By Shawn Courchesne & Denise DuPont
ARCHER, Fla. – The 2019 schedule for Tour Type Modified racing kicked off Saturday with a butt kicking at Bronson Speedway in Archer, Fla.
Chuck Hossfeld of Ransomville, N.Y. led every circuit on the way to victory in the fourth Kickoff To Speedweek powered by Sunoco 50-lap Tour Type Modified feature.
Hossfeld started on the pole in the 10-car field for the feature and held off the charges of Matt Hirschman late in the event.
“To beat [Hirschman] anywhere nowadays is an accomplishment because it does not happen very often,” Hossfeld told RaceDayCT. “I am very proud of my team it is a great way to start off speedweeks. I have the prettiest car, the prettiest girl and the best group of guys. Now we will go have some beer and food and go to New Smyrna tomorrow.”
Hirschman, of Northampton, Pa., was second and Jimmy Blewett of Howell, N.J. third.
“I appreciated everything that is done here [at Bronson Speedway], Hossfeld said. “Everyone here is very welcoming and they do a great job. I would come back anytime. To win here feels really great. I know what it takes to run a race team. I can only imagine what it takes to run a race track. I am glad that I can support it and the track’s fan base. It was a great night.
“I like all race tracks. I am glad to be down here with all my buddies racing. I am blessed to be able to do it.”
Blewett stalked Hossfeld in second for the first 35 laps of the event before Hirschman used a restart to take over the runner-up position with 15 laps remaining.
A bid by Hirschman’s to overtake Hossfeld with two laps remaining was hindered by a lapped car slowing his momentum.
“The natural way to go around a lapped car is on the outside,” Hossfeld said. “He may have had a run but I had the preferred lane and the lapped car just made it too many cars in one spot. So if it worked out for me and not him — I am glad.”
Said Hirschman of getting slowed by the lapped car: “I do not know if it would have made a difference or not. I had a little bit of a run but I do not know if it was enough of a run or not. Maybe it was bad timing. I am not really to upset about that.
“We were challenging, contending but we just did not get by. If I was better it was not by much. Maybe a small amount. I just could not get it done.”
Patrick Emerling of Orchard Park, N.Y. was fourth and Andy Jankowiak of North Tonawanda, N.Y. was fifth.
The Tour Type Modifieds now roll on to New Smyrna Speedway in New Smyrna, Fla. for the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing.
The World Series officially kicked off Friday in New Smyrna. The Tour Type Modifieds will run five consecutive nights at New Smyrna, with the first event taking place Monday.
“We practiced the other day and we had a fast car so my hopes are high and I think that we are going to do real well,” Hossfeld said of New Smyrna. “There is going to be a lot of competition and this is a great way to start it out.”
Hirschman left Bronson ready to begin defense of his 2018 New Smyrna World Series Tour Type Modified championship.
“Initially you are disappointed when you do not win or you had a car capable of winning,” Hirschman said. “But it is very short lived here because we have potentially five races ahead of us next week. So I am not going to dwell on it. And really for every car in this pit area, the main thing is that you do not have damage and you can roll them in the trailer. There is a lot of work to do and a lot of racing to do. I think everyone managed to achieve that.”
Keep up with the all the action live from Florida from all the events with our RaceDayCT Live Updates pages, overseen by Denise DuPont and Jim DuPont at all the events in Florida.
Nice event. Cars got to run under racing conditions. They all had the radar and proximity sensors turned up to high sensitivity. They have a week of racing ahead of them.
Congrats to Hossfeld!!!
Surprised at the the low car count. I wonder if the car Hossfeld had was one of they new Troyers?
I’m now a Hossfeld fan.
The most polished Cup driver couldn’t have hit all the right chords better then this guy.
On to New Smyrna and fingers crossed for the team.
On another topic I’m wondering if Preece performed as expected today, better or worse. I was disappointed that he was so far down and couldn’t beat his team mate in qualifying but perhaps what happened was expected. On the other hand TBR is definitely a threat to make the 500 coming from nowhere with low expectations so that’s a good thing.
Yes Hossfeld was in a new Troyer
I’m now a Hossfeld fan……..
Now? Why not before he won a 50 lapper from the pole?
Your prediction on him winning at NSS this week?
I was always a Hossfeld fan from when he ran the WMT full time. On the ROC, I think he and Emerling are Hirschman’s primary adversaries. Wish he could run more WMT events. Congrats to him and his team on the win!
How about Jankowiak Eddie? Can he contend?
Doug, my apologies! I neglected to mention him but I definitely should have. He’s another ROC racer I’m a fan of, as he occasionally ventures “back east” to New England for some of the “open” races.
Pat E fast time tonight. Matt p6…. No cake walks for anyone this week. Should be entertaining.