7/8/07

MATT HIRSCHMAN TAKES LANCASTER WIN IN ROC 75

 
Lancaster, NY: The Race of Champions Modified Tour rolled into Lancaster Raceway Park last Saturday night and Matt Hirschman bested a field of twenty-five other Modifieds to take his first career win at Lancaster . In addition, Todd Hoddick made it two in a row in the Bobcat of Buffalo Late Models, Erick Rudolph grabbed yet another win in the SST Sportsman Division, Dave Johnson took home the checkered flag in the Ray Laks Resale Super Stocks, and Russell Knutsen won his first McGard Street Stock feature of the season.

The night’s action was started with the McGard Street Stocks. The Street Stocks were slated to run a feature only so the field was lined up according to a points inversion. With twenty-nine cars signed in, the top sixteen in points were inverted, placing point leaders and multi-feature winner Andy Jankowiak in the sixteenth starting position. Russell Knutsen, who had started fourth took the lead on lap two from pole sitter Ed Nowak. While Knutsen stretched out a lead, the pack of Jim Bryant, Cory Gallagher, Tim Garlock, Andy Jankowiak, and John Julicher Jr. were making their way up through the field. With five laps to go, Bryant had moved into second, Garlock to third, and Julicher Jr. to fourth. However a lap 16 caution for contact made between Garlock and Julicher scrambled the field. With the field bunched up, Knutsen had a mirror full of competitors, but he held on to take his first feature win of the 2007 season.

The Ray Laks Resale Super Stocks ran a green to checkered race that soon after the start of the race became a single file freight train around the track. Starting on the outside pole, Dave Johnson jumped into the lead before the end of the first lap and would go on to lead all twenty laps of the feature race. Behind him, Frank Batista Jr. tied to gain ground on the leader while George Roesch ran solo, and 2003 Co-Champions Wayne Bernhard and Jay Mudra battled for the fourth and fifth position. Johnson held on to capture his third checkered flag of the year.

The Lorigo Insurance Group SST Sportsman were next up on the agenda and boasted a strong nineteen car field. Tom MacLeod started on the pole and was on a quest for his first SST Sportsman career win. The top four runners of MacLeod, Ed Weber, Russ Gian, and Eddie Murray broke away from the rest of the field during the first portion of the race, but not for long as Nick Cappelli was on the move through the field. However, moving up through the field as well was the “Young Gun” Erick Rudolph. A number of yellow flags bunched the field up together and by lap fifteen Rudolph had powered into the number two position and Cappelli had grabbed third, pushing Gian back to the fourth running spot. Rudolph immediately set his sights on the leader MacLeod and began working him over for the top spot. On lap 18, Rudolph took the lead and cruised on home to his third win of the season.

It took almost half of a season for Todd Hoddick to break into the win column at Lancaster Raceway Park , but now he has racked up two wins in a row as he flew to the front of the field after starting fifth in the Bobcat of Buffalo Late Model feature. Jeff Brown, who started on the pole and who is still seeking his elusive first feature win at Lancaster, jumped out into the lead at the drop of the green. Scott Skora, Hoddick, Ron Nurmi, Bobby Weber and Matt Alix sliced and diced for positions with some great side by side racing action. At the halfway point Brown still led and was followed by Skora and Weber. Lap 15 saw an extended yellow and red flag situation for the blown up motor of Jeff Merritt. After the racing action resumed, Brown once again maintained the lead, but Hoddick was charging hard. On lap 19, Hoddick made his move around Brown on the outside and took command of the top position. Hoddick held onto take his second win in a row and was followed across the line by Brown, Skora, Nurmi, and Alix.

After the Late Model feature, it was time for the marquee event – the Race of Champions Modified 75 lap feature race. Wilbur Hebing drew the pole position, while Lee Sherwood started to his outside. Bobby Holmes and Danny Knoll Jr. made up the second row on the starting grid and Chuck Hossfeld rounded out the top five starters. At the drop of the green it was Hebing grabbing the lead. However, the racing action would be cut short as two cautions on lap 5 alone ceased the action including an interesting situation on the front stretch as Pete Brittain and Larry Jackson’s cars were stuck together. After track crews and team crews separated the cars, the racing action resumed and the field settled into a long green flag run. By lap ten the field had sorted themselves out single file with Holmes capturing the lead from Hebing. Hossfeld settled into third and was followed by Putney, Sherwood, Knoll, Fidanza, Catalano and Leaty.

