; 8.
#36 Jimmy Zacharias, Candor, NY; 9. #66 Pete Brittain, Oakhurst , NJ ; 10.
#11 Anthony Sesely, Matawan , NJ ; 11. #25 Zane Zeiner, Bath, PA; 12. #12
Keith Rocco, Wallingford, CT; 13. #88 Woody Pitkat, Stafford Springs, CT;
14. #3s Daren Scherer, Binghamton, NY; 15. #659 Danny Bohn, Huntersville ,
NC ; 16. #42 Dave Pecko, Vandling , PA ; 17. #31 Gene Pack, Myrtle Beach ,
SC ; 18. #21K George Kent, Elmira, NY; 19. #44K Rick Kluth, Brockport , NY ;
20. #40P Ryan Preece, Kensington , CT ; 21. #45B Eric Beers, N. Hampton , PA
; 22. #3M Jeff Malave, S. Windsor, CT; 23. #4 Jason Myers, Walnut Cove, NC;
24. #6 Josh Nichols, Cleveland, NC; 25. #00 Ted Christopher, Plainville , CT
; 26. #47 Andy Seuss, Hampstead, NH; 27. #2 JR Bertuccio, Statesville, NC;
28. #40F Frank Fleming, Mount Airy, NC; 29. #8 Earl Paules, Palmerton, PA;
30. #22 Chuck Hossfeld, Lockport , NY ; 31. #06 Les Hinckley , Windsor
Locks, CT; 32. #09 Bobby Grigas III , Marshfield, MA; 33. #79 James Civali,
Meriden, CT
Super Late Model North-South Shootout 125 presented by WearCrete Diamond
Concrete Polishing
Feature Finish (125-laps): 1. Jeff Fultz, Troutman, NC;
2. John VanDoorn, Coopersville, MI; 3. Cassius Clark, Farmington, ME; 4.
Preston Peltier, Concord, NC; 5. Chase Elliott, Dawsonville, GA; 6. Ryan
Blaney, High Point, NC; 7. Bobby Measmer Jr., Concord, NC; 8. Cooper Fassin,
Monroe, NC; 9. Jeff Choquette, Mooresville, NC; 10. Mark Reedy, Kannapolis ,
NC ; 11. James Edwards, Concord, NC; 12. Logan Dernoshek, Charlotte, NC; 13.
David Latour Jr., Advance, NC; 14. Max Gresham, Griffin, GA; 15. David
Russell, Clarence Center, NY; 16. Terry Horak, Myrtle Beach, SC; 17. Dean
Slappey, Concord, NC; 18. Tony Black, Lexington, NC; 19. Brian Ickler, San
Diego, CA; 20. John Long, Niles, MI; 21. Dylan Presnell, Sevierville, TN;
22. Johnathan Hicken, Prince Edward Island, CAN; 23. Mason Mingus,
Brentwood, TN; 24. Johanna Long, Pensacola, FL; 25. Clay Jones, Goldsboro,
NC; 26. Lanny Graham, Salisbury, NC.
7th Annual John Blewett III Memorial Town & Country Ford North-South
Shootout ™ presented by Cabarrus County Visitors Bureau & Capital Bank
SK-TYPE MODIFIED FEATURE FINISH: 1. #58 Matt Hirschman, Northampton , PA ;2.
#10 Doug Coby, Milford, CT; 3. #00 Ted Christopher, Plainville, CT; 4. #55
Steven Reed, Freehold, NJ; 5. #12 Ronnie Silk, Norwalk, CT; 6. #93 Rowan
Pennink, Huntington Station, PA; 7. #48 Rick Kluth, Brockport, NY; 8. #57
Keith Rocco, Wallingford, CT; 9. #4 Ron Yuhas, Jr., Groton, CT; 10. #91
Shawn Carrig, Little Falls, NJ; 11. #66 Woody Pitkat, Stafford Springs, CT;
12. #9 Eric Beers, Northampton, PA; 13. #99 Ryan Preece, Kensington, CT; 14.
#2 Gerry Gradl, Jr., Getzulle , NY ; 15. #44 T.J Zacharias, Candor, NY; 16.
#03 Patrick Emerling, Orchard Park, NY; 17. #22 Dan Kurzejewski, Mansfield,
PA; 18. #45 Gary Young, Jr., Burlington, NC; 19. #79 Kerry Malone, Needham,
MA; 20. #98 Craig Dolphin, N. Tonawanda, NY; 21. #16 Anthony Sesely,
Matawan, NJ; 22. #87 Mike Speeny, Newtown, PA; 23. #71 Jimmy Zacharias,
Candor, NY.
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Source: Dale Wolbrink /
North-South Shootout
Posted: November
9, 2009 |
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