REX KING SR. TAKES TRI-CITY WIN
Rex King, Sr. took the biggest payday so far this season on the BRP/Hoosier Tire Modified Tour, opening the Oil Region Labor Day Classic weekend at Tri-City Speedway. Unfortunately, a substantial chunk of his winnings will be used to repair the heavy damage sustained by his son, Rex, Jr. in a major wreck early in the A Main.
The luck of the draw placed Joe Crawford and Rex King, Sr. on the front row for the 40 lap feature dedicated to the memory of former Modified Tour Board member, Roy Sanner, and his companion, Eva Struthers. They were killed earlier this season in a motorcycle accident. Friends, family and fans were allowed to show their support for them in a memorial walk just before the start of the A Main. This also permitted them to mingle with the racers who were assembled on the front stretch.
Crawford took the lead entering turn one and went to his favored high groove. That left the bottom open for King Sr. He powered off turn two with the lead. Crawford battled back to regain the lead, but he drifted a bit too high, allowing King to slip past him again coming off turn two. Although Crawford stayed close, King led lap two in what appeared to be a 40-round heavyweight bought.
As the leaders completed that lap, a major wreck occurred coming off turn four. Bryan Swartzlander and Rex King, Jr. got together while fighting for positions in the middle of the tightly bunched pack. Swartzlander spun to the apron, but King Jr. was crosswise in the groove. Steve Feder was coming through the turn with a full head of steam and had no place to go. He struck the disabled King car and dealt it a mortal blow. Feder turned over in the process. Amazingly, no other cars were collected in the melee. All three drivers were unhurt, but the damge to their cars was too sever for any of them to return to action.
When racing resumed, King jumped out to a lead over Crawford, Kevin Hoffman, Dave Murdick and Gary Smoker. Immediately behind them, Kevin Bolland and Del Rougeux, Jr. were trading positions.
The battle between Bolland and Rougeux ended on lap 11, when they both spun coming off turn two. Bolland got a flat left front tire and pitted for new rubber. Although his crew made the switch in quick time, his car must have sustained some other damage. Bolland was unable to come back up to speed. In addition, he lost valuable track position to Jeremiah Shingledecker, his rival for the Tri-City track championship.
Although several more cautions slowed the pace of the race, they did not allow Crawford to reel in King Sr. They distanced themselves from the rest of the pack, while Murdick, Hoffman, Smoker and Andy Priest now ran on formation.
Hoffman pulled from the track on lap 26 with a terminal engine problem.
On lap 28, Chris Schiffer and Tom Mattocks tangled on the long back stretch while fighting for positions in the top ten. Mattocks lost his steering and struck the turn three wall hard, ending his night.
Once again, King sped away from Crawford and Murdick. However, the leader board was now showing Jeremiah Shingldecker in the top five, as he was racing to gain his second track title in two weekends.
As the laps clicked off, Crawford started to show some speed. He was chopping into King Sr.’s lead. However, he drifted high coming through turn two with just a lap and a half to go, giving King a safe margin at the checkers. Murdick held on for third, preserving a slim one point lead over King for the Mod Tour crown. Shingldecker did finish fourth, clinching the Tri-City mantle to go along with the Lernerville Speedway title earned last week. Rougeux rebounded for fifth. Gary Smoker took sixth, followed by New Yorker Phil Vigneri, Jr., Schiffer, Priest and Tommy Kristyak.
The heat races for the 34 car field were presented by the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. The winners were Mattocks, Rougeux, Smoker and Bolland.
The heat winners squared off for a six lap dash, paying $400 to the winner. Bolland scooped up that cash, followed by Rougeux, Smoker and Mattocks. They earned $300, $200, and $100, respectively.
The B-Main was captured by Shingldecker, who also received the Red Bear Hand Cleaner “Clean Move of the Race Award” for his climb from twenty-first to fourth in the A Main.
The next BRP/Hoosier Tire Modified Tour events will be on Friday, September 11, at Lernerville Speedway, Sarver, PA; and Saturday, September 19, at Sharon Speedway, hartford, OH.
For more information, check our website at www.modifiedtourinc.com.
The BRP Modified Tour ’09 would like to thank the following series sponsors: Bicknell Racing Products, Hoosier Race Tire, Sunoco Race Fuel, Pennsylvania Army National Guard, Bilstein Shocks, Keizer Racing Wheels, Landrum Spring, ISC Racerstape, Wrisco Aluminum, Fast Axle, LLC, Smokey’s, Ray’s Racing Collectibles, Approved Toilet Rentals, Inc., Hall’s Safety Equipment, Engles Trucking, Big Daddy’s Speed Center, King Brothers Feed and Supply, Oyler Action Photos, McCool’s Signs and Graphics, Hometown Pharmacy, Wedge Motorsports, Red Bear Hand Cleaner, Motorsports World, and Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP.
The Modified Tour, Inc. racing series is a non-profit organization established to give the V-8 Modifieds in the Western Pennsylvania area the opportunity to compete for higher purses and for a seasonal point fund. Started in 1998 by Tim Engles, Lon and Pam Baker, and Randy Myers, the Modified Tour has had great success at bringing the local cars together at the area racetracks.
Official Order of Finish: BRP/Hoosier Race Tire Modified Tour (Round 7): Tri-City Speedway: 40 Laps: September 4, 2009
1. Rex King, Sr. $3,000; 2. Joe Crawford $1,200; 3. Dave Murdick $1,000; 4. Jeremiah Shingldecker $850; 5. Del Rougeux, Jr. $800; 6. Gary Smoker $750; 7. Phil Vigneri, Jr. $700; 8. Chris Schiffer $600; 9. Andy Priest $500; 10. Tommy Kristyak $400; 11. Mike Turner $ 350; 12. Kevin Bolland $325; 13. J.R. McGinley $300; 14. Mark Frankhouser $250; 15. Rodney Beltz $250; 16. Mike Miller $250; 17. Ryan Hall $250; 18. Carl Murdick $250; 19. Jeff Miller $250; 20. Randy Chronister $250; 21. Tommy Mattocks $250; 22. Kevin Hoffman $250; 23. Ron Eperthener $250; 24. Brad Rapp $250; 25. Jason Longwell $250; 26. Brian Swartzlander $250; 27. Steve Feder $250; 28. Rex King, Jr. $250.
DNQ (all $100, unless indicated): Chris Hartman, Kyle Fink, Steve Barr, Dave Reges, Rich Whitney, Skip Moore ($50).