Nick Hoffman – Mike Horne photo
Tampa, Florida……1/31/15……..Nick Hoffman was only at East Bay Raceway Park for two of the three days of the 16th Annual Open Wheel Modified action, but the Mooresville, North Carolina youth made his presence known to the Saturday night crowd and the 42 competitors by sweeping both nights for a total of $6,500 which included the $5,000 prize and trophy for Saturday night’s 75-lap finale.
Exiting his Elite chassis in victory lane with his traditional backflip he was quick to tell the crowd that he thought he had buried himself behind the “eight-ball” when the rest of the field was lined up by points and he was a day short of those points because of missing the first night of action. He thought for a while after starting sixth in his heat, that he might have to run a B-Main, since the track was only advancing three to the A-Main, but there was an opening and he shot for it and won the heat race.
After starting seventh in the 75-lapper, with pole sitter Devin Gilpin clearly in charge, Hoffman was up to third by a lap l7 caution. He advanced to second on a restart on lap 3l where he stayed until the mandatory fuel stop on lap 44. The winner confessed, “I noticed that I had way more rubber on my tires than anyone else, and I just had to keep my car straight and get to the bottom soon.”
That move to the bottom groove came on lap 58 when he took the lead Gilpin and from there on he pulled away, winning by a margin of victory of 3.700 seconds over fourth starter Kyle Bronson and Gilpin who held on for third.
“My dad will have to do a refresh on this Pro Motor Engine after my celebration on the track. We already have this car sold, so I have to get back to the shop and build some more cars” Hoffman explained.
Brad DeYoung came up from 16th to finish fourth, while Kevin Adams had a top five finish. Rounding out the top 10 it was David Reutimann (who never gave up on the outside groove), Steve Miller, Ray Bollinger, Bill Howard and Austin Sanders.
Modifieds 1/31/2015
A-Main:1. Nick Hoffman (Mooresville, NC), 2. Kyle Bronson (Brandon, FL), 3. Devin Gilpin (Columbus, IN), 4. Brad DeYoung (Wheatfield, IN), 5. Kevin Adams (Cameron, WI), 6. David Reutimann (Sherrills Ford, NC), 7. Steve Miller (Tampa, FL), 8. Ray Bollinger (Kewanee, IL), 9. Bill Howard (Apollo Beach, FL), 10. Austin Sanders (Seffner, FL), 11. Thomas Pratt (Dover, FL), 12. Allen Weisser (Peoria, IL), 13. Shon Flanary (Church Hill, TN), 14. Devin Dixon (Apollo Beach, FL), 15. Travis Varnadore (Dover, FL), 16. Cody Erickson (Ulen, MN), 17. Nate Bregenzer (Lithia, FL), 18. Matt Miller (Tampa, FL), 19. Rick Weekly (Buffalo, IL), 20. Dennis Haven (Brentford, SD), 21. Anthony Kinkade (Zanesville, OH), 22. Dale Mathison (Clearwater, MN), 23. Richie Stephens (Salem, AL), 24. Jason Gross (Cushing, WI), 25. Buzzie Reutimann (Zephyrhills, FL), 26. Tyler Nicely (Owensboro, KY)
B-Main 1:1. Jason Gross (Cushing, WI), 2. Bill Howard (Apollo Beach, FL), 3. Cody Erickson (Ulen, MN), 4. Jerry Bruce (Dover, FL), 5. Dale Kelley (Dover, FL), 6. Nate Bregenzer (Lithia, FL), 7. Dave Jamison (Peebles, OH), 8. Dennis Haven (Brentford, SD), 9. Mike Weber (Cincinnati, OH), 10. Michael Turner (Paris, TN), 11. Thomas Pasek (Momence, IL)
B-Main 2:1. Tyler Nicely (Owensboro, KY), 2. Rick Weekly (Buffalo, IL), 3. Richie Stephens (Salem, AL), 4. Mavrick Varnadore (Dover, FL), 5. Roger Crouse (Plant City, FL), 6. Adam Pockrus (Lowell, IN), 7. Justin Galbreath (Chipley, FL), 8. Brett Kennard (South Shore, KY), 9. Mike Potosky (Guys Mills, PA), 10. Dave Baldwin (Perrysville, IN)
Heat Race 1:1. Nick Hoffman (Mooresville, NC), 2. Austin Sanders (Seffner, FL), 3. Dale Mathison (Clearwater, MN), 4. Jerry Bruce (Dover, FL), 5. Jason Gross (Cushing, WI), 6. Dale Kelley (Dover, FL), 7. Bill Howard (Apollo Beach, FL), 8. Dave Jamison (Peebles, OH)
Heat Race 2:1. Matt Miller (Tampa, FL), 2. Allen Weisser (Peoria, IL), 3. Brad DeYoung (Wheatfield, IN), 4. Rick Weekly (Buffalo, IL), 5. Brett Kennard (South Shore, KY), 6. Justin Galbreath (Chipley, FL), 7. Richie Stephens (Salem, AL), 8. Mike Potosky (Guys Mills, PA)
Heat Race 3:1. Steve Miller (Tampa, FL), 2. Ray Bollinger (Kewanee, IL), 3. Buzzie Reutimann (Zephyrhills, FL), 4. Cody Erickson (Ulen, MN), 5. Nate Bregenzer (Lithia, FL), 6. Mike Weber (Cincinnati, OH), 7. Dennis Haven (Brentford, SD), 8. Michael Turner (Paris, TN)
Heat Race 4:1. Shon Flanary (Church Hill, TN), 2. David Reutimann (Sherrills Ford, NC), 3. Thomas Pratt (Dover, FL), 4. Tyler Nicely (Owensboro, KY), 5. Roger Crouse (Plant City, FL), 6. Adam Pockrus (Lowell, IN), 7. Dave Baldwin (Perrysville, IN), 8. Mavrick Varnadore (Dover, FL), 9. Thomas Pasek (Momence, IL)
