RGeeProductions
06-01-2007, 09:59 AM
Last Saturday the DeLange Young Guns returned to Oswego Speedway for the second event on the 2007 Race of Champions Modified Tour schedule, the Richie Evans Memorial 100. Bobby Holmes of Lockport and Erick Rudolph of Ransomville both made strong showings in the race. But a combination of luck and circumstances brought a wide disparity in their results.
Holmes won the third qualifying heat and lined up the Original Pizza Logs #22 Modified in the seventh starting position for the feature. He ran quietly in the first half of the race, settling into the tenth position while biding his time and saving his tires. Just after the halfway mark he was up to ninth and started closing in on the leaders. By lap 73 Holmes was battling for seventh when he was involved in an accident in turn three and his race was over, finishing in 17th place.
Rudolph demonstrated patience beyond his age and experience. In just his third Modified race he was gradually working his way forward. By lap 40 the #45 Original Pizza Logs Modified had advanced up to 12th and just past the halfway point Rudolph was into the top-ten. At the three-quarter mark he was ninth and gaining ground on the cars in front of him. The talented teenager continued to climb forward and at the checkered flag he was at the tail end of the lead pack, credited with an outstanding sixth place finish.
On Sunday Rudolph was at Wyoming County International Speedway in the #12 Original Pizza Logs/PrimeTyme Motorsports/Brigham Concrete SST Sportsman. Twin 25-lap features were scheduled. Rudolph battled with veteran TJ Potrzebowski to win the first main event. The second feature was washed out by a thunderstorm and will be run this Sunday afternoon before the regularly scheduled race program.
Team owner Dave DeLange expressed his satisfaction with the performance of his two young drivers and his optimism for the future. “I’m ecstatic over Erick’s race at Oswego . I can’t believe what a polished driver he is for actually only his second Modified race. He has roughly 200 laps in these cars and he drives like it is his 200th race. If anybody has a bright future in racing, it’s Erick Rudolph. I’m proud to a part of what I believe will be an outstanding career. Bobby is also very talented but he just continues to have bad luck. He always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and gets collected up in things we don’t deserve to be in. Hopefully that luck will change soon. Bobby is certainly capable of winning these races and I believe he will in the near future.
“I’m looking forward to Chemung next Saturday night. I enjoy the shorter tracks; to me it’s like racing in the old days. I think both our kids are going to do well. Bobby raced there last year and he likes the track. Erick had a tremendous run at Chemung last year in a TQ Midget and he’s excited about running the Modified there. I’m looking for two good finishes on Saturday night.”
This weekend DeLange Racing Young Guns will be racing the Original Pizza Logs Modifieds in a Race of Champions Tour 75-lap event at the Chemung Speedrome near Elmira , New York . Holmes raced at Chemung last year while Rudolph will be making his first-ever Modified start at the Southern Tier oval. Rudolph will return to WCIS on Sunday with the SST Sportsman.
Holmes won the third qualifying heat and lined up the Original Pizza Logs #22 Modified in the seventh starting position for the feature. He ran quietly in the first half of the race, settling into the tenth position while biding his time and saving his tires. Just after the halfway mark he was up to ninth and started closing in on the leaders. By lap 73 Holmes was battling for seventh when he was involved in an accident in turn three and his race was over, finishing in 17th place.
Rudolph demonstrated patience beyond his age and experience. In just his third Modified race he was gradually working his way forward. By lap 40 the #45 Original Pizza Logs Modified had advanced up to 12th and just past the halfway point Rudolph was into the top-ten. At the three-quarter mark he was ninth and gaining ground on the cars in front of him. The talented teenager continued to climb forward and at the checkered flag he was at the tail end of the lead pack, credited with an outstanding sixth place finish.
On Sunday Rudolph was at Wyoming County International Speedway in the #12 Original Pizza Logs/PrimeTyme Motorsports/Brigham Concrete SST Sportsman. Twin 25-lap features were scheduled. Rudolph battled with veteran TJ Potrzebowski to win the first main event. The second feature was washed out by a thunderstorm and will be run this Sunday afternoon before the regularly scheduled race program.
Team owner Dave DeLange expressed his satisfaction with the performance of his two young drivers and his optimism for the future. “I’m ecstatic over Erick’s race at Oswego . I can’t believe what a polished driver he is for actually only his second Modified race. He has roughly 200 laps in these cars and he drives like it is his 200th race. If anybody has a bright future in racing, it’s Erick Rudolph. I’m proud to a part of what I believe will be an outstanding career. Bobby is also very talented but he just continues to have bad luck. He always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and gets collected up in things we don’t deserve to be in. Hopefully that luck will change soon. Bobby is certainly capable of winning these races and I believe he will in the near future.
“I’m looking forward to Chemung next Saturday night. I enjoy the shorter tracks; to me it’s like racing in the old days. I think both our kids are going to do well. Bobby raced there last year and he likes the track. Erick had a tremendous run at Chemung last year in a TQ Midget and he’s excited about running the Modified there. I’m looking for two good finishes on Saturday night.”
This weekend DeLange Racing Young Guns will be racing the Original Pizza Logs Modifieds in a Race of Champions Tour 75-lap event at the Chemung Speedrome near Elmira , New York . Holmes raced at Chemung last year while Rudolph will be making his first-ever Modified start at the Southern Tier oval. Rudolph will return to WCIS on Sunday with the SST Sportsman.