Myers Goes Back-to-Back
with North South Shootout
The South rose again at the 7th Annual John
Blewett III Memorial North-South Shootout on Saturday night as
Burt Myers of Walnut Cove, NC, successfully defended his
North-South Shootout championship. It was the second straight
victory for Myers in Shootout Modified competition at the annual
event. By virtue of his victory Myers earned $13,080 in prize
money and contingencies.
Matt Hirschman of Northampton, PA, made history with his victory
in the SK-Type Modified event on Saturday. Hirschman, a previous
Tour Modified victor, became the first driver to win in both the
Tour-Type and SK-Type Modifieds. Just days after losing his son
in a tragic accident, Jeff Fultz of Troutman, NC, bested a
talent-laden field of Super Late Models to score the WearCrete
North-South Shootout victory. Dave Steele of Tampa, FL was
victorious in the Tampa Bay Area Racing Association (TBARA)
Sprint car debut at the Shootout. A pair of NJ natives combined
to take the Vintage action at the Shootout. Pete Brittain of
Oakhurst, NJ, and Anthony Colosimo of Red Bank, NJ were winners
in Vintage Modified and Vintage Sportsman divisions
respectively.
With his victory on Saturday night, Burt Myers became the second
driver to score back-to-back Shootout Tour-Type Modified
victories. He now joins the late John Blewett III and Matt
Hirschman as two-time winners of the event. Myers took the lead
from Matt Hirschman on lap eight and would never be headed.
Quick work by his pit crew during a mandatory pit stop at lap 70
had Myers in position to win the event. Myers dominated the
competition by leading 118 of the 125 lap race.
An incident on lap four that began with contact between the
leaders, pole sitter Chuck Hossfeld and Matt Hirschman, caused a
chain reaction that collected a number of cars including
contenders Hossfeld and Les Hinckley. George Brunnhoelzl III,
Eric Beers, Bobby Grigas, and Ted Christopher were among others
involved. On the restart Myers sat second. It only took a
handful of laps before taking the lead.
Over the later portion of the event Myers was chased by Rowan
Pennink but never really challenged. Newly crowned Whelen
Southern Modified Tour champion Brunnhoelzl was on the move;
looking to be a serious contender for the win. His progress was
halted when a flat tire sent him to pit road. Brunnhoelzl put on
a show working his way back toward the front. Doug Coby
recovered from an early race incident to run inside the top
three.
Myers went on to score a popular win in front of a solid and
clearly Southern skewed crowd. Pennink continued his strong 2009
season with a runner-up finish. The hard-charging Coby earned a
podium finish in third. Matt Hirschman and Jamie Tomaino
completed the top five.
A total of 44 Modifieds attempted to qualify for the John
Blewett III Memorial North-South Shootout.
Matt Hirschman of Northampton, PA, a two-time Shootout Modified
winner, jumped aboard the Bob Horn #58 SK-Modified to make
history. Hirschman came out on top of a highly competitive main
event to win the SK-Type Modified 50-lapper; becoming the first
driver to double up in Shootout competition.
In the SK-Type Modifieds it was a duel of the double-duty
drivers. Pole sitter Ryan Preece, driving the #99 usually
piloted by Woody Pitkat, and Hirschman duked it out for the lead
for much of the race with Ronnie Silk in tow. The two went
wheel-to-wheel lap after lap as first Silk and then Coby lurked.
A classic dual for the win was thwarted when Preece went
spinning on lap 42. The spin left Hirschman on his own as he
went on to score the victory. The strong Shootout performance by
Doug Coby started with a runner-up finish in the SK-Type
Modified main event.
Ted Christopher had problems with his #00 early in the race
forcing him down pit road. After restarting deep in the pack,
Christopher methodically picked his way through the field and to
a third-place finish. Steven Reed, who was presented with the
Racing Electronics SK Bonus as the highest finishing SK only
driver, came home in fourth. Silk faded in the closing laps to
finish in the fifth position.
The Super Late Models are not a rare sight at Concord Speedway
but the 7th Annual North-South Shootout provided some variety to
the full-fendered division. The WearCrete Diamond Concrete
Polishing 125 saw some new faces as the CRA Super Series hosted
race teams from as far away as Canada, California, Michigan and
Tennessee and from as close by as Charlotte, NC, to take part in
the event. Local and sentimental favorite Jeff Fultz of
Troutman, NC, proved to be the class of the field as he took the
lead on lap 53 and never looked back.
A crowd of crew members, fans, and well-wishers greeted Fultz at
the start finished line after he took down the victory. The
well-deserved and much need victory was capped off by a series
of impressive burnouts. Fultz was racing with a heavy heart
after an automobile accident claimed the life of his son only
days prior.
John VanDoorn chased Fultz to the checkers. Early leader and
Fultz teammate Cassius Clark also posted a podium finish.
Hometown driver Preston Peltier of Concord, NC, finished fourth.
Showing a talent beyond his years, 13-year old Chase Elliott
used poise and patience to complete the top-five . Brian Ickler,
driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports had a disappointing
performance to finish 19.
