HAMPTON, Va. - After a John Smith spin in turn 2 on lap 45, Burt Myers was forced to the pits to change a cut right rear tire. He thought the early setback ended any chance for a decent finish. He was mistaken.
Myers piloted his No. 1 Remington SCT/Citrusafe/Speedway Auto Auction Ford into first place on lap 88 of the Pepsi 150 at Langley Speedway in Hampton, Va. and never relinquished the lead, capturing his second consecutive win at the southern Virginia oval and first victory of the 2015 season. The win gives Myers, the 2010 NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour champion, a total of 16 career wins on the Tour.
Kyle Ebersole, driving the No. 5 Ebersole Excavating Ford, elected to stay on track as the leaders pitted during cautions at various points during the race, waiting until lap 140 to get his new tire. He returned to the track in fifth position with seven laps remaining in the race, then worked his way to second with two to go, but was unable to catch Myers and finished in the runner up spot.
George Brunnhoelzl III started from the pole and led the first third of the race, until pitting after the third caution. He ran in the top five throughout the race but had to settle for a third place finish.
Defending Southern Modified Tour champion Andy Seuss finished fourth, and Frank Fleming kept his streak of top-10 finishes at Langley Speedway intact with a fifth place result.
Jason Myers, J.R. Bertuccio, Jeremy Gerstner, Gary Putnam, and Bobby Measmer, Jr. rounded out the top 10.
Burt Myers, Brunnhoelzl, and Ebersole were the only three lap leaders for the race, and a total of four caution flags were displayed.
Unofficially, the new season championship points leader is Burt Myers, followed by JR Bertuccio and Jason Myers.
The NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour begins its spring break and will return to action on July 4 at Caraway Speedway.
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
Langley Speedway – Hampton, VA
Pepsi 150 – April 11, 2015
| Fin | Str | Car | Driver | Team | Laps | Points | B/Points | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 1 | Burt Myers | Remington SCT/Citrusafe Ford | 150 | 47 | 4 | Running |
| 2 | 4 | 5 | Kyle Ebersole | Ebersole Excavating Ford | 150 | 43 | 1 | Running |
| 3 | 1 | 28 | George Brunnhoelzl, III | Dunleavy’s Truck and Trailer Repair/Comp. Tech | 150 | 43 | 2 | Running |
| 4 | 2 | 11 | Andy Seuss | Northeast Race Cars/Ideal Finance Chevrolet | 150 | 41 | 1 | Running |
| 5 | 13 | 40 | Frank Fleming | Autos By Nelson/Lewisville Mtrs Chevrolet | 150 | 39 | Running | |
| 6 | 5 | 4 | Jason Myers | Adams Towing & Recovery Ford | 150 | 38 | Running | |
| 7 | 8 | 2 | JR Bertuccio | Gershow Recycling Chevrolet | 149 | 37 | Running | |
| 8 | 12 | 15 | Jeremy Gerstner | GMR Lawncare/Shady Grady Racing Chevrolet | 149 | 36 | Running | |
| 9 | 9 | 77 | Gary Putnam | Curb Records Chevrolet | 149 | 35 | Running | |
| 10 | 6 | 74 | Bobby Measmer, Jr. | Powerhouse Recycling, Lead 2 Real Estate Chevrolet | 149 | 34 | Running | |
| 11 | 14 | 43 | David Calabrese | Diamond Back Towing Chevrolet | 148 | 33 | Running | |
| 12 | 11 | 25 | John Smith | Rick’s Home Improvement/Tutterow Surveying Co | 148 | 32 | Running | |
| 13 | 15 | 14 | Trey Hutchens, III * | Wix Filters/All Star Truck & Trailer Repair Chevrolet | 148 | 31 | Running | |
| 14 | 10 | 79 | Spencer Davis | Coors Light 21 Means 21/Hillbilly Racing/LeBlue | 146 | 30 | Running | |
| 15 | 7 | 32 | Tom Abele, Jr. | Dunleavy’s Truck and Trailer Repair Chevrolet | 32 | 29 | Accident |
RACE STATISTICS
Fastest Qualifier: George Brunnhoelzl, III, Time: 14.931 Seconds, Speed: 95.479 mph
Time of Race: 51 mins, 52 secs Average Speed: 68.715 mph Margin of Victory: 0.154 Seconds
Caution Flags: Laps 38-41 (#15 Spun Turn 2); 45-48 (#25 Spun Turn 1); 60-69 (#79 and #32 Spun Turn 4); 137-142 (#25 Spun Turn 3). 4 for 24 laps.
Lap Leaders: George Brunnhoelzl, III 1-66, Andy Seuss 67, Kyle Ebersole 68-87, Burt Myers 88-150.
Total Laps Led: George Brunnhoelzl, III 66, Burt Myers 63, Kyle Ebersole 20, Andy Seuss 1. 3 changes involving 4 drivers.
* Denotes Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender
http://accesswdun.com/article/2015/4/303072/burt-myers-scores-nascar-southern-mod-win-at-langley