FRANKLIN, PA – Erick Rudolph took the feature win and the championship crown to conclude the twenty-sixth season of the BRP Modified Tour. He passed Rex King, Jr. just before halfway and he maintained a comfortable advantage the rest of the way.
Also taking wins on the holiday special were Bobby Whitling and Matt Urey in the Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Pro Stocks, and 4 Your Car Connection Four Cylinder Mini Stocks, respectively. Larry Walters and Tim Beatty prevailed in the Old Skool Kool Vintage action.
“Its plenty of pressure to defend the championship, Rudolph noted.” But he did not let the stress wear him down. Rudolph explained that King “was able to get through lapped traffic better tahn me.” But he had four cautions in the second half to keep the track clear for the most part.
Dave Murdick and Kyle Fink had the front row for the season-ending thirty-five lapper. King Jr. and Chas Wolbert made up row two. Chad Reitz and Garrett Krummert were in the third row. Jeremiah Shingledecker and J.R. McGinley had row four. The fifth paired up Rudolph and Trevor Wright. The sixth matched Jeff Walters and Brad Rapp.
Murdick took the lead at the start of the event. King nestled into second, followed by Wolbert, Krummert, Rudolph, and Fink. McGinley slowed the pace three laps into the event. That realignment allowed King to sweep into the lead on the next completed lap.
Wolbert sustained a flat soon thereafter, and that put King out front for the restart. He held control ahead of Murdick, Krummert, Rudolph, Shingledecker, Fink, Wright, Walters, Rapp, and Austin Eyler.
On the next round of the big half mile, Rudolph took up second and Krummert also nudged ahead of Murdick, and Shingledecker.
On lap sixteen, Macey Adamik brought out the first of her three cautions. On the restart, Rudolph slid past King on the inside of turn three. King got another shot at Rudolph two laps later when a two-car skirmish involving Walters and Rodney Beltz stopped the race.
While Rudolph maintained his lead the rest of the way, several cautions punctuated the flow of the race. Throughout, Rudolph stayed out front, with King in second. Krummert hovered in third until Shingledecker drove by with just a couple of laps left in the contest.
At the checkers, it was Rudolph, King, Shingledecker, and Krummert. Rapp, Murdick, McGinley, Wright, and Eyler completed the top five.
Krummert, Rudolph, and King topped the three heat races. There was no B Main.