Erick Rudolph is the driver to beat at the Allentown PPL Center because of his past performance at that indoor track. (Credit: Area News photo.)
Indoor Auto Racing Series champion Erick Rudolph has a
date with destiny over the Friday, December 30 and Saturday, December
31, 2016 weekend at the PPL Center in Allentown, Pa. The dirt
Modified stock car standout from Ransomville, N.Y. has the opportunity to tie
and surpass Ted Christopher of Plainville, Ct., for most Len Sammons
Motorsports Productions (LSMP) Indoor Series Three Quarter (TQ) Midget feature wins.
If Rudolph should sweep the Allentown weekend, he would end the season
second in northeast feature wins with 26 victories! It would also put
him three-quarters of the way towards a $10,000 bonus offered by Bob
Hilbert Sportswear of Boyertown, Pa. To pocket the challenge money,
Rudolph would only then have to win the Indoor Series finale inside
Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall on Saturday, January 28th to pick-up
the ten grand!
Rudolph’s victory earlier this month in the series opener on December
10 at Sun National Bank Center in Trenton, N.J., was the seventh of
his Indoor TQ Midget driving career. Christopher has previously
amassed eight, the most recent of which was two years ago, also inside
the Trenton arena.
“The car was just about perfect,” Rudolph said after his Trenton
victory. “It had to be because the competition has never been better.
It’s the same car we won with here in Trenton in February and in
Allentown back in January.”
For the 2016/2017 Indoor season, Christopher has parked his own No. 13
in favor of driving the No. 49 owned by upstate New York whiz Trey
Hoddick. Christopher moved into second to Rudolph in the feature in
his debut for Hoddick. But after setting the fastest lap of the
feature, an oil line detached from the engine erupting it in a fireball.
“I was gaining him,” Christopher said. “I was running just as
quick or quicker than he was until the car blew up.”
Aside from Christopher, a former NASCAR Modified champion, there are
at least five strong competitors who are in line to win for the first
time over the Ironton Telephone/ Avaya Indoor TQ Midget race weekend
in Allentown. It’s only a matter of time before Ryan Flores, Jimmy
Blewett, Zane Zeiner or Justin Bonsignore pull into victory lane.
Flores, Cornelius, N.C., finished second to Rudolph in Trenton. It
was his fifth second place Indoor Series finish.
“I just need to work on making the car a little better,” a
disconsolate Flores, a full-time employee of Penske Racing’s NASCAR
Cup Series team.
Blewett, Howell, N.J., was third in Trenton and set the second fastest
time in qualifying. He’s been a factor in every Indoor race he has run.
Two Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania entries, Zane Zeiner of Bath, Pa.,
and Earl Paules of Palmerton, Pa., also have the experience,
equipment, and talent to challenge Rudolph. Zeiner finished third at
Trenton and was competitive in the battle up front. Paules couldn’t
overcome several hurdles at Trenton, but the 2015 Mahoning Valley
Speedway asphalt Modified champion is out to redeem himself in front
of his hometown area fans.
Justin Bonsignore of Holtsville, NY missed the Trenton event to attend
the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour banquet in Charlotte, NC to collect
his second place in the standings awards. Proven to be fast last year
Indoor in his No. 51, Bonsignore is expected to be another pre-race
favorite to win for the first time indoors.
On Friday, the TQ racing will be supported by a card of Slingshot
action; on Saturday, Champ Karts are the undercard.
Allentown tickets are available online at www.PPLCenter.com and or at
the PPL Center box office located at 701 Hamilton Street, Allentown,
PA 18101.
The finale for the 2016-2017 Indoor Auto Racing Championship Series
fueled by VP is set for Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J., on
Friday and Saturday, January 27-28, 2017, featuring the fifteenth
running of the NAPA Auto Parts Classic.
Anthony Sesely of Matawan, NJ, who has won four times in Atlantic
City, is seeking his first Indoor win away from the ocean resort with
a new car. Sesely, one of five drivers on the Lou Cicconi team, will
be driving a Lafler built car for him for the first time in Allentown.
Event information, including ticket sales and hotel room deals are
available at www.indoorautoracing.com or by phoning 609-888-3618.