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Year In Review: Whelen Southern Modifieds

After winning the 2009 NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour championship, George Brunnhoelzl III decided to return to his roots in 2010 and race in his native northeast. After a year away, the driver returned to the southern tour and picked up where he left off by winning yet another title.

Brunnhoelzl’s championship run was just one of the many stories that played out during one of the most successful seasons in the history of the tour in 2011.

VIDEO: George Brunnhoelzl III Championship | PHOTOS: Top Images from the 2011 NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour

Déjà Vu: After creating a résumé that many thought couldn’t be topped during his first championship season in 2009, Brunnhoelzl one-upped himself in 2011. The West Babylon, N.Y., native won his second title on the strength of five wins and a top-10 finish in every race during the season. He also led the most laps (544) and led at least one lap in six of the 14 races. In the process Brunnhoelzl delivered the first championship for new car owner Howard Harvey.

What If They Were Together The Entire Season: After starting the season driving the No. 44 Chevrolet, Andy Seuss moved into the No. 11 Chevrolet of Ideal Racing in July and success quickly followed. The Seuss-Eddie Harvey partnership produced immediate results, highlighted by back-to-back wins at Caraway and Langley Speedways. No driver accrued more points from July until the end of the season than Seuss.

Dream Team: No other team came close to matching the success of the father-son tandem of car owners Howard and Eddie Harvey in 2011. Ideal Racing won eight of the 14 races on the schedule with Brunnhoelzl picking up five and Seuss three. The two teams also finished first and second in the final point standings. Ideal Racing cars led a total of 915 laps out of a possible 2,134 (43%).

Sign Of Things To Come: Jason Myers is no stranger to the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour, but 2011 was a season where the Walnut Cove, N.C., driver was one of the most consistent performers. Myers completed of 2,132 out of a possible 2,134 (99.9%) laps and collected a career-high 12 top-10 finishes. Many wonder if this season’s performance is a preview of what he will do in 2012.

Family Tradition: Austin Pack knew he had to live up to expectations, and this third-generation NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour competitor didn’t disappoint in 2011. Pack’s grandfather, Gene, and late father, Brian, enjoyed consistent top-10 finishes while competing on the tour and the youngest of the racing family wanted to make both of them proud this season. Austin won Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors and finished the season eighth in the season-ending point standings despite missing a race at Hickory in April after a practice crash ended his day early.

Memorable Events: Brunnhoelzl saved his best for last to win the Hickory 150 on April 2 at Hickory Motor Speedway. Brunnhoelzl started third on the Lap 151 restart in a green-white-checkered finish and he passed James Civali to collect his second win of the season. The race featured six lead changes among six drivers, and Brunnhoelzl led just the final two laps of the event. … Another standout event of 2011 was the inaugural UNOH Showdown at Thompson International Speedway in Connecticut, which marked the first time a Whelen Southern Modified Tour event had been held north of Virginia. The southern tour portion of the special event featured a wild finish that sent Brunnhoelzl to Victory Lane after race leader Steve Masse was black flagged for jumping the restart with six laps to go. … While Whelen Southern Modified Tour driver is still searching for that elusive first checkered flag in the annual combination race with the Whelen Modified Tour at Bristol Motor Speedway, Frank Fleming had a memorable run in the 2011 edition. As the highest southern finisher in the race – eighth overall – Fleming scored his first Whelen Southern Modified Tour victory in his 78th career start.