|
|
|
05/12/2014 |
|
|
 .
TRI-TRACK OPEN MODIFIED SERIES
Bullring Bash Modified 100 Lap Event
at Lee USA Speedway
.
by
Denise DuPont
/ Polly Reid
|
 A
picture perfect day for racing at Lee Speedway set the stage for the first
2014 Tri Track Series event with 34 cars signing in for the $5000 to win
purse. Starting 21st after qualifying for the main event through the consi
race, at the end of the day, it was Matt Hirschman of Northampton, PA making
a pass with less than ten to go, surviving three more cautions to cross the
stripe claiming the checkers and the hefty Bullring Bash Modified 100
payday.
Ryan Preece who caught a piece of the final lap, final turn incident that
finished the event under a yellow checker crossed second with Dennis Perry
third.
“This is me at my best running these short track, bullring shows,” said
Hirschman about winning another open competition show. “The Racing Guys,
Long Island Mod Maniac, these are the best shows you’re going to see all
year, I guarantee it- here, Star in June and Seekonk in July- I appreciate
those guys doing this and everyone supporting it.”
“I’m going to ride the wave with these shows,” said Hirschman who wished all
the mom’s especially his own a Happy Mother’s Day in victory lane. “My
season got off to a slow start, no excuses, that’s behind me now. We won an
ROC race last week and now here, we’re warming up.”
Starting deep in the field at 21st in the 26 car field, Hirschman advanced a
couple of positions by lap 30. When the second caution of the day waved on
lap 47, Hirschman came down pit row with a host of other teams for tires and
proceeded to linger deep in the lineup.
“I made some drastic changes before the race and that’s not like me,”
admitted Hirschman. “I really don’t have the experience here. You know, I
was a car that belonged in the consi. After the consi, yeah, we won the
consi but I was like we’re going to try something here or we’re not going to
have a chance at winning today. I took some chances, made some changes and
glad it worked.”
A caution with 25 to go brought several more cars down pit row creating what
was the beginning of a break for Hirschman who advanced to 15th on the
restart. Four circuits later, Hirschman had cracked the top ten. Two more
cautions, Hirschman held his position now in 8th but by lap 86 was inside
the top five running 4th and by lap 90, just ten to go was suddenly in
third, a podium finish in sight.
The field reigned in for a caution, Hirschman lined up second and made a
power move on the outside of Steve Masse for the lead only to be brought
back to the line for yet another yellow. Hirschman repeated the outside
muscle move three more times as trouble plagued the field behind the leaders
keeping the action close.
But with five to go, the green laps came and Hirschman dominated taking down
a decisive win.
“At one point, I’m dead last on the track but the leaders are doing the same
speed as me, it’s just part of it,” said Hirschman. “To me, I feel more
comfortable if I’m going to ride, I’ll take the safest place which is clear
of any other cars because obviously my goal is to not battle with 18th spot
at that time, it’s a moot point, you just have to wait it out. Strategy like
this, it’s not always going to work, I’ve made it work in a lot of these
shows and we’ve won a lot of these races, I just hope my guys remember that
when it backfires sometime because it’s not always going to work. These open
shows are my favorite, I love the effort that goes into them- it got
exciting at the end- they usually get interesting. I wanted to lead lap 100
not lap 1 and today we had no chance of leading lap 1 so we’ll take 100.”
Ryan Preece of Berlin, CT came to Lee USA Speedway for the first time ever
and brought Ole Blue (#3 of Jan Boehler) from twentieth to a second place
finish. Following a strategy similar to Hirschman, Preece used tire
management to his advantage to save his car for the race end and ran when it
was time for the hard charge. “I got a second and that was nice. We came on
at the end. I was sitting back there and I knew that he (Matt Hirschman) was
sitting back there too. I do not know if people thought we were out to lunch
or what but I think that we all showed at the end that we had a better hand
at the end. I had fun. This was my first time here and it is definitely a
different strategy. I liked it. I had fun. It was nice to be back in the #3
and to give back a good finish for them.’
 On
the last lap there were several cars making their move for second. Steve
Masse had it and was protecting his territory. Todd Annarummo and Ryan
Preece were hanging out in third but both wanted one more position. All
three were racing hard and with such close quarters, one wrong move or slip
and things happen. Masse got sideways and from there Preece was able to
slide into second. “Steve Masse and I were racing hard coming out of turn
three. He was basically at my door at that point and I went in hard and he
went in hard and then his right front went into my nerf bar. Whether he got
loose or we just both drove it in really hard. Obviously I am racing my
buddy so I would not turn down into him and knock him into the corner so it
was just racing. The first thing that I saw in my mirror was he was
sideways. I hated that for him just because he has been working on that
thing all day and he was going to have a good run. But it was hard racing.
He probably wanted to finish second and I know how bad that I wanted to
finish second but it is what it is.” Masse and Annarummo lost their spots
and finished the race respectively in eighteenth and nineteenth.
Dennis Perry of Hopkinton, RI made it into the Bullring Bash 100 through the
consi race. He started twenty-second, one spot behind Matt Hirschman. Perry
made the decision from the beginning to follow Hirschman’s moves and
hopefully finish the race in the top ten. “At the beginning of the race we
started in the back right next to Matty Hirschman and I said to myself “Ok
whatever he does, I am doing.” And for 50 laps that is exactly what I did.
Then he pitted but we decided to hold on a little longer and he got away
from me because I got some real bad track position. I mean with 19 laps to
go I was still in twenty-second. Then we got that tire and I said “We got a
strong piece here guys, we just need some holes to open.” And the seas
finally started parting and we went to the front.”
 “It
is the first time I have ever been here in a modified,” said Perry in
post-race inspection. “I love this track. I love a loose car and I love
driving on the right rear, so this track fits me very well. Just pulling out
at top ten was what we were hoping when we came here. We knew we were coming
up here with a knife at a gun fight but we brought a much better piece than
we expected and I adapted to this track very quickly. And we had such a
ball. Unfortunately those two guys got together on the last turn. It was
kind of a scary wreck and hopefully everybody is OK. It was an unbelievable
race. I cannot thank the Racing Guys Jim Schaefer and the Lee USA Speedway
enough. Doing what they are doing in racing for all the little guys like
myself, it is the best thing that could happen for us.”
This was the first of the three races that make up the Tri-Track Series. The
next race will be Saturday, June 14th at Star Speedway. Then series will
culminate with the final race being at Seekonk Speedway, Wednesday, July 23.
The series will be paying a point fund of $10,000 sponsored by Alloy Wheel
Repair Specialists of Quincy, Mass.
Notes from Lee USA Speedway:
Do you think that Tire management played an
important part in the “Bullring Bash 100”?
Ryan Preece
“I have heard so many different things about this place and it is true that
the track is hard on the tires. There were little things that we could have
done to make it better but we were about as good as you can get, for what we
had today. And tire management played a big part today”.
Dennis Perry
“Lee Speedway does actually eat tires.” |
|
|
Source: Denise DuPont / Polly Reid / TheChromeHorn.com
Posted: May
12, 2014 |
|
|
