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09/10/2012


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.”

  Source: Denise DuPont / TheChromeHorn.com
Posted: September 10, 2012

©2012 GeeLaw Motorsports/Wolf Pack Ventures, Inc.