DOUG HOFFMAN WINS $10,000 AND THE SUPER DIRT MODIFIED SERIES PENNZOIL CHALLENGE 99 AT TRI-CITY SPEEDWAY
by Brian Spaid
FRANKLIN, PA .... Doug Hoffman of Allentown, PA pocketed $10,000 by winning the Pennzoil Challenge 99 Advance Auto Parts Super DIRT Modified Series race at Tri-City Speedway on Sunday night. The 99-lap victory was Hoffman's second win on this year's Series and his first career win at Tri-City. In other action, Terry Wheeler of Stoneboro, PA won the Pittsburgh Circle Track Club Senior Series event.
In the 99-lap DIRT Modified main, Hoffman took the lead from early pacesetter Tim McCreadie on the 31st circuit of the 99-lap event and raced home for the popular win in his Cruise One Troyer No. 1.
"My Troyer four-link car worked great on this track," said an excited Hoffman in victory lane. "We had a tough run in Canada a few weeks ago. We came back to win at Fonda (NY) Speedway and now we've won here. It's great to win at a new track. We needed the extra money to get our motor freshened."
McCreadie finished second after holding off the late race challenges of Kenny Tremont Jr. Both drivers were also piloting Troyer four-link DIRT Modifieds similar to Hoffman. Alan Johnson and defending race winner Brett Hearn rounded out the top five.
"We had a good run tonight," said McCreadie after earning the guaranteed starting spot for the Eckerd Drug Syracuse 300 in his Jreck Subs Troyer No. 94. "These Troyer cars are incredible. Doug just got by me on that restart to take the lead. We're happy with our run," concluded McCreadie, whose second place finish matched the run made by his father, Bob, at Tri-City in 1998.
"After our experience on the road today, we'll take third," said Tremont, who arrived late to the track after his rig suffered three breakdowns on the way to the track. "We just couldn't get around McCreadie. He ran real well tonight. We've run well at Lebanon Valley (NY) Speedway this season, but our runs on the Series haven't been as good. This was a great race for us. We're happy."
Pat Ward led the first lap from the pole position before McCreadie raced past for the lead on the second lap. Hoffman started eight and moved into the top five by the fifth lap. After first getting past Bobby Varin and then Ward, Hoffman was running third and diced with Series point leader Billy Decker for several laps. On the 15th circuit, Hoffman cruised under Decker in turn four for second.
On the first restart at lap 20, McCreadie held off Hoffman's advances. However, the second caution period from laps 25 through 30 proved to be McCreadie's downfall. When racing resumed, Hoffman used the inside lane to charge by McCreadie off turn two and assume command of race on the 31st lap. From there, Hoffman maintained his strong momentum on the top groove of the track to cruise to victory.
Behind Hoffman and McCreadie, the fans watched Tremont work his way through the pack. After qualifying through the consolation race and starting 24th, Tremont methodically moved into the top five. On the 50th lap, he passed Hearn for fifth. One lap later, he dispatched Varin from fourth. Continuing to use the inside groove, he took third from Frank Cozze on the 55th lap. He was unable to move any father forward as McCreadie held him off to the finish.
Johnson started the race in the 21st spot and also moved through the pack with relative ease. On the 69th lap, Johnson moved by Hearn for fifth. He then raced around Cozze for fourth one lap later, where he remained until the end of the race despite several challenges by Hearn, who wrestled fifth from Cozze on the 75th circuit.
Ward, Cozze, Jimmy Horton, Tim Fuller and Vic Coffey finished sixth through 10th. Decker was running sixth when the ring and pinion in the rear end of his racer broke with 11 laps remaining. Varin ran near the front early in the race, but fell back to 14th after the engine soured in his car. Five cautions slowed the pace as follows: Lap 20 for a spin by Fuller in turn two; Laps 25-30 for Rodney Beltz, who stopped in turn four; Laps 43-47 for Danny Johnson, who slowed with a flat tire; Laps 64-67 for Johnson slowing with another flat tire; and Laps 88-93 for Decker, who stopped in turn three. Only 17 of the 99 laps were run under yellow.
The top finishing local DIRT Modified driver was Brian Swartzlander. He finished 13th and collected an extra $100 courtesy of Vinyl Graphics of Clarion, PA.Ward, Jim Weller, Hoffman and Cozze won the heats for the 38-car field. Lou Blaney won the consolation.
In the companion 15-lap Pittsburgh Circle Track Club Senior Series event, Terry Wheeler wrestled the lead from early leader Kevin Irwin on the fifth lap and raced to the victory. Irwin finished second in the caution-free event followed by Don Gamble, Tim Lowry and Bill Wheeling. Gamble and Wheeling won the heats.
