SMALL BLOCK STANDOUT GARY SMOKER CAPTURES CAREER FIRST MOD TOUR EVENT!!

May 25, 2008

Submitted by Marcie L. Barlow

Small Block Standout Gary Smoker captured the biggest win of his career, and his first ever BRP/Hoosier Tire/Sunoco Race Fuels Modified Tour event, on Sunday, May 24th, to bring home the victory in the Fifth Annual Dick Rankin Memorial.

Smoker started in the number two position and followed Joe Crawford for the first seven circuit before charging into the lead.  Smoker’s Bill’s Portable Restroom Rentals sponsored Bicknell then led the remaining 23 laps of the feature event to score a very popular win.  Andy Priest dogged Smoker for the remainder of the event and was able to stick his nose under Smoker but was never able to complete the pass.  Smoker was overcome with emotion as tears filled his eyes in victory lane, “I owe it all to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  He did it all tonight. This is incredible.  I just can’t believe I’m in victory lane tonight.”

Priest held on for the runner-up spot with Brian Swartzlander finishing third.  Kevin Bolland and Jeremiah Shingledecker completed the fop five.  Dave Murdick, Crawford, Rex King Jr., Lernerville Speedway General Manager Gary Risch Jr. (making his first start of 2008) and Skip Moore were sixth through tenth.

King Jr., Crawford, Swartzlander and Del Rougeux Jr. won the Engles Trucking DIRTcar Big Block Modified heats. Tommy Kristyak and Gary Risch Jr. won the B mains to set the feature field.

The Modified Tour’s next event is up this Friday, May 30th, as the series heads to the Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, PA.

In addition the BRP Modified Tour 08 would like to thank the following series sponsors: Bicknell Racing Products, Hoosier Race Tire, Sunoco Race Fuel, Bilstein Shocks, Ray’s Racing Collectibles, Approved Toilet Rental, Lowry Auto Body, Lake Erie Speed Specialties, Hall’s Safety Equipment, Engles Trucking, Big Daddy’s Speed Center, Precise Racing Products, Finishline Fabrication, Wilkinson Awards, McCool’s Signs and Graphics, Hands on Concepts, Waldo’s Towing, Hooter Chassis and Hobby, Jim’s Supermarket, Pennewell Sandblasting and Painting, Wedge Motorsports, Oyler Action Photos and King Brothers.

The Modified Tour Inc. racing series is a non-profit organization established to give the V-8 Modifieds in the Western Pennsylvania area a chance to compete with one another for a higher purse structure and for a point fund for the races that are run. Started in 1998 by Tim Engles, Lon and Pam Baker and Randy Myers the Modified Tour has had great success at bringing the local cars together at the area racetracks.