HAMPSTEAD, New Hampshire — After the Riggs Racing team disbanded at the conclusion of the 2010 NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour season, Andy Seuss was not sure what he would be doing next. He started out the 2011 season with a partial schedule ride down South and made spot starts for his family’s Modified team in various Northern races. He’s also been learning the craft of winged Sprint Car racing by running several Sprint Car of New England events on dirt.
"We’ve all become real close over the past few years."— Andy Seuss
It wasn’t until this summer when Seuss joined the team owned by Eddie and Howard Harvey though that he really found a new home. Seuss also brought several crew members from his Northern team and the Riggs Racing operation with them for a more familiar field. Together, everyone got to take a trip to victory lane on Friday night at Caraway Speedway (NC) as Seuss scored his first victory of 2011 in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour event there.
“I thought that I had a great team last year, but now with these teams combined, it’s just awesome,” said Seuss. “It’s a dream come true. Three months ago, I didn’t even know if I had a ride any more. I thought that I might be spending my Saturdays working on boats. Now, we’re really happy. That really breathed some new life not only just into myself, but everyone up in Martinsville, Virginia at Riggs Racing.”
The Riggs team, which was one of the most accomplished teams in the history of Southern Modified racing, was led by the father and son combination of David and Jeff Riggs. Late in 2010, Jeff Riggs passed away unexpectedly – shocking the tight-knit team of family and friends.
On Friday night, several members of the Riggs family returned to the track. The Harvey team borrowed Riggs Racing’s old reliable Modified, which Seuss won with at Caraway in 2010, and hopes were high that a repeat victory was possible. Seuss delivered and got to remember Jeff in the same victory lane where the two stood one year ago.
“David was in victory lane, Jeff’s wife Pamela was here tonight and Margaret, who is David’s wife, was here,” said Seuss. “We’ve all become real close over the past few years. Even away from the track, being at their home with their family is something that I really enjoy.
“We are treating David Riggs’ car as a second car at Ideal Racing. To bring that to victory is awesome. We were fastest in practice, with just limited practice. Then we qualified on the pole. Then we won the race in our first race back with the car. It was clipped after Charlotte (the final event of the 2010 season). We definitely had some help from above.”
Seuss won the pole for the Caraway race and backed that accomplishment up by leading 114 of the race’s 150 laps.
“Tonight we came ready to win and that’s what we have to do every week,” said Seuss. “We were fastest in practice, but I really didn’t know how the car would be on a long run. I wasn’t worried about those bonus points, I wanted to win here tonight. But we ended up leading the most laps. So that worked out anyways.”
Making the victory even more special was the fact that Seuss’ teammate, George Brunnhoelzl, III, finished second – making history for the Harveys’ team.
“This is the first time at Ideal Racing to finish first and second. We’ve done second and third as well as first and third, but this is the first one-two finish.”
Seuss and Brunnhoelzl have battled for race victories and even a championship before. It’s always been a friendly rivalry though and now they are a great fit as teammates. After Seuss won, Brunnhoelzl was one of the first people to shake his hand. Meanwhile, Seuss (who currently sits fifth in the NASCAR WSMT standings) is pulling for Brunnhoelzl to win the 2011 driver’s championship. The race for the team championship is a little bit of a different story though. Both Ideal Racing teams are in the hunt for that crown.
“We are really good friends,” said Seuss. “We talk on the phone and text. It’s been awesome and I didn’t know how having a teammate would be to be honest. He’s been incredible, both he and his father. They’ve helped this whole team out. It’s pretty neat.
“My teammate has a great run going for a championship. That’s great because I really want to see him go and do that. But, on the flip side, the race for the owner’s championship is tight. It’s close. There is a real race between father and son over who has the best team this year.”
And with six events still left on the schedule, more race victories for the team are definitely a possibility. After all, they won after just a few races together.
“Things are really happening now,” said Seuss with a smile.
Seuss and the #11 Ideal Racing team will return to action this Saturday night as the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour visits Langley Speedway (VA).
