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12/10/2012 |
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NASCAR WHELEN SOUTHERN MODIFIED TOUR
CHAMPIONS HONOR CEREMONIES
George Brunnhoelzl,
III Honored for His
Third NWSMT Championship
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by
Denise DuPont
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The 2012 NWSMT race season is officially ended this weekend with the
honoring of Champions in Charlotte, NC. Saturday’s celebrations included the
Southern Modified Touring Division, where the top ten drivers, owners and
rookie were recognized for their 2012 accomplishments. Special awards were
also made to individuals including the Most Popular Driver.
 George
Brunnhoelzl III started the 2012 race season defending his title with both a
pole and win at Caraway Speedway to open up the team’s race season. He went
forward with four more poles and five more wins to clench the 2012 NWSMT
Championship. “2012 was a great year. I had a lot of success and a lot of
things went our way. I also have amazing car owners – Howard and Betsy
Harvey that give us the equipment. And it was just a great year all around.”
Brunnhoelzl had a steller season with his six wins and five poles. But like
the best of racers, he also had his share of bad luck. At South Boston while
Brunnhoelzl was racing for the lead, Brandon Ward made contact with
Brunnhoelzl sending him spinning out of contention down the backstretch.
Then there was another spin at Langley Speedway where Brunnhoelzl spun on
the backstretch and was stuck in mud for several laps. But the #09, Phoenix
Pre-owned/Triad Auto Sales race team never gave up or let the incidents keep
them down. They regrouped and came back to win the NWSMT championship by 53
points over the second place finisher. “When you are racing you never want
to have a bad race. But is you look at the season that we had I cannot even
begin to say that they were bad races. Some races were just not up to our
normal par. It was still a great season. It tapered off there a little at
the end but then we got things back together and capitalized on Charlotte.”
Champion car owner, Howard Harvey stood tall as he celebrated his second
NWMT Car Owner Championship in a row. “I am very proud of the second
championship in a row. I think that we had a super season. We may have lost
a little bit at the end. But overall it was a good race season.”
In 2012, the Rifenburg Construction/Rustoleum Eddie Bohn owned race team
made the decision to compete with the NASCAR Southern Modifieds. It was the
right call for team’s driver Danny Bohn. Bohn had one pole and a win at
Caraway Speedway. He also captured the 2012 “Rookie of the Year” Award. “It
is an honor to be able to finish out the season second in points”, said Bohn
at the Champion Breakfast where he was honored as the 2012 rookie. “It is
tough because we have not been to a lot of the race tracks that the tour
races on. My dad has been around modifieds his whole life so he can throw a
setup in that will get us close just by watching stuff on the internet.
Hopefully next year we have only one way to go and that is forward. Next
year hopefully we come away with a championship.”
 Car
owner and crew chief Eddie Bohn used his modified expertise to provide his
son with a job that got the job done. Conquering the new tracks was a
challenge but the older Bohn expertise help the team make adjustments for a
front running car. “I think that he (Danny Bohn) did an awesome job. We both
went to tracks that we both never saw before. We pulled in there and look at
it and we hoped that we had the right setup. If we didn’t, we made changes
after practice. But he is a real good driver and can give you good feedback.
That makes the job easier as far as when you set the car up because he can
tell you how the car is going in every corner. You have two quick warm ups
and then you just do the best you can to get the car the way he like it.
With him giving us real good feedback it makes it easier on the crew chief
to makes the changes you need to make. He did one heck of a job this year
and I am proud of him.”
 Jason
Myers started off this year where he left off last year running as a front
contender. But even though he ran with the leaders, a tour win still eluded
Myers. Then with only four races left in this year’s race season, Myers
ended a 71-race winless drought with a NWSMT victory at Langley Speedway
Labor Day Weekend. The win though was not enough to catch the lead.
“It is exciting we had a really good season. We were second in points for a
long time so it kind of felt like we back tracked at the end of the season
and dropped back to third. But there are no complaints here. The competition
is so tough, I am just fortunate to be in the top three. We will try to do
better next year, “
Pam Myers is both a mother and car owner for the North Carolina family owned
modifieds. During this year’s race season she headed to the track ready to
support her sons and their racing careers. This year Jason Myers ran in
second place until he slipped back to third place at the finish of the year.
“Third place is great,” said Pam Myers. “We are not pleased with it, we are
happy with it. He has been third two years in a row and we are going to try
to move up at least one spot next year. But we are proud of Jason he has had
one of the best years that he has ever had. “
The 2012 race season has now come to an end and the 2013 schedule is
available for everyone to start their planning and dreams on what the New
Year will bring. Have a joyous, safe and happy holiday season and we will
see back in February as we head to Daytona Speedway for the Inaugural Race
At The Beach”.
Notes from Charlotte Night of Champion
Touring Awards (NWMT):
With two sons and two family owned cars competing on the same track, how
do you make the decision on which to follow?
Pam Myers
“It is harder than you can ever imagine unless you have gone through it.
People ask me who do I pull for and I pull for whoever is in the front. Even
I get on the radio channels asked Mom who are you going to listen to. So my
rule is whoever is closest to the front I will switch my radio channel to
and that is who I pull for. It is very difficult but we love it. That is
what we do.” |
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Source: Denise DuPont / TheChromeHorn.com
Posted: December
10, 2012 |
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