7th Annual John Blewett III Memorial Town & Country Ford
North-South Shootout ™
presented by Cabarrus County Visitors Bureau & Capital Bank
MODIFIED FEATURE FINISH: 1. #1 Burt Myers, Walnut Cove, NC; 2.
#93 Rowan Pennink, Huntingdon Station, PA; 3. #19 Doug Coby,
Milford, CT; 4. #60 Matt Hirschman, Northampton, PA; 5. #99
Jamie Tomaino, Howell, NJ; 6. #28 George Brunnhoelzl III,
Mooresville, NC; 7. #58 Eric Goodale, Riverhead, NY; 8. #36
Jimmy Zacharias, Candor, NY; 9. #66 Pete Brittain, Oakhurst, NJ;
10. #11 Anthony Sesely, Matawan, NJ; 11. #25 Zane Zeiner, Bath,
PA; 12. #12 Keith Rocco, Wallingford, CT; 13. #88 Woody Pitkat,
Stafford Springs, CT; 14. #3s Daren Scherer, Binghamton, NY; 15.
#659 Danny Bohn, Huntersville, NC; 16. #42 Dave Pecko, Vandling,
PA; 17. #31 Gene Pack, Myrtle Beach, SC; 18. #21K George Kent,
Elmira, NY; 19. #44K Rick Kluth, Brockport, NY; 20. #40P Ryan
Preece, Kensington, CT; 21. #45B Eric Beers, N. Hampton, PA; 22.
#3M Jeff Malave, S. Windsor, CT; 23. #4 Jason Myers, Walnut
Cove, NC; 24. #6 Josh Nichols, Cleveland, NC; 25. #00 Ted
Christopher, Plainville, CT; 26. #47 Andy Seuss, Hampstead, NH;
27. #2 JR Bertuccio, Statesville, NC; 28. #40F Frank Fleming,
Mount Airy, NC; 29. #8 Earl Paules, Palmerton, PA; 30. #22 Chuck
Hossfeld, Lockport, NY; 31. #06 Les Hinckley, Windsor Locks, CT;
32. #09 Bobby Grigas III, Marshfield, MA; 33. #79 James Civali,
Meriden, CT
Super Late Model North-South Shootout 125 presented by WearCrete
Diamond Concrete Polishing Feature Finish (125-laps): 1. Jeff
Fultz, Troutman, NC; 2. John VanDoorn, Coopersville, MI; 3.
Cassius Clark, Farmington, ME; 4. Preston Peltier, Concord, NC;
5. Chase Elliott, Dawsonville, GA; 6. Ryan Blaney, High Point,
NC; 7. Bobby Measmer Jr., Concord, NC; 8. Cooper Fassin, Monroe,
NC; 9. Jeff Choquette, Mooresville, NC; 10. Mark Reedy,
Kannapolis, NC; 11. James Edwards, Concord, NC; 12. Logan
Dernoshek, Charlotte, NC; 13. David Latour Jr., Advance, NC; 14.
Max Gresham, Griffin, GA; 15. David Russell, Clarence Center,
NY; 16. Terry Horak, Myrtle Beach, SC; 17. Dean Slappey,
Concord, NC; 18. Tony Black, Lexington, NC; 19. Brian Ickler,
San Diego, CA; 20. John Long, Niles, MI; 21. Dylan Presnell,
Sevierville, TN; 22. Johnathan Hicken, Prince Edward Island,
CAN; 23. Mason Mingus, Brentwood, TN; 24. Johanna Long,
Pensacola, FL; 25. Clay Jones, Goldsboro, NC; 26. Lanny Graham,
Salisbury, NC.
7th Annual John Blewett III Memorial Town & Country Ford
North-South Shootout ™ presented by Cabarrus County Visitors
Bureau & Capital Bank SK-TYPE MODIFIED FEATURE FINISH: 1. #58
Matt Hirschman, Northampton, PA;2. #10 Doug Coby, Milford, CT;
3. #00 Ted Christopher, Plainville, CT; 4. #55 Steven Reed,
Freehold, NJ; 5. #12 Ronnie Silk, Norwalk, CT; 6. #93 Rowan
Pennink, Huntington Station, PA; 7. #48 Rick Kluth, Brockport,
NY; 8. #57 Keith Rocco, Wallingford, CT; 9. #4 Ron Yuhas, Jr.,
Groton, CT; 10. #91 Shawn Carrig, Little Falls, NJ; 11. #66
Woody Pitkat, Stafford Springs, CT; 12. #9 Eric Beers,
Northampton, PA; 13. #99 Ryan Preece, Kensington, CT; 14. #2
Gerry Gradl, Jr., Getzulle, NY; 15. #44 T.J Zacharias, Candor,
NY; 16. #03 Patrick Emerling, Orchard Park, NY; 17. #22 Dan
Kurzejewski, Mansfield, PA; 18. #45 Gary Young, Jr., Burlington,
NC; 19. #79 Kerry Malone, Needham, MA; 20. #98 Craig Dolphin, N.
Tonawanda, NY; 21. #16 Anthony Sesely, Matawan, NJ; 22. #87 Mike
Speeny, Newtown, PA; 23. #71 Jimmy Zacharias, Candor, NY.
Source: Dale Wolbrink/North
South Shootout PR
Posted: November
8, 2009
