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Swartzlander Takes Mountaineer 40
Submitted By: Lou Long, Modified Tour Board Member
Brian Swartzlander came from deep in the pack to capture the Second Annual Mountaineer 40 for the BRP /Hoosier Modified Tour at Tyler County (WV) Speedway .
The evening got off to a bad start for the veteran from Leechburg , PA. While battling for position in his heat race, Swartzlander spun in turn four and Mike Turner could not avoid him. The resulting damage sidelined both cars. Because Swartzlander caused the yellow, he was credited with last place. That put him in twenty-third for the feature.
Rex King, Jr. and Tommy Mattocks paced the field for the start. King fired into the lead, with third-place starter Del Rougeux, Jr., Mattocks and Brad Rapp close behind. A yellow for Jeremiah Shingledecker and Joe Crawford slowed the race, with Crawford retiring from the action.
On the restart, King jumped into the lead again, with Rougeux and Rapp giving chase. By lap five, Rapp climbed into second place and the two young drivers amazed the crowd. Rapp overhauled King on lap 8 as the leaders were now starting to contend with lapped traffic.
Meanwhile, veterans Andy Priest and Swartzlander were making their presence felt. Priest, the night's event sponsor (Priest Enterprises. Inc.), worked his way into third and was mixing things up with the younger set. Swartzlander continued picking off cars and was up to ninth on lap nine.
A caution on lap fourteen bunched up the pack and sent the lapped cars to the rear of the field. This gave the leaders a few laps to maneuver on an open track.
When the green flag flew again, Rapp was still in command, but he was now being pressed by Priest. King, Kevin Bolland, defending race winner, and Swartzlander rounded out the top five.
Another caution quickly followed, however. When racing resumed, Rapp again led, but King slipped by Priest for second and Swartzlander swept by Bolland for fourth.
Within a few laps Swartzlander worked by Priest for third. Another caution on lap nineteen interrupted an intense three-car battle for the lead among Rapp, King and Swartzlander.
As the leaders wove their way through traffic, Swartzlander made a bold move on the outside of turn four to pass both of the younger racers to lead lap 24. King slipped back to fourth, and was now in a dogfight with Priest, Bolland and Rougeux when the caution waived again on lap 25. When racing resumed, King started to move forward again.
The caution waived again on lap 27 for a four-car tangle that included second place runner Rapp, Dan Taylor (subbing for Rex King), Shingledecker and Skip Moore. Taylor and Moore were unable to continue.
Swartzlander maintained the lead through the twelve-lap run to the checkers. Rex King, Jr. held off a persistent Priest to earn his best career Mod Tour finish. Bolland crossed the line fourth and Rougeux in fifth.
Positions five through ten were being swapped continuously during the stretch run. Kevin Hoffman, who started last in the event, took sixth, followed by Mattocks, Gary Smoker, ageless Les Myers, and Matt Baker.
Heat race wins went to Rapp, Mark Flick, and Smoker.
The BRP /Hoosier Race Tire Modified Tour ’08 will now take several weeks off before they head to the Mercer Raceway Park on Saturday, August 16th.
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.
Modified Feature Finish: Brian Swartzlander, Rex King, Jr., Andy Priest, Kevin Bolland, Del Rougeux, Jr., Kevin Hoffman, Tom Mattocks, Gary Smoker, Les Myers, Matt Baker, Mike Miller, Mark Flick, Brad Rapp, Mike Turner, Steve Feder, Brian Sadler, Jeremiah Shingledecker, Dan Taylor, Skip Moore, Steve Barr, Dave Murdick, Carl Murdick, Dave Reges, J. R. McGinley, Ron Eperthener, Joe Crawford
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