MURDICK TAKES MOD TOUR OPENER
Dave Murdick, the 2001 Champion, opened the BRP/Hoosier Tire Modified Tour season with a popular win at Lernerville Speedway. Murdick survived a lap 21 skirmish with a lapped car and held off Rex King, Jr. and Brian Swartzlander to earn the victory. Murdick could not rest on his laurels, however, for he had to belt into his potent Late Model, which he drove to an impressive third place finish.
“We were running strong, but we needed a few breaks.” Murdick explained that he thought his night was over when the lapped car of Mike Miller turned left in front of him. “I knew Del (Rougeux) was there and I had nowhere to go.”
Murdick was driving the same 2007 Troyer car that he demolished at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway last season. “We rebuilt the car to match the specs of a 2010,” he said. With this victory coming off a heartbreaking loss to Jeremiah Shingledecker Sunday night at Tri-City Speedway, it appears that Murdick’s template car will remain in the shop.
“Dave (Murdick) has a million laps in at this track so finishing second him is nothing to be ashamed of,” King Jr. said. “We threw everything but the kitchen sink at this place,” he added. “Russ threw a lot of Late Model stuff at this car and it took a while for me to get used to it. Normally these cars don’t move like a Late Model. The car was tight through the center. At the start I thought there would be more of a cushion at the start and it wasn’t there.” Cooter was referring, of course, to his older brother Russell, the 2007 Champion and 2009 World of Oulaws Late Model Series Rookie of the Year.
MIDWAY SPEEDWAY CLOSES, MOD TOUR DATE SCRATCHED
Chad Shipman, owner of Midway Speedway, located in Crooksville, OH, announced the closure of the track on May 19, 2010, and the cancellation of all racing events scheduled for the remainder of the season. This surprise announcement effectively eliminated the October 2, 2010 BRP/Hoosier Tire Modified Tour event, which would have been the first appearance for the mighty Big Block Modifieds at the track famous for its annual Jim Dunn Memorial Late Model race. Shipman’s announcement stated, in part: “[m]y interests in these past few months have shifted in other directions and I just can’t give the Race Track the time or the attention it needs to reach the next level.” Shipman is willing to sell or lease the popular track. “This comes as a major disappointment to us,” said Modified Tour President Lou Long. “We were looking forward to introducing our exciting brand of racing to a new and different set of fans. Hopefully, another promoter will step forward soon, so that we can retain the date on our schedule.”
The Modified Tour, Inc. would like to thank the 2010 series sponsors: Bicknell Racing Products; Hoosier Racing Tire Corp.; Sunoco Racing Fuel – Bazell Oil Co., Inc.; World Racing Group – DIRTcar; Approved Toilet Rentals, Inc.; Behrent’s Speed Center, Inc.; Bert Transmission; Big Daddy’s Speed Center Inc.; Engles Trucking Services, Inc.; Bilstein Shocks – Fastline Performance; Fast Axle, LLC; Frankland Racing Supply; ISC Racers Tape; Hall’s Safety Equipment Corp.; Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG); Keizer Aluminum Wheels, Inc.; King Brothers; Kirkey Racing Fabrication Inc.; Landrum Spring; McCool’s Signs and Graphics; Motorsports World; Oyler Photos & More; Pennsylvania Army National Guard; Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP; Preist Enterprises, Inc.; Pro Shocks; RaceQuip; Ray’s Racing Collectibles; Red Bear Hand Cleaner; Schaeffer’s Specialized Lubricants; Slippery Rock Sportswear; Smokey’s; SpeedBear Fasteners; Turbo Start Batteries; Ultra-Shield Race Products; Valken Wheels; Wedge Motorsports, LLC; Winters Performance Products Inc.; and Wrisco Industries Inc.
The Modified Tour, Inc. racing series is a non-profit organization established in 1998 to give the V-8 Modifieds in the Western Pennsylvania area the opportunity to compete for higher purses and for a seasonal point fund. It has had great success at bringing the local cars together at tracks throughout the tri-state area and in expanding the profile for this exciting brand of motorsports.
For more information about The BRP/Hoosier Tire Modified Tour, check the website at www.modifiedtourinc.com.
MODIFIED TOUR REDUCES BOLLAND SUSPENSION
The Board of Directors of The BRP/Hoosier Tire Modified Tour met Wednesday night to hear the appeal of Kevin Bolland regarding the disciplinary action taken last October. The Modified Tour did not have in place any procedure for such an appeal at the time the discipline was imposed. Over the off-season, the Board voted in an appeal procedure and the details regarding the appeal process can now be found on the website at www.modifiedtourinc.com. The Board decided recently, as a matter of courtesy, to extend to him the opportunity to be heard regarding the disciplinary action. Following the hearing, the Board reduced Bolland’s suspension to one race, with credit for time served. However, the portion of the discipline relative to a lifetime ban as the Modified Tour’s representative at DIRTcar’s crown jewel event, the annual Rite Aid 300 at Syracuse, NY, still stands. Bolland was, and still is, allowed to enter the race at Syracuse; but he will not receive the guaranteed starting spot or any other benefit granted by or to the Modified Tour for that event. He is eligible to return to competition with the BRP/Hoosier Tire Modified Tour at the opening event, May 21, at Lernerville Speedway.
