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10/26/2009
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HAPPY ENDING:
BRUNNHOELZL EARNS HIS FIRST NASCAR CHAMPIONSHIP
Wins finale & claims
Whelen Southern Mod title |
George Brunnhoelzl III capped off his first NASCAR championship a victory in
the Fall Classic 150 at Caraway Speedway, the final race of the NASCAR
Whelen Southern Modified Tour season.
Brunnhoelzl needed to only start the finale to clinch the
championship. He assured himself of that by claiming his sixth Coors Light
Pole Award of the season. He went on to claim his fifth win of the season
and third at Caraway.
He started fifth after the post-qualifying redraw of the top six,
and took over the lead on Lap 73 when Brian Loftin came down pit road under
caution. He briefly lost the lead to John Smith at the line on a Lap 142
restart, before retaking the point.
Smith got under Brunnhoelzl on the final lap and the two drag-raced
out of Turn 4, with Brunnhoelzl taking the win. Jason Myers followed in
third, followed by Frank Fleming and Burt Myers.
Brunnhoelzl finished 180 points ahead of runner-up Andy Seuss. Burt
Myers ended the season third, followed by 2008 champion Brian Loftin and
Fleming.
Brunnhoelzl's best points finish was seventh last year. The
27-year-old West Babylon, N.Y., native entered 2009 with one win in 25
career starts over three seasons. In addition to his five wins this year, he
had 13 top fives in 14 races.
As a touring series champion, Brunnhoelzl earned a protected starting
position in the prestigious NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown to be held on
Jan. 29-30 at California’s Toyota Speedway at Irwindale. The seventh running
of the event, which is run in NASCAR Camping World Series cars, brings
together the top racers from across North America for the “Daytona 500 of
short-track racing.”
Next up for the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour teams is the
NASCAR Touring Series Awards Gala in Concord, N.C. on Saturday, Nov. 14 at
which Brunnhoelzl and the rest of the touring series champions will be
honored.
NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour Caraway
Unofficial Results
Whelen Southern Modified Tour
Race: NWSMT October 24, 2009 Caraway
Fin / Str / Car / Driver / Team / Laps / Points / Total
Award / Status
1 5 28 George Brunnhoelzl III Oval Speed/ Fibrwrap/PT Ford
150 180 $2,350 Running
2 2 25 John Smith Tutterow Surveying/Rick's Home Improvement
150 170 1,500 Running
3 3 4 Jason Myers Capital Bank/Moorefield &
Trantham Ent. Ford 150 165 1,125 Running
4 7 40 Frank Fleming Jerry Hunt Auto & Truck Sales Pontiac
150 160 1,300 Running
5 9 1 Burt Myers Capital Bank/JRC Investments
Ford 150 155 1,300 Running
6 4 47 Andy Seuss Advance Auto Parts/Q Racing Oil/AutoTech
150 150 850 Running
7 8 18 Zach Brewer DMC Auto Exchange 150 146 750 Running
8 1 23 Brian Loftin L & R Transmissions/QMF Metal Solutions
149 142 690 Running
9 6 44 Jonathan Brown Don&Dee Stone/Kook's Custom Headers 147
138 590 Accident
10 11 97 Bryan Dauzat O.B. Builders Chevrolet 135 134 550 Parked
11 10 81 Lee Jeffreys Comtech Solutions/Wings-N-Things Chevrolet 135 130 525
Running
12 12 51 Thomas McCann Jr. RimzOne Activate Chevrolet 48 127 500 Engine
13 13 12 Jay Hedgecock Combs Wholesale Produce/Gary's Lawn 4 124 485
Suspension
RACE STATISTICS
Fastest Qualifier: George Brunnhoelzl III, Time: 16.004 Seconds,
Speed: 102.349 mph
Time of Race: 51 mins, 0 secs Average Speed: 80.294 mph Margin of
Victory: 0.160 Seconds
Caution Flags: Laps 71-75 (Debris); 88-94 (# 97 Spins on
backstretch); 97-99 (#97 Spins in Turn 2); 137-142 (#23 & #97 Spin in Turn
2). 4 for 21 laps.
Lap Leaders: Brian Loftin 1-73, George Brunnhoelzl III 74-142, John
Smith 143, George Brunnhoelzl III 144-150.
Total Laps Led: George Brunnhoelzl III 76, Brian Loftin 73, John
Smith 1. 3 changes involving 3 drivers.
CONTINGENCY AWARDS
COCA-COLA MOVE OF THE RACE AWARD: Burt Myers, 1 Capital Bank/JRC
Investments Ford
COORS LIGHT POLE AWARD: George Brunnhoelzl III, 28 Oval Speed/
Fibrwrap/PT Ford
FEATHERLITE MOST IMPROVED DRIVER AWARD: Frank Fleming, 40 Jerry Hunt
Auto & Truck Sales Pontiac
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Source: Tim Southers /
NASCAR PR
Posted: October
26, 2009 |
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