By PAM BAKER
The most beautiful day of the year so far greeted drivers and fans at Hummingbird Speedway in Reynoldsville, PA on Saturday night as the 2nd event of the BRP Modified Tour Racing Series took place. Twenty drivers were on hand for the event and making the long tow from Ransomville, NY Erick Rudolph captured his second win in two events.
After the redraw that was done in front of the fans in the stands Brian Swartzlander had the lucky draw of number one and started on the pole alongside Dave Murdick. The two brought the field to the drop of the green with Swartzlander getting to the first ahead of Murdick and led the opening lap. Swartzlander continued his lead until lap four when a caution for Mark Frankhouser grouped the field back together.
On the restart, Swartzlander once again got the jump into the first turn, but this time ahead of Garrett Krummert. Krummert held second for two laps before Rex King, Jr. took over that position and then went to work on the leader, Swartzlander. On lap fifteen, King, Jr. was able to take the lead away from Swartzlander and led the next four laps before eighth place starter, Erick Rudolph took the lead away. The duo of Rudolph and King, Jr. battled for the top position several laps before Rudolph was able to a couple of car length cushion between the two.
With just two laps to go in the 35-lap event, Rodney Beltz brought out the caution flag which grouped the field together one more time. As per BRP Modified Tour rules, when a caution flies during the last five laps of the event, a single-file restart took place and Rudolph using the very bottom of the speedway was able to hold on for his second series win in 2022.
Rex King, Jr. held on for second ahead of tenth place starter, Brad Rapp who finished third. Fourth place went to Dave Murdick with Brian Swartzlander falling back to fifth. Heats were won by Erick Rudolph, Kyle Fink and Dave Murdick.
The next series event will take place on June 24th at the Ransomville Speedway in Ransomville, NY. Then over the Fourth of July weekend the BRP Modified Tour will visit Knox Raceway (formerly Sportsmans Speedway) on July 2nd and then the next night will travel to Tri City Raceway on July 3rd.
Feature Finish: Erick Rudolph, Rex King, Jr., Brad Rapp, Dave Murdick, Brian Swartzlander, Rick Regalski, Adam Hilton, Mike Kinney, Garrett Krummert, Chas Wolbert, Steve Slater, Tyler Willard, Kyle Fink, Mark Frankhouser, Mike Dougherty, Ray Bliss, Steve Barr, Shawn Kozar and Colton Walters.
The BRP Modified Tour racing series is a non-profit organization established to give Big Block Modifieds in the Western Pennsylvania/ Eastern Ohio area a chance to compete with one another for a higher purse structure and for a point fund for the scheduled events, started in 1998 by Tim Engles, Lon and Pam Baker and Randy Myers. The BRP Modified Tour has had great success at bringing regional cars together at various speedways in Western Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, West Virginia and Canada.
We would like to thank the following sponsors for their support of our organization. Bicknell Racing Products, Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic, Sunoco Race Fuels/ Bazell Oil, King Brothers, McCool’s Signs and Graphics/Slippery Rock Sportswear, Mad Skins Race Car Bodies/Sunflowers of Sanborn, Big Daddy’s Speed Center, Flynn’s Tire & Auto Centers,
Frankland Racing Supply, Hall’s Safety Equipment, McCandless Ford, Moore’s Auto Body,
MRO – Motor Racing Outreach/Team Green, Rockhouse Bar and Grill, Russ King Racing,
Steve’s Auto Body, Thermo Supply, Competition Carburetion, Eperthener Auto Wrecking,
GME Mfg., Racequip Safety Products, Rudolph Snow Plowing and Wrisco Aluminum.