Soon three packs of cars formed over the racing surface with Holmes, Hebing and Hossfeld separating from Putney, Sherwood, Knoll and Fidanza, who raced ahead of Catalano, Leaty and the rest of the pack. A yellow flag on lap 33 halted the racing action and brought out the first chance for cars to make a pit stop on the inner oval. Nearly half of the field dropped in for adjustments and a tire, although the leaders – Holmes, Hebing and Sherwood – stayed out on the track.

At the halfway point Holmes was still in command of the lead although he was now facing pressure from Matt Hirschman. Hirschman had not pitted and gained valuable track position from the lap 33 caution. Hebing followed in third, while Sherwood, Scherrer, Hossfeld and Leaty ran in the fourth position on back.

Lap 37 saw a leader change as Hirschman really turned it on and passed leader Bobby Holmes. Further back Leaty and Hossfeld were charging through the field with the fresh rubber they had put on their cars during a previous pit stop. By lap 47 Leaty passed Hebing for third and soon was around Holmes for second, setting his sights on leader Hirschman. Leaty was looking for back to back wins in the ROC as he had won the previous night at Spencer Speedway. Also on the move was Tom McGrath who by lap 52 had charged up through the field and had captured the third position behind Hirschman and Leaty.

A few late race cautions kept bunching the field up on single file restarts and gave Leaty many quality chances at Hirschman for the lead. With just ten laps left, the field once again sorted themselves out into three packs as leaders Hirschman, Leaty, and McGrath put some distance between themselves and Hossfeld, Sherwood, Erick Rudolph, who had silently made his way towards the front, and Fidanza. The third running pack consisted of Knoll, Catalano, Eric Beers and Sherwood.

The race looked like it was going to end on a green flag note but two cautions within the last five laps created a shootout with Leaty throwing everything he had at Hirschman. However it was not enough to take the lead and Matt Hirschman went on to capture his first career Lancaster Raceway Park Modified checkered flag. The win at Lancaster followed up a strong third place finish at the previous nights ROC 100 at Spencer Speedway. Hirschman was followed across the finish line by Leaty, McGrath, Rudolph and Fidanza.

He’s baacckkk! Next week on Saturday, July 14th the legendary Robosaurus visits Lancaster Raceway Park . The four story, fire breathing, car crunching monster will make his only Western New York appearance

For more information visit www.lancasterracing.com or call the track office at 716-758-6818.

McGard Street Stock Feature Finish:
1. (4) RUSSELL KNUTSEN #93
2. (16) Andy Jankowiak #73
3. (10) Jim Bryant #49
4. (14) Cory Gallagher #24
5. (13) Tom Agen #3
6. (15) Jeff Madill #6
7. (1) Ed Nowak #96
8. (6) Rick Widmer #40 (subbing for Gary Light)
9. (25) Bobby Hanel, Jr. #33
10. (3) Joe Light #44
11. (9) Scott Mutka #23
12. (8) Mike Maggiore #28
13. (7) Rob Bulger #32
14. (5) Gary Bartella #99
15. (20) Rick Ortwein #58
16. (18) Gary Denea #33D
17. (2) Steve Cochran #70
18. (23) Bob Blaszak #56
19. (28) Kaz Tarasek #18
20. (29) Jeff Guidotti #20
21. (11) John Julicher, Jr. #9
22. (12) Tim Garlock #88
23. (21) Debbie Jurek #65
24. (17) Paul Tessier #12
25. (22) Matt Jurek #57
26. (24) Bob Blaszak, Jr. #53
27. (27) Tim Neis #74
28. (26) Jim Stein #21
29. (19) Tom DeVille #61

Lap Leaders: Lap 1 Nowak, Laps 2-20 Knutsen

Ray Laks Resale Super Stock Feature Finish:
1. (2) DAVE JOHNSON #52
2. (3) Frank Batista, Jr. #37
3. (7) George Roesch #61
4. (9) Wayne Bernhard #23
5. (6) Jay Mudra #16
6. (4) James Kron, III #31
7. (1) Jason Gwin #30
8. (10) J.W. Flagler #27
9. (8) Jay Canonico #13
10. (5) Marty Hughes #09

