RUDOLPH RETURNS TO MICHAEL’S MERCER VICTORY LANE

MERCER, PA- By Jim Balentine – On a beautiful nice summer evening Michaels Mercer raceway present by Sunbelt rentals and Erme’s distributing was able to complete its second Saturday show of the season. Ransomville, NY Erick Rudolph who won Lenerville the night before picked up the $3000 to win Michaels Memorial BRP modified tour race leading the entire distance

Erick Rudolph, who has won many events at Mercer over the years, continued his dominance of the BRP modified tour by leading flag to flag in the 35 lap $3000 to win michaels memorial feature. Starting on the outside pole Rudolph, along with Rob Kristyak would  lead the 27 car field to the green. Rudolph would instantly take command of the event. Ayden Cipriano and Tyler Willard would get around Kristyak moving him back to fourth on lap two. Cipriano would maintain second throughout the 35 lap event, but behind him a great battle was ensuing with multi time feature winners Garrett Krummert, and Brad Rapp who would come from eighth and ninth respectively through the field to take over third and fourth by lap 13 then a multi car crash between former small block champion Jimmy Holden, Jeff, Walters and Rodney Beltz would eliminate all 3 and bunching up the field for a restart. At the same time, Tyler Willard, who was running in the top five went to the pit area and came back out to restart the tail of the field. 14th starting Rex King Jr.  would make his way up to fifth by lap 18. Krummert would then move around Rapp for third on lap  20. As the pair would have Cipriano in their sites, meanwhile Rudolph was extending his lead to a full 2 second gap. Another three car crash involving Jeff Schaffer Jr., Kevin Green and Mark Frankhauser would bunch up the field for the two lap shootout to the end. on the restart, Rudolph will takeoff again and would win the race by .985 over Cipriano, Krummert, Rapp and King Jr. Picking up the $3000 and his fifth big block modified win at Mercer. A happy Rudolph would comment, “it looked like the bottom was the place to be and very little up top. In 3 and 4 I wasn’t sure where to be so I went through the middle and I thought I was losing some grip toward the end and I was trying to keep it together. We have been tweaking the car and I think we are going in the right direction with it.”

 

Michaels Mercer raceway park 7.25.26 results

Dirt Big Block Modifieds 27 Entries

A Feature 1 35 Laps

1. 25-Erick Rudolph[2]; 2. 5C-Ayden Cipriano[3]; 3. 29-Garrett Krummert[8]; 4. 11R-Brad Rapp[9]; 5. 165-Rex King Jr[14]; 6. 00K-Jackson Kristyak[6]; 7. 13-Rick Regalski Jr[4]; 8. 55-Rob Kristyak[1]; 9. 777-Tyler Willard[5]; 10. 20P-Mike Kinney[18]; 11. 61-Dave Murdick[7]; 12. 29*-Eric Beggs[17]; 13. 3K-Shawn Kozar[13]; 14. 18-Colton Walters[23]; 15. 60-Kyle Holden[16]; 16. 14-Jeff Schaffer Jr[24]; 17. 03-Mark Frankhouser[21]; 18. 74-Kevin Green[27]; 19. 165K-Karston King[11]; 20. 86R-Rob Curtis[20]; 21. 28-Jimmy Holden[10]; 22. 64-Rodney Beltz[12]; 23. 18W-Jeff Walters[25]; 24. X-Jeremy Paup[26]; 25. 77-Preston Cope[22]; 26. 5A-Austin Eyler[19]; 27. 17M-Kyle Fink[15]

Heat 1 8 Laps 

1. 11R-Brad Rapp[6]; 2. 165K-Karston King[7]; 3. 64-Rodney Beltz[4]; 4. 3K-Shawn Kozar[1]; 5. 29*-Eric Beggs[5]; 6. 03-Mark Frankhouser[2]; 7. (DNF) 18W-Jeff Walters[3]

Heat 2 8 Laps 

1. 55-Rob Kristyak[1]; 2. 13-Rick Regalski Jr[6]; 3. 61-Dave Murdick[4]; 4. 165-Rex King Jr[7]; 5. 20P-Mike Kinney[2]; 6. 77-Preston Cope[5]; 7. X-Jeremy Paup[3]

Heat 3 8 Laps 

1. 5C-Ayden Cipriano[1]; 2. 29-Garrett Krummert[2]; 3. 777-Tyler Willard[3]; 4. 17M-Kyle Fink[4]; 5. 5A-Austin Eyler[5]; 6. 18-Colton Walters[6]; 7. 74-Kevin Green[7]

Heat 4 8 Laps 

1. 25-Erick Rudolph[4]; 2. 28-Jimmy Holden[1]; 3. 00K-Jackson Kristyak[6]; 4. 60-Kyle Holden[3]; 5. 86R-Rob Curtis[2]; 6. 14-Jeff Schaffer Jr[5]