RUDOLPH IMPRESSIVE AT MANSFIELD
OSWEGO THIS COMING WEEKEND
Last weekend Erick Rudolph and the DeLange Racing team headed west
for their inaugural visit to the Buckeye State at Mansfield
Motorsports Park in Mansfield, Ohio. The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
was running the Whelen 150 as part of a doubleheader program that
also included the NASCAR Camping World Series East. It was a prime
opportunity for the teenage racer to get some valuable exposure and
as usual, "The Kid" was equal to the task at hand.
Erick and the crew had the #45 Original Pizza Logs/PrimeTyme
Motorsports/Brigham Concrete Modified out for some early practice by
mid-morning and made the most of that valuable period. When it was
time for qualifying Rudolph turned a very impressive lap that would
place him 15th on the starting grid for the feature. After that the
team made some final adjustments during the Camping World feature
and prepared for the forthcoming battle. Finally it was time to go
racing.
Early in the 150-lap main Rudolph narrowly escaped disaster as the
field got jammed up. Some minor damage was sustained but the crew
made some quick repairs on pit road and sent the #45 back out. Erick
drove a smart, steady race over the remaining distance and came away
with solid seventh place finish, his best career NASCAR Tour finish
to date.
"Early in the race some cars got together up ahead," explained
Rudolph. "Things happen fast here and I was on the brakes hard, but
I couldn't stop in time and bounced off a few cars and then had a
trip through the (track) apron. The engine temperature climbed
pretty high after that and even though it came down some it was
still in the back of my mind all race whether the motor was going to
hold out or not. I could tell I was a little down on power because
it was so hot. But it stayed where it was and it seemed the longer
we raced the car was getting faster and faster.
"This was our best finish on the Tour so far and I felt this was
our best race. We had a good strategy going into the race and the
crew had a good pit stop. I just had to wheel it hard. We were
definitely competitive tonight. Every race we run on the Tour I get
more used to the procedures. The big adjustment is in qualifying and
we're getting better each time."
After the race, the DeLange crew headed back home to compete at
Dunn Tire Raceway Park on Sunday afternoon. A busy program was to
include a 100-lap Race of Champions Modified Tour feature along with
two 50-lap SST Sportsman features. Unfortunately Mother Nature
intervened once again and washed out the program immediately after
the Modified feature ended. Erick was able to garner a steady second
place finish. No word as yet has been given by the speedway as to
when the leftover races will be rescheduled.
This weekend the DeLange team has a fairly tranquil timetable
planned. The only racing scheduled is a 125-lap Race of Champions
Modified Tour event on Saturday, part of the famed 52nd annual
Budweiser Classic Week at Oswego Speedway. After that a busy month
of September is on the horizon. The 2008 racing season is headed
into the stretch drive.
THE END