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09/10/2012 |
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ANDY SEUSS
TAKES TO THE HIGH SIDE
TO WIN THE NWSMT AT THOMPSON SPEEDWAY
With Lady Luck on
His Side Seuss Gets First 2012 Win
by
Denise DuPont |
Race
teams from the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour
(NWSMT) traveled north for the second annual North
South Showdown on Sunday September 9th.
There were twenty-two NWSMT teams registered and all
started the Green Pointe EnergySouthern75 tour race.
The southern race was the first of the two tour
events scheduled to run. There was a caution on lap1
after two cars made contact on the backstretch and
then pulled away. After that the race continued to
the finish without caution.
As
the laps clicked off there was a lot of passing and
just good hard racing. Coming into the race at
Thompson Speedway, NWSMT regular Andy Seuss was
winless in 2012. The #11, Ideal race team has had
more than their share of bad luck and damaged cars
this season. But the team’s bad luck finally turned
around at Thompson. Andy Seuss started the race on
the outside pole, passed for the lead on lap 24 and
out drove Matt Hirschman to take the win.
As the laps clicked off and race leaders made their
way through lapped traffic, fans were on their feet
cheering the leaders on and waiting to see if lapped
cars would change the race outcome. But Seuss used
the cars to his advantage to pass them and remained
ahead of Hirschman. On lap 75 Andy Seuss took the
checkers winning the GreenPointe Energy Southern
“75” race.
“I started to get worried when they said that he
(Matt Hirschman) was coming. I do not know if lapped
track helped or hurt,” said Seuss from victory lane.
“I cannot thank this team enough. We have had a
terrible year luck wise. There were times over the
past few weeks that I was not sure if I was going to
get a win this year. Everything was just right
today. I just went where the car was fast and that
was where they told me the car was fastest to get
good momentum. “
“The crew worked so hard in practice yesterday and
then this morning we threw everything at it (the
car). So I just had to drive it based on how it was
handling. It (the car) was loose all race and I was
chasing the rear end up the hill but it worked up
there. The crew chief, my dad the interim crew
chief, told me to run up there and I did and it
worked out. ”
Seuss may have had a loose car but he had a car that
ran good on the outside which he could use to his
advantage to pass lapped traffic. “My crew said “Run
up top you are getting a good run off the turns”. So
I did and a couple of times I got to the outside of
cars running up there.”
At the end of the race Seuss was still racing hard
after the checkers flew. “I got confused when it was
two to go and they did not show it because of the
lapped cars. Then I thought I saw the white flag
waving and I thought I saw them throw the checkers
but I was not taking chances. I keep going until my
spotter told me to slow down. I have to thank all
those lapped cars for giving me respect and room.
Lapped traffic always plays into a race here. Matt
Hirschman ran real clean. I have to thank him. . I
cannot wait to come back here for the World Series.
”
Matt Hirschman brought the Goodale #50 car across
the finish line right behind Andy Seuss for a solid
second place finish. “The car just came up a little
bit short,” said Hirschman after the race. “I was
able to get to Andy but not make a move around him.
It just did not have it coming up off the corner
there. We were about equal and then he was a little
bit better the last few laps.”
This was the first time Hirschman drove the Goodale
family car but it did not show as he maneuvered the
car like it was his. “I did not know what to expect
coming into this race today. This is the first time
that I have driven this car and raced for this team,
so considering that I think that this was an
excellent run for us. I appreciate the opportunity
that these guys gave me with Goodie Motorsports.”
Rob Fuller came from the rear of the field for a
podium finish in the NWSMT race at Thompson. Even
though he won the pole during qualifying, Fuller was
forced to dropped to the rear of the field after his
spotter missed a pre-race meeting. “It felt great.
Starting in the back I felt a little nervous but I
think that we showed them that we belonged up front.
With one more caution, I tell you that I do not
think that the fastest car won the race.”
Fuller had to get from the back to the front if he
wanted to win and knowing that he passed eighteen
cars by lap 50. “I have never raced before with
these southern guys and I have to say that these
guys gave me all the room in the world. I have to
give this one to my guys. They worked their butts
off. The crew chief let us down a little by missing
the meeting or whatever happened there but we stuck
together and pulled something good out of it.”
The NWSMT cars will return south and have a few
weeks off before their next race on September 29th
at Caraway Speedway.
Notes from
Thompson Speedway:
What are your thoughts
on securing a guaranteed starting spot at Daytona
race in February?
Andy Seuss
“It is really big. This is really exciting. That was
one of the things that Eddie Harvey said when I got
out of the car. He said “We are going to Daytona.” I
did not think of that at first because of the win.
But having that is really cool.”
What does this win mean
to you?
Andy Seuss
“It is huge because I recently thought what if I
cannot get a win in 2012? Now that is a weight off
our shoulder. I hate to do the first win this late
in the season but hopefully by the end of the year
we can chaulk up a couple more.”
Your thoughts on
competing in the UNOH 50 lap Showdown Race:
Andy Seuss
“The 50 lapper is going to be tough. They guys have
run here a few times over the year and a few of
these guys run here weekly in the SKs. They know
this track and even though I am originally from up
here I do not have all that many races here. And you
can never say that experience does not help you
because it does. So we are going to go out there and
compete and do the best we can.”
Matt Hirschman
After a second place finish in the NWSMT Matt
Hirschman still had the 50 lap Showdown to compete
in and he was ready. “Now we will have a good test
to see how we compare with the northern guys because
they really have a handle on this place. This is a
trial here today to maybe do more with these guys
and so far so good. We will see what we have a
little bit later.“
And Hirschman definitely passed the test with a
seventh place finish in the Showdown.
Rob Fuller
“It was all fun; I am looking forward the 50 lapper.
We will start the 50 lapper in a good starting
position and we will see how it goes.” |
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Source: Denise DuPont / TheChromeHorn.com
Posted: September
10, 2012 |
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