Next Sunday night August 8, the CarMate Trailers Super Sprints, Titusville Motor & Auction Co. DIRT Modifieds and Knox Auto Supply Pure Stocks return to action at Tri-City Speedway as each division starts the final run to determine the 1999 track champions. In addition, One-on-One Spectator Races will be held featuring passenger cars and trucks in a one-lap, round-robin tournament. Gates open at 4:00 p.m. with racing slated at 6:00 p.m.
TRI-CITY TIDBITS: Overnight showers and thunderstorms cleared by morning at the track and provided a welcome relief from the intense heat that dominated the region during the week leading up to the race. ... Andy Priest made the race through the consolation with the assistance of Rick and Corkie Thum, who own the car driven by Steve Paine. The Thums provided Priest's team, owned by Ted Hull, with a new carburetor after the heats in an impressive show of sportsmanship with the local teams. ... Chris Schiffer drove Jeff Hoffman's backup car, which was renumbered as the Hepler Transport Troyer No. 7s. Hoffman drove his familiar Troyer No. 00 with sponsorship from CarMate Trailers. ... Dean Pearson substituted for Chip Ritchey in the R.K. Virgile Bicknell No. 1R. Ritchey suffered from back pain after a recent work-related injury. ... Pat Ward was the first driver to draw for starting spots in the feature and immediately picked the pole position. ... Danny Johnson was supposed to start the race in the 17th spot, but was forced to the rear of the field because he ran a substitute Sweetners Plus Troyer No. 27J. Johnson's primary car, a brand new Troyer four-link racer, had a mechanical breakdown after hot laps for the qualified cars. ... Kenny Tremont Jr. arrived just before the fourth heat race, but could not make it to the line. Tremont nearly gave up his trip after the trailer on his rig had two flat tires and burned a wheel bearing. ... Bobby Varin drove his self-owned No. 18. Varin's primary ride, the Council Harrell No. 35, is still being mended after a wild flip at Can Am International (NY) Speedway on July 22. ... Kevin Bolland suffered engine woes after the first hot lap session and was done for the evening.
SUPER DIRT MODIFIED SERIES SUMMARY (38 DIRT Modifieds)
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. Pat Ward, 2. Billy Decker, 3. Tommy Kristyak, 4. Carl Murdick, 5. Danny Johnson. Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. Jim Weller, 2. Kenny Brightbill, 3. Tim Fuller, 4. Brett Hearn, 5. Steve Paine. Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. Doug Hoffman, 2. Bobby Varin, 3. Tim McCreadie, 4. Jimmy Horton, 5. Brian Swartzlander. Heat 4 (8 Laps): 1. Frank Cozze, 2. Jeff Hoffman, 3. Vic Coffey, 4. Steve Bottcher, 5. Jeff Schaffer. Consi (12 Laps): 1. Lou Blaney, 2. Alan Johnson, 3. Josh Skarzenski, 4. Scott Gurdak, 5. Andy Priest, 6. Kenny Tremont Jr., 7. Rodney Beltz, 8. Jim Rasey, 9. Dean Pearson, 10. Gerry Bruce. Guaranteed Starter: Chris Schiffer. DNQ: Randy Myers, Mike Butterworth, Del Rougeaux Jr., Danny Perrett, Dean Ruth, Rick Hoctor, Kevin Bolland.
PENNZOIL CHALLENGE 99 (99 Laps): 1. DOUG HOFFMAN ($10,000), 2. Tim McCreadie, 3. Kenny Tremont Jr., 4. Alan Johnson, 5. Brett Hearn, 6. Pat Ward, 7. Frank Cozze, 8. Jimmy Horton, 9. Tim Fuller, 10. Vic Coffey, 11. Kenny Brightbill, 12. Steve Paine, 13. Brian Swartzlander, 14. Bobby Varin, 15. Scott Gurdak, 16. Jeff Hoffman, 17. Josh Skarzenski, 18. Steve Bottcher, 19. Billy Decker, 20. Jim Weller, 21. Danny Johnson, 22. Jeff Schaffer, 23. Chris Schiffer, 24. Rodney Beltz, 25. Lou Blaney, 26. Jim Weller, 27. Dean Pearson, 28. Carl Murdick, 29. Andy Priest, 30. Gerry Bruce. DNS: Jim Rasey.
PITTSBURGH CIRCLE TRACK CLUB SENIOR SERIES PURE STOCK FEATURE (15 Laps): 1. TERRY WHEELER, 2. Kevin Irwin, 3. Don Gamble, 4. Tim Lowry, 5. Bill Wheeling, 6. Tom Knight Sr., 7. Ed Baashar, 8. John Shetler, 9. Bill Cummings, 10. Bud Holben, 11. Larry Bruner, 12. Bob Sloss
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Aug. 8 - Super Sprints, DIRT Modifieds, Pure Stocks and One-on-One Spectator Races
Aug. 15 - Super Sprints ($2,000-to-win), DIRT Modifieds, Pure Stocks and Kids Night
Aug. 22 - Super Sprints, DIRT Modifieds, Pure Stocks and Demo Derby