SOPHIA, N.C. - What a difference one race can make.
After finishing last in the season opener two weeks ago at Caraway Speedway in Sophia, N.C., Andy Seuss held off Eric Goodale on a green-white-checkered finish to win the Charles Kepley Memorial 150 Saturday in a return to Caraway.
When Seuss looks back on his 11th career NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour win at the track he will probably think of his crew first.
Seuss’ pit crew got him out of the pits first just in front of Goodale on lap 131, after a spin by Kyle Ebersole brought out the fifth caution flag of the race.
Ryan Preece rebounded from contact with JR Bertuccio on the final restart on lap 146 to finish third, with Bertuccio and Burt Myers completing the top five.
For most of the race it appeared Bertuccio was on his way to his third career tour win as he took the lead from Preece on lap 8 and remained out front until the leaders came in for the decisive pit stop.
It was the most laps the Centereach, NY, native had led in competition since he led 145 in his win last April at Southern National Motorsports Park in Kenly, NC.
Jason Myers finished sixth, and Ebersole able to work back through the field after his late spin to finish seventh. Frank Fleming, Gary Putnam and John Smith completed the top 10.
Seuss and the rest of the Southern Modified competitors will be in action next Saturday at Virginia's South Boston Speedway for the South Boston 150.
NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour
Caraway Speedway – Sophia, NC
Charles Kepley Memorial 150 – March 28, 2015
| Fin | Str | Car | Driver | Team | Laps | Points | B/Points | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 11 | Andy Seuss | Northeast Race Cars/Ideal Finance Chevrolet | 154 | 47 | 4 | Running |
| 2 | 13 | 58 | Eric Goodale | GAF Roofing/Supreme Skylights Chevrolet | 154 | 42 | Running | |
| 3 | 1 | 6 | Ryan Preece | East West Marine, NAPA Chevrolet | 154 | 42 | 1 | Running |
| 4 | 3 | 2 | JR Bertuccio | Gershow Recycling Chevrolet | 154 | 42 | 2 | Running |
| 5 | 6 | 1 | Burt Myers | Remington SCT/Citrusafe Ford | 154 | 39 | Running | |
| 6 | 8 | 4 | Jason Myers | Adams Towing & Recovery Ford | 154 | 38 | Running | |
| 7 | 2 | 5 | Kyle Ebersole | Ebersole Excavating Ford | 154 | 37 | Running | |
| 8 | 7 | 40 | Frank Fleming | Autos By Nelson/Lewisville Mtrs Chevrolet | 153 | 36 | Running | |
| 9 | 9 | 77 | Gary Putnam | Curb Records Chevrolet | 153 | 35 | Running | |
| 10 | 15 | 25 | John Smith | Rick's Home Improvement/Tutterow Surveying Co | 153 | 34 | Running | |
| 11 | 5 | 28 | George Brunnhoelzl, III | Composite Tech./Performance Tech. Chevrolet | 153 | 33 | Running | |
| 12 | 10 | 79 | Spencer Davis | Coors Light /Le Bleu Water/Davis Poultry Pontiac | 152 | 32 | Running | |
| 13 | 12 | 74 | Bobby Measmer, Jr. | Powerhouse Recycling, Lead 2 Relastate Chevrolet | 152 | 31 | Running | |
| 14 | 18 | 14 | Trey Hutchens, III * | All Star Truck and Trailer Repair Chevrolet | 151 | 30 | Running | |
| 15 | 19 | 12 | Mike Norman | Speedway Auto Actn/Nationwide Ins./H&H Auto Sales | 150 | 29 | Running | |
| 16 | 14 | 43 | David Calabrese | Diamond Back Towing Chevrolet | 145 | 28 | Running | |
| 17 | 16 | 8 | Dalton Baldwin | ChildrensDreamRacer.com Chevrolet | 143 | 27 | Running | |
| 18 | 11 | 32 | Tom Abele, Jr. | Dunleavy Truck and Trailer Repair Chevrolet | 131 | 26 | Accident | |
| 19 | 17 | 15 | Jeremy Gerstner | GMR Lawncare/Shady Grady Racing Chevrolet | 32 | 25 | Accident |
RACE STATISTICS
Fastest Qualifier: Ryan Preece, Time: 15.727 Seconds, Speed: 104.152 mph
Time of Race: 1 hrs., 5 mins, 44 secs Average Speed: 63.958 mph Margin of Victory: 0.241 Seconds
Caution Flags: Laps 14-16 (#28 Spun Backstretch); 26-31 (#32 Spun backstretch and #8 Spun turn 3); 33-38 (#15 and #43 Spun turn 1); 42-45 (#28 Spun turn 4, #4 and #25 involved); 131-144 (#5 Spun turn 2, #32 involved); 146-151 (#28 Spun turn 2, #2 involved). 6 for 39 laps.
Lap Leaders: Ryan Preece 1-7, JR Bertuccio 8-16, Ryan Preece 17, JR Bertuccio 18-135, Andy Seuss 136-154.
Total Laps Led: JR Bertuccio 127, Andy Seuss 19, Ryan Preece 8. 4 changes involving 3 drivers.
Top 10 Driver Points: Eric Goodale 89, Jason Myers 81, Burt Myers 77, JR Bertuccio 76, John Smith 75, Andy Seuss 72, Ryan Preece 72, Gary Putnam 72, Frank Fleming 72, Bobby Measmer, Jr. 70
* Denotes Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender
