The BRP/Hoosier Tire Modified Tour kicked off its fifteenth season in grand style at Bobby Rohrer’s Eriez Speedway. Taking the win before a large crowd of enthusiastic fans was five-time and defending champion, Rex King, Sr. while his son Rex King, Jr., finished a close second. It marked the second time in Tour history that the duo from Bristolville, OH swept the top spots.

Steve Feder and Eric Gabany had the front row of the feature under the Modified Tour’s new handicapping system. Gabany jumped out to the early lead with his potent 358 Modified, but he was unable to capitalize upon the opportunity. Racing hard on the outside trying to maintain his momentum, Gabany jumped the cushion in turn two and lost valuable ground. Brian Weaver, from Windsor, NY, benefited most from the miscue, and he grabbed the lead as the pack of snarling Modifieds completed lap two.

While Waver maintained control, Dave Murdick quickly moved through the field. This was all the more remarkable, give the heroic efforts of Murdick and his crew to repair substantial damage from a heat race incident that destroyed the chassis of Kevin Bolland’s machine. Murdick was closing in on Waver when he skid through turn four, allowing Weaver to open up some breathing room.

Back in the pack, the drivers were battling hard for positions. On lap six, the unthinkable happened when King, Sr. spun between turns three and four. After the race, he would explain that he closed too fast on a group of cars, the track got bottled up, and he had nowhere to go. That sent King to the rear of the field.

On the Delaware double-file restart, Cooter King blasted into second and he began to challenge Weaver for the lead. Their nip and tuck battle was interrupted by a massive pile-up in turn four on lap 13. While no cars were eliminated in the accident, it did substantially alter the running order from mid-pack on back. Somehow King Sr., managed to avoid getting collected in the melee, and he moved up in the field for the restart.

On lap 14, Cooter made another bold run at Weaver, but this time he jumped the cushion, allowing his dad to slip by for second. Now, it was King Sr. chasing after Weaver. On lap 20, King, Sr. went to the cushion coming through turn four and he won the drag race into turn one. Weaver fought back through turns one and two, but King again used the cushion to perfection coming off the second turn to maintain his advantage.

With King Sr. out front, Jr. went back to work on Weaver. They again raced side-by- side, but this time it was for second place. Cooter took the position away on lap 23, and it looked like Weaver was starting to fade.

Just when it looked like Murdick and Kevin Hoffman would mount their own attacks upon him, Weaver rallied. Although neither of them could pass Weaver, they would continue to swap positions as the laps wound down.

When the checkers flew at the end of the 30 lapper, it was King and King, followed by Weaver. Hoffman claimed fourth, from seventeenth on the starting grid. Hoffman reverted to a back-up car when his primary mount sustained a terminal oil leak in the heat race. Murdick rode home in fifth with his battered mount.

Jeremiah Shingledecker was sixth, after pitting for a flat rear tire in the middle staged of the race. Gabany finished seventh, just one notch ahead of another New York invader, Ron Cartwright, Jr. Brad Rapp was ninth. Mark Frankhouser finished tenth after running near the front for most of the event.

For their efforts, the Kings and Weaver each earned prize packages from Contingency Connection. Hoffman, Murdick and Shingledecker also received prized from Bully Dog. This pair of sponsors, new to the Modified Tour for 2012, will be back in a big way at Eriez when the Tour has its return engagement over Labor Day weekend. That race will be the final leg of the Bully Dog Northern Challenge. The mini series will carry $1,500 in prizes, along with some bragging rights, or, should we say barking rights!

There was a pair of heat races for the 20 car field. The winners were Shingledecker and Peter Britten. The Aussie was making his first start with the Modified Tour.

BRP/Hoosier Tire Modified Tour Finish, May 20, 2012: 1. Rex King, Sr. 2. Rex King, Jr. 3. Brian Weaver 4. Kevin Hoffman 5. Dave Murdick 6. Jeremiah Shingledecker 7. Eric Gabany 8. Ron Cartwright, Jr. 9. Brad Rapp 10. Mark Frankhouser 11. Mike Turner 12. Shawn Fleeger 13. Steve Feder 14. Peter Britten 15. Rob Curtis 16. Chris Haines 17. Joe Kubiniec 18. Carl Murdick DNS: Kevin Bolland, Jeremy Paup