It was George Brunnhoelzl III who picked up his second win of the season in the 150 lap race feature at South Boston Speedway. Otherwise known as GB3, Brunnhoelzl was the series most recent winner at Concord Speedway where he pulled off a late race winning pass to notch his first victory of the 2016 race season.
Looking to capitalize on the momentum, Brunnhoelzl and team came to South Boston Speedway where this time, the absence of late race heroics were replaced by great pit work and tire management was the difference. Though there was only eleven mods in competition, there was nothing short of great racing and several lead changes before this race was ever settled.
The afternoon was windy and chilly as time trails began, when qualifying was completed it was Burt Myers on pole with a fast lap set at 14.870 sec or 96.839 mph. George Brunnhoelzl III would start shotgun on row one of the field just three thousandths off the pole time of Myers. Kyle Bonsignore, Andy Seuss and Danny Bohn completed the five best on the grid. Further on back was Jason Myers, Kyle Ebersole, Gary Putnam and Ritchie Pallai Jr who were the final positions filled on the grid who qualified on time.
Racing was underway as eleven thunderous Southern Modified’s received the green flag to start the race. With the most unique, throat gulping sounds of a Southern Modified race engine, Burt Myers showed the field into turn one and securing the point. Brunnhoelzl immediately fell in line to give chase and gage the leader to see how hard to push.
On back, Seuss, Bonsignore and Jason Myers were the early movers in the field as well. The races first caution waved as Austin Pickens and Ritchie Pallai got together on lap thirty-one. Back to green flag racing and the race had its first lead change as George Brunnhoelzl worked pass Burt Myers for the lead. After several attempts to run down the leader, Burt Myers finally caught the leader and was able to get by Brunnhoelzl who at this point was showing signs of losing the handling of his ride as lap eighty went up on the board.
But on back and running much faster lap times was Andy Suess who got by the P2 car of GB3 and on lap ninety-eight over took Myers to become the third race leader of the afternoon. Just as Seuss was enjoying his time out front of the field, race teams were working up pit strategy scenarios and coming in for that all important new tire and adjustments. But all that went away on lap one ten of the event as Austin Pickens finds trouble once again pointing the wrong way for yet another race caution.
Andy Seuss would win the race off pit road and bring the field to the green for the lap one fifteen restart. After making quick work of Bonsignore, Seuss was on point. Brunnhoelzl soon made quick work as well of the second place car to take that spot on the grid and set his sights on the leader. Lap by lap those sights got bigger for Brunnhoelzl and on lap one twenty-four, GB3 would retake the lead. Soon after the race would see its final caution as Danny Bohn finds trouble. Bunching the field together again, the green flag would wave as lap one thirty-one goes on the board.
Easily securing the point, Brunnhoelzl was the race leader as Burt Myers worked around Seuss for second. Myers would try to mount a charge but GB3 proved to be a bit better at the end and went on to win his second NWSMT series victory at South Boston Speedway. Burt Myers, Andy Seuss, Kyle Bonsignore and Danny Bohn made up the races five best. Southern Modified race action once again picks back up as the series travels next week April 16th to Caraway Speedway for another one hundred and fifty lap showdown.
Race Results:
1 #28 George Brunnhoelzl III
2 #1 Burt Myers
3 #11 Andy Seuss
4 #22 Kyle Bonsignore
5 #40 Danny Bohn
6 #77 Gary Putnam
7 #5 Kyle Ebersole
8 #33 Austin Pickens
9 #4 Jason Myers
10 #79 Ritchie Pallai Jr
11 #74 Bobby Measmer Jr