George Brunnhoelzl III is Back on Tour and Back on Top
GBIII Wins First Race Back on NASCAR Whelen Southern Mod Tour With Ideal Racing at Caraway
George Brunnhoelzl III may have taken a year away from the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour in 2010 after winning the series’ title in 2009, but he certainly did not forget how to end up in victory lane. The former champion made his triumphant return to the WSMT Sunday afternoon in his first ride for team owner Howard Harvey’s Ideal Racing team by winning the Spring Classic 150 at North Carolina’s Caraway Speedway.
The Long Island native-turned-North Carolinian Brunnhoelzl spent the 2010 season on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, racing mostly in the Northeast. He partnered up with Howard, who was a longtime car owner back in the Northeastern Modified ranks, before the 2011 season as a teammate to Zach Brewer, Howard’s driver in 2010. The new team, with some help from Brunnhoelzl’s 2009 Championship crew, got the third-generation racer back into WSMT victory lane.
“To win in the first race back on the Tour with a new team is awesome,” said Brunnhoelzl after his seventh career NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour win and fourth at Caraway. “My dad (George Brunnhoelzl, Jr.) did great with the car getting it right for me. PT motors, that’s a huge powerplant under the hood. You can’t outrun horsepower. My teammate Zach Brewer had a good run going and I know he was running top five. It was a great crowd, probably the best crowd I’ve seen here, so it’s a great day.”
Brunnhoelzl started third in the #09 Phoenix Pre-Owned/Triad Auto Sales Chevrolet and remained amongst the lead pack throughout the first 100-plus laps. He had several opportunities to lead the Spring Classic 150, but instead patiently waited for the right opportunity. Then, on lap 120, the right opportunity fell in his lap.
Running third, Brunnhoelzl watched as the top-two cars, Brian Loftin and L.W. Miller, collided with one another battling for the race lead. The resulting spin for both racers handed Brunnhoelzl the lead that he would not relinquish.
“I don’t want to point fingers or anything, but certain people race certain ways and they just got together,” said Brunnhoelzl. “They went into (turns) one and two side-by-side and I was on L.W.’s bumper. They were bouncing off each other. I backed off a little bit and the next thing I saw was both of them turning left.”
Brunnhoelzl checked out over the final laps and held off veteran WSMT racer Tim Brown down the stretch to the checkered flag.
The next event for George Brunnhoelzl III comes on April 2nd, at Hickory (NC) Motor Speedway.
For more information on George Brunnhoelzl III, contact 51 Sports at (704) 785-4013 and be sure to visit GeorgeBrunnhoelzl.com.
