George Brunnhoelzl III Battles Back to Fourth at Orange County

George Brunnhoelzl III Battles Back to Fourth at Orange County

Late Race Wreck Turns Finish Into Uphill Ride for #28 Team

The 2009 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season couldn't get started soon enough for George Brunnhoelzl, III. The Long Island native got his own season started one week early by entering the ASA Modified race at Orange County Speedway (NC). The decision was a good one, as Brunnhoelzl finished the race in the fourth position.

But getting to the finish wasn't easy. Brunnhoelzl started the race in the seventh position, moved all of the way up to second place, got caught in a wreck on lap 89 of 125 and still made it back to the top five by the time that day was over.

That march was an exciting one for Brunnhoelzl too, as he passed fellow Long Island native J.R. Bertuccio for the fourth position on the final lap.

“It's a shame because we definitely had a car to win today. We came from the back to the front. At the start of the race we started seventh and came right up to second. We had an even better car after we pitted. I was just saving my tires though and biding my time.

"I hate to place blame on anybody but between the lapped cars not abiding by it, Silkie making a move that he felt he had to and getting into them, it caused a big pileup and I got collected in it. It's just a combination of the two but the lapped cars shouldn't have been there to begin with anyway.”

Brunnhoelzl's Modified did suffer some damage from the incident.

“They were asking what was wrong. I knew the steering was still connected and didn't break and the left front was flat. I couldn't tell what else was wrong so I got out to see what was wrong. Both front wheels were destroyed and the toewas knocked out. Even after that if we had more time we still would have been right there contending for the win.