The BRP Modified Tour thirty-five lap challenge with the Donovan & Bauer Auto Group 358 Modifieds started with Dave Murdick and Brian Swartzlander pulling the best pills. Behind them was Jeremiah Shingledecker and Rex King, Jr. Row three paired Erick Rudolph and Kyle Fink in his Small Block. The fourth belonged to Jim Rasey and Brad Rapp. Departing from row five were Garrett Krummert, also in a Big Block, and Greg Martin, also racing a Small Block. Row six had Rick Regalski and Travis Shingledecker in his usual Small Block.
Murdick fired first, with Jeremiah Shingledecker into second and Rudolph in third. Before the first lap was registered, Shingledecker took command, bringing Rudolph into second. After Murdick came King, Swartzlander, Krummert, Fink, Rasey, Regalski, and Rapp.
Jeremiah Shingledecker built a huge lead until a pair of yellows at the twenty-lap mark brought him back to Rudolph. Swartzlander lined up third for the restart, with King beside him, Krummert and Regalski behind them. When racing resumed, Rudolph began to fade.
The racers made it to lap thirty-three before the next caution was displayed. They had some difficulty getting the last two laps in the books. In fact, due to a caution on lap thirty-four, the race was extended.
The extra distance did not affect Jeremiah Shingledecker. He crossed for the win. Swartzlander and Rudolph limped home, both noting that they beat their tires up. Not so lucky was King, who lost a podium finish due to a flat tire in turns three and four on the last lap. He finished in seventh.
Between Rudolph and King were Rasey, Regalski, and Martin. After King were Tyler Willard, Murdick, and Mark Frankhouser.
“It probably was a good day to start up front, but I could go wherever I wanted,” the happy winner commented. “I don’t know how far back I could have started to pull this off,” he added.
Swartzlander, who did start up front, fell back on the opening lap. “We got on the outside and I couldn’t get going,” he explained. “I had to get back to the bottom and ease it back up.”
He agreed with Rudolph that tires were key to the outcome of the race “We got to second real quick, but I couldn’t touch him,” Rudolph remarked about Shingledecker.
The BRP Modified Tour and Donovan & Bauer Auto Group 358 Modifieds presented three heats, with the victories going to Jeremiah Shingledecker, Dave Murdick, and Rex King, Jr.