RUDOLPH LAFLER RELATIONSHIP CONTINUES TO PAY DIVIDENDS INDOORS

By MIKE MALLETT

Erick Rudolph continues to prove that he is the master of the indoor racing scene. The Ransomville, N.Y., driver dominated Saturday night’s Battle of Trenton finale for his second indoor series win of the year. He won the opener in Allentown before a disappointing 10th in Atlantic City. Had he won all three events he would have took home a $10,000 bonus courtesy of Vahlco Wheels.

“It’s a letdown in the fact that we didn’t get the 10 grand bonus from Vahlco Wheels there, but you got to remember it’s not a letdown when you give 100 percent,” Rudolph said. “Not just me but the owner, the whole crew, it’s not a letdown because we know that we gave it our all. That’s what we are proud of.”

None the less it was a stunning indoor season for Rudolph considering he bested nearly 70 different cars on not just one but two occasions. Anyone that has ever been to an indoor event knows you need a fast race car but there is a certain element of luck to being able to survive the rough and tumble aspect of it.

“You got to look at this way,” stated Rudolph. “You got to play it by the numbers. There are close to 70 cars here today, similar in Allentown and Atlantic City there were a 100. To win one is an accomplishment, to win two is awesome.”

Rudolph has a strong relationship with indoor car builder extraordinaire Mark Lafler. The two share a hometown and have been working together for 10 years. The results have been incredible with Rudolph winning indoor event after indoor event and more and more people purchasing the Lafler built cars. In Saturday night’s dash at Trenton, seven out of the eight cars were of that design.

“This has been in the making for a lot of years,” commented Rudolph. “We used to race indoors about a decade ago. We had a handful of cars and it’s grown into what it is today. I don’t think there is any other car but a Lafler to run indoors. It goes with Mark Lafler himself. You see him walking around the garage area helping guys out, people coming over and asking him and more often than not he sends them in the right direction.”

Even though the indoor racing season has come to a close and Rudolph will be returning to the dirt, he’ll still have some focus on the indoor season that starts next December. He does stop at the shop during the off-season to check in and to go over things. The pair are constantly looking for a way to get better.

“It is something I look forward to getting to because we always run well and win,” stated Rudolph. “I feel like at the indoor races I have the best chance out of anyone to win with the track record we have. Car wise, engine wise, we got the whole package. It’s not totally forgotten about during the summer months. I usually stop by a couple times in the shop. He’s right in town. He comes to a few of my dirt races. We talk about it, catch up on it, discuss ways to get better. It’s got to be a year round thing.”

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RUDOLPH WINS THE BATTLE OF TRENTON AND CLAIMS INDOOR MIDGET SERIES TITLE

TRENTON, NJ – Erick Rudolph wrapped a near-perfect weekend Saturday night at Sun National Bank Center in Trenton, N.J., when he won the 40-lap Battle Of Trenton TQ Midget Indoor race. The victory was his second of the three race Len Sammons Motorsports Productions VP Racing Series 2016 season and he earned his second straight Series title with the win.

“The car was good, as it always seems to be,” Rudolph said. “I got a break or two in lapped traffic and was able to get good restarts.”

Tony DiMattia, driving one of the four 600 Micro Sprint cars that qualified for the 26-car feature, moved by Jimmy Blewett off the final turn on the last lap to finish a shocking second; Blewett settled for third.

“I dropped back a little at the start because things happen in the early laps in these races,” DiMattia, who started 13th, said. “Then the car just started coming in.”

The finish was so close that DiMattia had to be told by his crew after the race that he had edged Blewett for the second spot.

Scott Kreutter’s advance through the field was even more profound than DiMattia’s. He earned fourth at the line from 20th starting spot. Patrick Emerling was fifth.

Jonathan Reid, pole starter Ryan Susice, Bobby Holmes, Nick Ladyga and Shawn Nye rounded out the top ten.

An eight-car, five-lap Dash that determined the order of the first four rows for the 40-lap headliner was won by Susice over Rudolph and Blewett.

Five 10-lap TQ Midget heat races with the top two finishers in each transferring to the A-Main were won by Zane Zeiner over Andrew Krause, by Andy Jankowiak ahead of Matt Roselli, by Emerling over Bobby Holmes, by Justin Bonsignore ahead of Earl Paules and by DiMattia ahead of John Ivy.

Krause’s second place finish in heat one was particularly noteworthy in that he started from the rear of the field. Holmes’ runnerup finish in heat three was remarkable in that he gained the spot over Joey Payne on a daring inside turn three pass on the final lap, and Ivy’s second spot result was worthy of note in that it was his first successful qualifying effort after previous difficulties in Atlantic City.

Mike Lichty won the D-Main for the TQs, and Ryan Tidman the C-Main. The B-Main which secured starting spots for the first four cars in the A-Main was won by Joey Payne.

The Battle Of Trenton concluded the Len Sammons Motorsports Productions VP Racing Series. Prior events at Allentown, Pa., won by Rudolph and Atlantic City, N.J., won by Sesely preceded the Trenton race.

LSMP will release its 2017 Indoor Series schedule soon. The traditional end of January Boardwalk Hall Atlantic City race will anchor the slate with events at Allentown, Pa. and Trenton, N.J.

The official Battle Of Trenton TQ Midget feature finish, as revised by LSMP follows.

Revised / Official TQ Midget Feature (40 Laps): 1. Erick Rudolph, 2. Jimmy Blewett, 3. Scott Kreutter, 4. Patrick Emerling, 5. Jonathan Reid, 6. Ryan Susice, 7. Bobby Holmes, 8. Nick Ladyga, 9. Shawn Nye, 10. Brett Michalski, 11. Justin Bonsignore, 12. Zane Zeiner, 13. Andrew Krause, 14. Anthony Sesely, 15. Matt Roselli, 16. Tim Buckwalter, 17. Andy Jankowiak, 18. John Ivy, 19. Rob Neely, 20. Kyle Reinhardt, 21. Mike Lichty, 22. Earl Paules, 23. Tim Nye, 24. Joey Payne, 25. Ted Christopher. Disqualified: Tony DiMattia (From Second)

http://www.dirttrackdigest.com/NewPress/?p=15636