The Modified Tour, Inc. would like to thank the 2010 series sponsors: Bicknell Racing Products; Hoosier Racing Tire Corp.; Sunoco Racing Fuel – Bazell Oil Co., Inc.; World Racing Group – DIRTcar; Approved Toilet Rentals, Inc.; Behrent’s Speed Center, Inc.; Bert Transmission; Big Daddy’s Speed Center Inc.; Engles Trucking Services, Inc.; Bilstein Shocks – Fastline Performance; Fast Axle, LLC; Frankland Racing Supply; ISC Racers Tape; Hall’s Safety Equipment Corp.; Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG); Keizer Aluminum Wheels, Inc.; King Brothers; Kirkey Racing Fabrication Inc.; Landrum Spring; McCool’s Signs and Graphics; Motorsports World; Oyler Photos & More; Pennsylvania Army National Guard; Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP; Preist Enterprises, Inc.; Pro Shocks; RaceQuip; Ray’s Racing Collectibles; Red Bear Hand Cleaner; Schaeffer’s Specialized Lubricants; Slippery Rock Sportswear; Smokey’s; SpeedBear Fasteners; Turbo Start Batteries; Ultra-Shield Race Products; Valken Wheels; Wedge Motorsports, LLC; Winters Performance Products Inc.; and Wrisco Industries Inc.
The Modified Tour, Inc. racing series is a non-profit organization established in 1998 to give the V-8 Modifieds in the Western Pennsylvania area the opportunity to compete for higher purses and for a seasonal point fund. It has had great success at bringing the local cars together at tracks throughout the tri-state area and in expanding the profile for this exciting brand of motorsports.
For more information about The BRP/Hoosier Tire Modified Tour, check the website at www.modifiedtourinc.com.
MODIFIED TOUR ANNOUNCES NEW SPONSOR
The BRP/Hoosier Tire Modified Tour is extremely pleased to announce an exciting new partnership with the largest hotel chain in the world – the Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) with over 4,000 hotel properties across the U.S. and around the world. Their hotels include Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Intercontinental Hotels, Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza Hotels, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites.
This partnership will provide significant savings whenever you book a hotel stay (not just for races, but for business and vacation travel too), PLUS, IHG will be contributing funds to help support The Modified Tour for every night booked. In addition to the financial support, partnering with brands like Holiday Inn will help elevate the prominence of our series and teams.
To earn your discount and to assist The Modified Tour, all that you will need to do is to click on the link on our website, www.modifiedtourinc.com, and proceed to make your reservation. Remember that you can take advantage of this promotion for business, personal and race travel.
Finally, this is going to be the first of many of major new partnerships that will support help our teams, our tracks and our series. Stay tuned for further announcements!
The Modified Tour, Inc. would like to thank the 2010 series sponsors: Bicknell Racing Products; Hoosier Racing Tire Corp.; Sunoco Racing Fuel – Bazell Oil Co., Inc.; World Racing Group – DIRTcar; Approved Toilet Rentals, Inc.; Behrent’s Speed Center, Inc.; Bert Transmission; Big Daddy’s Speed Center Inc.; Engles Trucking Services, Inc.; Bilstein Shocks – Fastline Performance; Fast Axle, LLC; Frankland Racing Supply; ISC Racers Tape; Hall’s Safety Equipment Corp.; Interncontinental Hotels Group (IHG); Keizer Aluminum Wheels, Inc.; King Brothers; Kirkey Racing Fabrication Inc.; Landrum Spring; McCool’s Signs and Graphics; Motorsports World; Oyler Photos & More; Pennsylvania Army National Guard; Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP; Preist Enterprises, Inc.; Pro Shocks; RaceQuip; Ray’s Racing Collectibles; Red Bear Hand Cleaner; Schaeffer’s Specialized Lubricants; Slippery Rock Sportswear; Smokey’s; SpeedBear Fasteners; Turbo Start Batteries; Ultra-Shield Race Products; Valken Wheels; Wedge Motorsports, LLC; Winters Performance Products Inc.; and Wrisco Industries Inc.
The Modified Tour, Inc. racing series is a non-profit organization established in 1998 to give the V-8 Modifieds in the Western Pennsylvania area the opportunity to compete for higher purses and for a seasonal point fund. It has had great success at bringing the local cars together at tracks throughout the tri-state area and in expanding the profile for this exciting brand of motorsports.
For more information about The BRP/Hoosier Tire Modified Tour, check the website at www.modifiedtourinc.com.