Posted by Motorsports Image on 09/07/08

Erick Rudolph Claims First Empire State Modified Midget Crown

Rich Vleck, BATAVIA, NY (September 6, 2008)- On a night when the Genesee Speedway was smooth and even, so too was the competition; but Erick Rudolph would distinguish himself before the night was over.

Rudolph, of Ransomville, captured the first running of the premier New York Modified Midget event, exclusive to New York State Residents. Rudolph not only took home $1,500, but also knew he had beaten a solid field.

The driver of the No. 72 moved underneath Paul Habeck for the lead on lap six and never looked back, keeping a safe distance over the rest of the field.

Nothing seemed to phase the youngster on the night, as he switched wings, taped a new number on the second one, had a bad redraw from the feature, and saw his lead advantage evaporate on numerous occasions throughout the 25-lap A-Main.

Rudolph was able to drive his car into the corner significantly farther than the rest of the competition, giving him the ability to complete passes on the top of the speedway.

As the second-generation star was slicing through to the lead, David Ferguson was following Rudolph through the holes to get into second and settle for an impressive runner-up showing. In addition to winning his heat race, Ferguson was also the quick timer by over a ¼ of a second.

Eric Schwartz would score a solid third place showing, moving his way through the pack to complete the podium on the night. Zack Morgan and Nick Cooper would round out the very young top-five.

Early race front-runners Paul Habeck, Todd Cummings and Dan Miller all experienced problems before the finish.

On an overcast afternoon, 42 of the best modified midgets in the state invaded the 1/3-mile to compete for the largest purse in the history of NYMM.


Genesee Speedway Results: 9/6/2008-
New York Modified Midgets Empire State Invitational (25 Laps)- ERICK RUDOLPH, David Ferguson, Eric Schwartz, Zack Morgan, Nick Cooper, Charlie Donk, Jim Radney, Ryan Jordan, Jim Lafler, Scott Kreutter, John Smith, Amy Scott, Pat Kelly, Dan Miller, Ron Gamble, Nathan Arnold, Billy Coffey, Paul Habeck, Mike Foster, Kenny Wills, Jim Morgan, Todd Cummings, Cody Shorga.

Lap Leaders- Habeck 1-5, Rudolph 6-25.
Heat Winners- Ferguson, T. Morgan, Rudolph, Habeck, Smith, Coffey.
B-Main Winners- Homan, Scott.
Quick Time- Ferguson: 16.762 seconds