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TYLER RYPKEMA
BEATS THE ODDS TO TAKE NIGHT TWO MODIFIED WIN
Two Nights And Two Surprise Endings At New Smyrna Speedway
by Denise DuPont |
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night two of modified racing at The World Series of
Asphalt Stock Car Racing it was another shake up
night as Tyler Rypkema led from green to checker to
take the win. If you had made a bet on who would win
the race there were a lot of heavy hitter that you
may have selected before Rypkema. Speedweeks has
proven to be a year of surprises so far this year.
“I knew I just had to drive my line and don’t get
loose.” Said Rypkema in victory lane. “I knew I just
have to keep the car under me and I would be
alright. I knew that it would be hard for him to get
under me. I was doing really good and eft him out
there at the end. I have to thank all my sponsors.
It was unbelievable and this is awesome”.
Jimmy Zacharias fell right behind Rypkema for second
and that was how the race ran, one-two. Lap after
lap Zacharias was there shadowing Rypkema waiting
for his chance to pass but It never happened. So
Zacharias had to settle for a second place finish.
What did Zacharias need to get around the #32? “I
just needed maybe five more laps,” Zacharias said at
race end. “Last night I went too early and I burned
it up a little bit and tonight I want to play a
little bit safe. You do not want to take it off too
early because you do not know when a caution is
going to fall or what is going to happen or when it
is going to happen.”
The modified race ran 35 green laps and if a driver
had a car that was off beat at all there was just
not a yellow for a pit window. There was also not an
opportunity for a restart challenge. This meant
drivers had to take their starting position and go
forward. Zacharias had a good car but it was just
one position short of a win. “There was just not a
caution and I let Tyler get a little bit ahead.”
Confessed Zacharias. “I was hoping that my car was
going to free up a little bit. We started a little
too tight and it stayed tight. He started neutral
and got real
 free
at the end. Just maybe two or three more laps and we
would have been sitting up there. I am happy for
Tyler and the Rypkema family. We grew up racing
together back home. I am just happy that the top
three standing here are built and not that spec
motor for once and that feels good. They equalized
us out with the spec motors so we are strong and we
can run with them.”
Valenti Modified Racing Series Champion, Jon
McKennedy, has had two consistent finishes after two
consistent race runs in the #29 Exit Realty
sponsored modified. McKennedy started the race sixth
and passed JR Bertuccio on lap 26 for third. Once
there he followed the two lead cars maintaining a
strong third place position. “I would like to thank
my crew. Everyone has worked hard. It is a cool deal
but it is a lot of work.” McKennedy said after the
race.
“We are close. Night two and we have been a top five
both nights. Track position is key. It seems like
you have about eight or ten cars that could win. You
know starting up front is nice.”
We now have two nights of modified racing completed
and three more nights to go. Join us on
TheChromeHorn for more racing action this weeks as
2017 modified racing continues to heat up.
Notes from New Smyrna Speedway:
Do you think that a yellow would have helped
you get by him?
Jimmy Zacharias
“I think that it would have been a good race, a good
run. Tyler and I go way back. We have had problems
but we can usually race side by side clean. If he
took the top I knew that I probably would have got
him because he was getting real free up there trying
to run. I had a stout car and I could drive up out
the corner. I did not care if a caution came out or
not. .But like I said 2 or 3 more laps and I would
have gotten him and it would have been a different
story.”
Race 2 - 35 Finish:
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1. Tyler Rypkema 32
2. Jimmy Zacharias 71
3. Jon McKennedy 29
4. Ryan Preece 6
5. Jimmy Blewett 45
6. Ron Silk 82
7. Chuck Hossfeld 22H
8. Matt Hirschman 60
9. Timmy Solomito 16
10. Tommy Catalano 54
11. Ricky Moxley 33
12. Amy Catalano 64
13. Austin Pickens 63
14. Matt Montineri 71M
15. Jeremy Gerstner 70
16. JR Bertuccio 2
17. Calvin Carroll 40
18. Al Emmarino 2x
19. Joe DeGarcia 23D
20. Shawn Balluzzo 70G
21. Justin Bonsignore 51
22. Tom Tohn 10T
23. Paul Hartwig, Jr. 73
24. Spencer Davis 82x
25. Matt Gallo 6x
26. DJ Wagner 39
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Source:
Denise DuPont / TheChromeHorn.com
Posted:
February 21, 2017 |
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