Lap Leader: Laps 1-20 Johnson

Lorigo Insurance Group SST Sportsman Feature Finish:
1. (10) ERICK RUDOLPH #12
2. (1) Tom MacLeod #32
3. (9) Nick Cappelli #86
4. (6) Russ Gian #9
5. (3) Ed Weber #4
6. (8) Billy Burd #20
7. (19) Kirk Rutherford #11
8. (11) Billy Putney #22 (subbing for Frank Booker, Jr.)
9. (12) Justin Shepker #60
10. (13) Jeff Evans #91
11. (15) Neal Dietz, Jr. #84
12. (4) Sherri Hogan #74
13. (7) Craig Dolphin #98
14. (5) Eddie Murray #37
15. (14) Dave Tedesco #44
16. (17) Eric Doktor #16
17. (2) Mike Stevenson #1
18. (16) Jeff Ruddy #9R
19. (18) Mike Bliss #72

Lap Leaders: Laps 1-18 MacLeod; Laps 19-20 Rudolph

Heat Winners: MacLeod, Cappelli

Bobcat of Buffalo Feature Finish:
1. (5) TODD HODDICK #49
2. (1) Jeff Brown, Jr. #3
3. (3) Scott Skora #56
4. (2) Ron Nurmi #2
5. (6) Matt Alix #24
6. (12) Cory Lischer #3L
7. (9) Phil Hayne #52
8. (7) Frank Green #52G
9. (4) Bobby Weber #11
10. (8) Mark Pennell #18
11. (10) Brian Porebski #53
12. (11) Jeff Merritt #61
DNS: Tommy Reese #54

Lap Leaders: Laps 1-19 Brown Jr.; Laps 20-25 Hoddick

Heat Winners: Hoddick, Weber

ROC Modified 75 Feature Finish:
1. (17) MATT HIRSCHMAN #60
2. (12) Jan Leaty #6
3. (19) Tom McGrath #12
4. (21) Erick Rudolph #45
5. (10) Sege Fidanza #77
6. (5) Chuck Hossfeld #22x
7. (9) Buck Catalano #4
8. (4) Danny Knoll, Jr. #17
9. (1) Bill Hebing #66
10. (8) Eric Beers #99
11. (16) Phil Slater #24
12. (3) Bobby Holmes #22
13. (15) Pete Brittain #66B
14. (20) Rick Kluth #44
15. (2) Lee Sherwood #95
16. (14) Mark Tychoniewicz #01
17. (11) John Markovic #95M
18. (23) Dan Chimera #44x
19. (24) Sean O’Neill #7
20. (7) Billy Putney #88
21. (22) Doug Reaume #14
22. (13) Todd Smith #52
23. (6) Daren Scherer #3
24. (25) Brett Scherrer #8
25. (18) Larry Jackson #84
26. (26) Matt Clemens #9x

DNS: Jimmy Zacharias #71
~ Mike Leaty #25 and Kirk Rutherford #99 didn't return from the original 6/30 date. Eric Beers drove the #99 instead.

Lap Leaders: Laps 1-5 Hebing; Laps 6-38 Holmes; Laps 39-75 Hirschman

Heat Winners: Hebing, Leaty, Fidanza

Heat 1: Bill Hebing, Daren Scherer, Buck Catalano, Bobby Holmes, Todd Smith, Phil Slater, Dan Chimera, Tom McGrath and Matt Clemens.

Heat 2: Jan Leaty, Eric Beers, John Markovic, Chuck Hossfeld, Mark Tychoniewicz, Matt Hirschman, Sean O'Neill and Brett Scherrer.

Heat 3: Sege Fidanza, Danny Knoll Jr., Bill Putney, Lee Sherwood, Pete Brittain, Larry Jackson, Rick Kluth, Doug Reaume and Erick Rudolph.

Hard Charger: Erick Rudolph - gained 17 positions/21st to 4th
Hard Luck: Daren Scherer - lost 17 positions/6th to 23rd
Gater Bonus: Sean O’Neill
Dart Heads: Mark Tychoniewicz

Source: Lori Overdorf/Lancaster PR
Additions: Mark Southcott/NYRaceZone.com
Posted: July 8, 2007; updates added: July 9, 2007