Thursday
Erick Rudolph Scores Solid Top-10 Finish at Bristol Motor Speedway
Press Release
Contact in first practice caused major damage to the No. 98 Mohawk N.E. / Original Pizza Logs Chevrolet, forcing the HBR team to roll out the backup car. Despite the incident, Rudolph posted the 14th-fastest lap time of 15.130 seconds (126.821 mph) in the first practice. The HBR team quickly got the back-up car ready, and Rudolph laid down the 13th-fastest lap of 15.195 seconds (126.278 mph). Rudolph ran a qualifying lap of 15.000 seconds (127.920 mph) to secure the 11th-place starting spot.
At the start of the UNOH Perfect Storm 150, Rudolph and the inside lane were slow to get up to speed, causing the No. 98 Chevrolet to lose a few spots. By lap 9, the 18-year-old worked back up to the 11th position.
The first yellow flag flew on lap 13 for a spin on the frontstretch. When the field went back to green-flag racing on lap 17, the 18-year-old battled in the 11th position. Rudolph showed he had a fast race car as he worked passed the No. 3 of Ryan Preece for the 10th position on lap 28. By lap 40, the No. 98 HBR Chevrolet was nose-to-tail with the No. 6 of Ron Silk in ninth. Three laps later, Rudolph muscled his Mohawk N.E./Original Pizza Logs Chevrolet around Silk for the ninth spot. The Ransomville, N.Y., native gained a good lead on Silk and set his sights on eighth place.
A spin on the backstretch on lap 55 caused the second caution of the day. With a mandatory five-minute break at halfway, the HBR team stayed out on the track. Green-flag racing ensued on lap 62 with Rudolph starting just behind fellow HBR Development driver Bobby Santos III on the inside. A slow start for the inside line caused Rudolph to lose a few spots on the restart once again. When the break began, the No. 98 Mohawk N.E./Original Pizza Logs Chevrolet was in the 12th spot.
During their mandatory time in the pits, the HBR team tried to loosen the car for Rudolph. The field went back to green on lap 81, with Rudolph in the outside line. Two laps later, he drove into the ninth position. Although the changes helped, the No 98 Chevrolet was still tight. By lap 93, Rudolph sat in the 11th position and began a battle with the No. 58 of Eric Goodale for the 11th spot. He held his ground and stayed steady in the 11th position.
As the field began to spread out, Rudolph set his sights on the 10th-place car of Ryan Preece. Engine trouble for NWMT veteran Ted Christopher put Rudolph into the 10th position on lap 141. With a tight race car and few laps left, Rudolph hit his marks and held on to the 10th spot when the checkered flag flew for the UNOH Perfect Storm 150.
The strong top-10 finish allowed Rudolph to keep the seventh-place position in the NWMT championship point standings, 116 points behind sixth place and 11 points ahead of eighth place.
“I had a great time tonight,” said Rudolph. “Unfortunately, we had to go to a backup car early in the day. We had a good car for the race but were a little too tight. We tried to loosen it up during the break, but it wasn’t enough. We had a solid finish. I am proud that I have finished in the top-10 in both starts at such a difficult track. I really enjoy coming here.”
Rudolph and the No. 98 HBR team will return to New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 18 for the F.W. Webb 100. This will mark the 12th of 14 races in the 2010 NWMT season.
About Heinke-Baldwin Racing
Heinke-Baldwin Racing was formed in 2009 by H&H Motorsports owner Al Heinke and Tommy Baldwin Racing owner Tommy Baldwin. Both Baldwin and Heinke grew up racing in New England and saw an opportunity to work together to help young drivers pursue their dreams to race.
In 2010, the team’s freshman year, HBR is fielding the No. 98H for driver Jimmy Phelps in the Super DIRTcar Series, with sponsorship from Wave Energy Drink. They will also be fielding the No. 98 for driver Erick Rudolph in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, with additional sponsorship from Pizza Logs, Brigham Concrete and PrimeTyme Motorsports.
- Activ8 Communications Press Release
Article Tags: Al Heinke, Eric Goodale, Erick Rudolph, H&H Motorsports, HBR, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, NHMS, No. 98 Mohawk N.E. / Original Pizza Logs Chevrolet, NWMT, Ryan Preece, Super DIRTcar Series, Ted Christopher, Tommy Baldwin, Tommy Baldwin Racing, UNOH Perfect Storm 150
