BRUNNHOELZL BACK TO TRADITION FOR 2007 SOUTHERN MODIFIED TOUR

BRUNNHOELZL BACK TO TRADITION FOR 2007 SOUTHERN MODIFIED TOUR

Young Racer Chasing WSMT Title in the Cars that Made His Family’s Name Well-Known

If one was to look up the name Brunnhoelzl in the short track racing encyclopedia, the exact spelling of the name may be a tough one to get a hold of, but once the Brunnhoelzl entry was found, there would most likely be a picture of a Modified right there with it.

As open-wheeled Modified racing evolved, the Brunnhoelzls were a part of it. Whether it was behind the wheel or turning wrenches, if Modifieds were on the track, there was likely a Brunnhoelzl in the pits.

George Brunnhoelzl III followed the Modified path that was paved by his dad, George Jr., and seemingly every other member of his family over three generations. Brunnhoelzl would work on his family’s Modifieds while living on Long Island, New York, helping the family at the track at places like Riverhead Raceway before getting behind the wheel of a 600-horsepower Modified for himself in 1999. Once he graduated high school and moved to North Carolina to further his career and help out the family business of building jacks and other pit equipment, Brunnhoelzl kept wheeling his Modified “groundpounder” in Southern Modified racing circuits.

After a stint in the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series, George Brunnhoelzl III is back behind the wheel of a Modified for the 2007 NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour season that kicks off March 24th at Caraway Speedway (NC). Back in a Modified full-time this season is exactly where this generation of Brunnhoelzl wants to be.

“I’m really looking forward to the new season, because I just love driving the Modified,” said Brunnhoelzl. “It’s so much fun to drive. I’m looking forward to continuing the Modified tradition. It’s where my family has been forever. The Brunnhoelzls have been associated with the Modifieds for something like 60 years. No matter where I go or how far I take this racing thing, Modifieds are always going to be a big part of my life and my whole family’s life.

“I remember when I was a little kid going out to work on the racecar with dad and be out there all hours of the night. We’d get a couple hours of sleep maybe, then wake up, go eat some cold pizza, and go back out to the shop to work on the car.”

Being back in the Modified is not the only thing that makes Brunnhoelzl excited about the new year, either. In recent seasons, Brunnhoelzl had competed in the ultra-competitive Pro Cup ranks. He would consistently run up front, but neither the good luck nor the strong finishes were as consistent as he and his team would have liked. That’s why this year, being back in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour, is a refreshing change of pace for the young racer.

“There’s a whole different approach to this season than we’ve had in the last few years. There’s a lot less pressure going into this deal than there was when we were running the Pro Cup car. I’m back to racing for the fun of it this year.”

Even though there’s less pressure on him, he is not about to underestimate the strength of the Southern Modified Tour.

“There’s a lot of competition in the Southern Modified Tour, but hopefully we can pick up where we left off four years ago with the Modified and finish strong in the top three as much as we can and hopefully win a few races.”

Brunnhoelzl made a name for himself in the Pro Cup ranks, but even before that, he was continuing the Brunnhoelzl Modified racing tradition. He was the 1999 Riverhead Raceway Rookie of the Year and was a strong competitor on the Southern Modified Auto Racing Tour (SMART) circuit from 2000 through 2002. Last year, Brunnhoelzl broke out the Modified that he had so much success with in the past and ran up front in select Whelen Southern Mod Tour starts and in open shows like the Mason-Dixon Meltdown at South Boston Speedway (VA). This time, however, Brunnhoelzl will be chasing the full schedule, ready to continue the line of success that started 60-something years ago on Long Island.

“This is the same car I’ve had for five years, the same one I’ve always run down here. The car may be the same, but the competition has really improved since the SMART days. The cars are not necessarily going faster these days, but there are a lot more cars that are capable of going fast in the Southern Modified Tour.

“I’d like to pretty much end the season in the hunt for the championship this year. I’d love to maybe run a couple of Northern Tour races this year, but it’s all going to depend on how we’re doing down here. We want to go after the championship, so that’s what we’re going to focus on, and I think we’ll have a good year as long as we get a little luck and keep the car in one piece.”