George Brunnhoelzl III To Return To L.I. Racing Roots at Riverhead Season Opener

Normally the pre-season practice sessions staged at Riverhead Raceway do not yield much in the way of big news items but that was not the case this past Saturday afternoon at the historic oval. Former 4-time NASCAR Modified champion Bill Park of Manorville announced George Brunnhoelzl III, 32 of Mooresville, NC, a four time champion in his own right on the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour, would drive the always immaculate and fast Team Park machine for the May 2nd Twin 30’s.

Going into the 2015 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series season at Riverhead Bill Park already knew he’d have two former NASCAR Whelen Northern Modified Tour champions share the seat in the East West Marine Chevy with Ryan Preece of Berlin, Ct. and Ron Silk of Norwalk, Ct. but neither driver was able to commit to the Riverhead Raceway opener. Enter George Brunnhoelzl III, a West Babylon, L.I. native who does not have another NWSMT race until June 4th and the deal was struck for George to make his racing homecoming in Park’s Merkel Race Engines Chevy. George will actually be at Riverhead this Saturday April 25th for the second pre-season practice day to get acclimated with Team Park.

Prior to scoring some 22 NWSMT event wins and 4 championships Brunnhoelzl is one of many drivers who began their racing careers in the former Eastern Kart Racing Association that for many years ran races contested on Sunday afternoons at Riverhead. When he gets ready to race May 2nd he’ll once again race against his cousin Eddie Brunnhoelzl III of Levittown, another EKRA racing alumni. Together the duo is the third generation of the racing Brunnhoelzl family which is without question the most recognizable name over decades of L.I. racing. The cousins last raced side by side in 2011 at Riverhead in a weekly NASCAR Whelen All American Series event.

Shawn Solomito of Islip, the defending winner of the opening night Twin 30 NASCAR Modified events, is expected to be on hand in Wayne Anderson’s entry, he too along with his racing brothers Timmy and Jerry Jr. are EKRA graduates. Both Timmy and Jerry are expected to compete May 2nd as well.

For George Brunnhoelzl III the only thing that will make his racing homecoming complete would be to drive the Bill & Barbara Park NASCAR Modified into Riverhead Raceway victory lane May 2nd sweeping both Twin 30 events as Solomito did in 2014.