Brunnhoelzl Enters Dogwood 150 Red Hot After Back-To-Back Wins
Story By: TIM SOUTHERS / NASCAR MEDIA Photos By: GETTY IMAGES / NASCAR
DAYTONA BEACH, FL- April 13, 2016- George Brunnhoelzl III hopes to pick up one more win before the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour’s annual Spring Break. The friendly confines of Caraway Speedway may provide the perfect recipe.
Brunnhoelzl, who already owns the Caraway record for most tour wins with 12, heads to the .455-mile track for the Dogwood 150 on a two-race win streak. The four-time tour champion has used wins at Concord and South Boston Speedways to move within one point of leader Burt Myers (133-132), who won the season opener at Caraway in March.
Myers’s opener triumph was his first win at Caraway since 2014. He has finished in the top-five in all three races this season for his best start in years on the tour. The Walnut Cove, North Carolina, driver was able to hold off Bobby Measmer Jr. for the March win.
Defending NWSMT champion Andy Seuss won this race last season and sits just one win behind Brunnhoelzl at Caraway. He finished fifth in the season opener last month.
Following the Dogwood 150 the southern tour will go on a 12-week hiatus before returning to action on July 1 at Caraway.
RACE:
Dogwood 150
PLACE: Caraway Speedway, Sophia, North Carolina
TIME: 8:30 p.m. ET (approx.)
TRACK LAYOUT: .455-mile asphalt oval
2015 WINNER: Andy Seuss
2015 POLE SITTER: Ryan Preece
EVENT SCHEDULE: Driver/Crew Chief Meeting: 2 p.m.; Practice 3 – 4 p.m.: Qualifying: 5:30 p.m.
TRACK TWITTER: @carawayspeedway
EVENT HASHTAG: #Dogwood150
TRACK CONTACT: Renee Hackett, (336) 629-5803; renee@carawayspeedway.com
Fast Facts
The Race: The Dogwood 150 at Caraway Speedway will be the fourth of 11 NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour championship events in 2016. This is the tour’s 58th visit to the historic oval, and the second of four races this year at the track.
The Procedure: The maximum starting field is 26 cars, including provisionals. The first 23 cars will qualify through two-lap time trials while the remaining three starting spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race is scheduled for 150 laps (68.25 miles) and teams have an opportunity to pit and change one tire during the event.
The Track: Caraway is a .455-mile banked asphalt oval located in rural Sophia, North Carolina. The facility opened in 1966 with a dirt racing surface and was paved in 1972. Caraway, which features NASCAR Whelen All-American Series-sanctioned events on Saturday nights throughout the racing season, has played host to more NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour events than any other track in the tour’s history (57).
The Records: Jason Myers set the tour’s track qualifying record on March 15, 2015 with a mark of 15.563 seconds (105.250 mph).
Dogwood 150 Notes
Gerstner Returns After Bad Luck at South Boston: Jeremy Gerstner returns to action this Saturday after bad luck at South Boston when he spun during practice and was hit by Bobby Measmer Jr. Although Measmer was able to take the green flag and make a few laps the damage to Gerstner’s Chevrolet was too severe and he was forced to withdraw from the event.
Jason Myers Keeps Streak Alive: Jason Myers is the only driver in the history of the tour to start all 57 previous races held at Caraway Speedway. He has one win, 22 top fives and 43 top 10s at the track.
Bohn Joins Former Winners in the Field: Danny Bohn will join Burt Myers, Jason Myers, Brunnhoelzl, and Seuss as past Caraway winners in the Dogwood 150 starting lineup.
Two-Driver Rookie Battle Shaping Up: Bay Shore, New York, native Kyle Bonsignore and Orlando, Florida’s Austin Pickens will battle for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors this season in the southern tour. After three races, Bonsignore has won a pair of rookie of the race honors heading into the Dogwood 150.
