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MOD TOUR STARS COMPETE IN 16TH ANNUAL KODIAK MEMORIAL AT TRI-CITY SPEEDWAY
Submitted by Marcie L. Barlow, Modified Tour Media Relations, with additional information by Brian Spaid, Tri-City Speedway Public Relations Director
July 8, 2008
FRANKLIN, PA ... The BRP/Hoosier Racing Tires/Sunoco Race Fuels Modified Tour '08 will be in action this Sunday July 13th at the Tri-City Speedway as they will sanction the 16th Annual Kodiak Memorial. The 30-lap event, which honors the memory of popular DIRTcar Big Block Modified car owner, Bob "Kodiak" Graham, will pay the winner of the event $1,300.00.
In addition to the Engles Trucking DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds, the 4 Your Car Connection FASTRAK Late Models, RPM Auto Sales/Sherry Shawgo Real Estate E Mods, E.F. Rogers Plumbing & Heating Pro Stocks, and Klapec Auto Body Thundercars will be in action on Atkinson Fire Safety Equipment Night.
The inaugural Kodiak Memorial event was held in 1993 at the Lernerville Speedway and was won by Bobby Kraus of Erie, Pa. The 1994 and 1995 events were also held at Lernerville with Scott Gurdak of Corry, Pa, and the late Dick Rankin of Fairmount City, Pa., capturing the wins.
In 1996, the event was moved to the Tri-City Speedway, which is co-owned by Graham's son, Mike. The late Jeff Hoffman of nearby Franklin, Pa., was a four-time winner of the Kodiak Memorial as he was victorious in 1996, 1997, 1999 and 2000. Other winners include Tommy Kristyak in 1998, three-time BRP/Hoosier Racing Tire Champion Ron Smoker in 2001 and 2003, defending Tri-City Speedway Champion Kevin Bolland in 2002 and 2006, Del Rougeux, Jr., in 2004 and 2007, and Andy Priest in 2005.
The BRP/Hoosier Racing Tire/Sunoco Race Fuel Modified Tour 08 has completed two events thus far. The series' opener was also held at the Tri-City Speedway on May 25th and Small Block Modified standout Gary Smoker captured the biggest win of his career in the 30-lap Dick Rankin Memorial. Smoker held off the challenges of DIRT Modified veterans Andy Priest, Brian Swartzlander and Kevin Bolland to score a very popular victory.
The Mod Tour's other 2008 event saw Leechburg, Pa., driver Brian Swartzlander dominate the 30-lap event at the Lernerville Speedway on May 30th.
Tri-City Speedway's "Hometown Hero" Jeremiah Shingledecker has already captured three feature victories at the Venango County half-mile oval and is determined to earn his fourth win this Sunday evening in the prestigious Kodiak Memorial event.
Gates open for this event at 4 p.m. and racing starts at 6 p.m. Adult grandstand admission is $11, students (13-15) pay $6, and children 12 and under are free.
The BRP Modified Tour 08 would like to thank the following series sponsors: Bicknell Racing Products, Hoosier Race Tire, Sunoco Race Fuel, Bilstein Shocks, Ray's Racing Collectibles, Approved Toilet Rental, Lowry Auto Body, Lake Erie Speed Specialties, Hall's Safety Equipment, Engles Trucking, Big Daddy's Speed Center, Priest Enterprises, King Brothers Feed and Supply, Oyler Action Photos, Finishline Fabrication, Wilkinson Awards, McCool's Signs and Graphics, Hands on Concepts, Waldo's Towing, Jim's Supermarket, Pennewell Sandblasting and Painting, Hands on Concepts and Wedge Motorsports.
The Modified Tour Inc. racing series is a non-profit organization established to give the V-8 Modifieds in the Western Pennsylvania area a chance to compete with one another for a higher purse structure and for a point fund for the races that are run. 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.
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