ROC Asphalt Modified Tour Readies for 20th Season
Race of Champions Asphalt Modified Tour Readies for 20th Anniversary Season in 2013
BINGHAMTON, NY — The Race of Champions Asphalt Modified Tour will approach a milestone 20th Anniversary season in 2013. The tour will once again see an ambitious schedule taking place with the majority of the dates in place for the upcoming season. The Annual Race of Champions Banquet will take place on Saturday, March 2nd and will honor Matt Hirschman as the Champion for an impressive fifth time. George Kent is the all-time series champion leader with six titles.
The 2013 version of the RoC Asphalt Modified Tour will see at least eleven races with ten confirmed dates locked in at this time. The traditional Chemung Speedrome event has been moved to the spring opener on Sunday, May 5th. The 125 lap event is always one of the most exciting on the series and a great way to get the New York State swing underway. The Shangri-La II Speedway will once again play host to three events on the concrete 5/8th mile oval with the first taking place on Sunday, May 19th. The other two dates have been set for Sunday, July 28th and the tour finale Fall Brawl on Sunday, September 29th.
Oswego Speedway returns to hosting three RoC events again in 2013. The traditional Memorial Day Weekend Richie Evans Memorial will take place on Saturday, May 25th. The mid-summer 63rd running of the Sunoco Race of Champions will take place at the “Steel Palace” on Saturday, July 20th. The RoC Mods will return to the International Classic Weekend on Friday, August 30th in what is always a must see weekend.
Spencer Speedway and Holland Speedway will again each host one event during the upcoming season. The Spencer event is slated for Friday, June 7th and the Andrew Harpell promoted Holland 100 will take place on Saturday, July 6th. Dunn Tire Raceway Park is again expected to host two dates with the confirmed “U.S. Open” to take place on Sunday, September 22nd. The second date has not been set at the popular Western, New York oval.
Additional dates and other venues are also being discussed and still remain a possibility as of this release. This season will mark the 20th Anniversary Race of Champions Modified Tour. The Tour started in 1994 as the New York State Modified Championship. The tour was started by then Tioga Speedway Promoter Andrew Harpell, Apple Valley Speedway (Spencer Speedway) promoter Todd Hartman and the late Alex Friesen the owner/operator of Lancaster Speedway (Dunn Tire Raceway Park). That inaugural season saw Charlie Rudolph edge out Jan Leaty for that first Championship in what has evolved in one of the most popular tours in the northeastern United States.
The list of former champions certainly is fitting to the name of the Race of Champions Modified Tour. George Kent’s six titles are followed by Hirschman’s five. Both J.R. Kent and Chuck Hossfeld have two tour championships each accounting fifteen of the nineteen years of the series. Charlie Rudolph, Tony Hanbury, Earl Paules and Pete Brittain have earned the title one time each.
Race of Champions Tour Director Andrew Harpell commented, “It is hard to imagine that this is already the 20th year of the RoC Asphalt Modified Tour. It has been an honor to have been involved with the program and see the great efforts by all of the teams over the course of that time.” He added, “Personally I have met a lot of great people because of the tour and we are indebted to all of the fans, drivers, officials and volunteers for all of their tremendous support over the past nineteen years.
Plenty of emerging details will be released in the weeks to come including any additional events added to the 20th anniversary campaign. To contact the RoC offices via email please phone 607-775-5555 or email to rocpavement@aol.com. The official RoC website can be found at www.raceofchampions.net.
All Time Race of Champions Asphalt Modified Overall Tour Champions 1994 – 2012
Ranking Driver Title Years
1. George Kent ’95, ’96, ’00, ’01, ’02, ‘03
2. Matt Hirschman ’05, ’08, ’09, ’10, ‘12
3. Chuck Hossfeld ’97, ‘11
3. J.R. Kent ’98, ‘99
5. Pete Brittain ‘07
5. Tony Hanbury ‘04
5. Earl Paules ‘06
5. Charlie Rudolph ‘94
All Time Race of Champions Asphalt Modified Tour Regional Champions 2003 – 2007
Year Driver Region
2003 John Markovic Central
2003 George Kent North
2004 Pete Brittain Central
2004 Tony Hanbury North
2005 Zane Zeiner Central
2005 Matt Hirschman North
2006 Eric Beers Central
2006 Earl Paules North
2007 Matt Hirschman Central
2007 Pete Brittain North
2013 Race of Champions Asphalt Modified Tour Tentative Schedule
Date Venue
Sun. May 5th Chemung Speedrome
Sun. May 19th Shangri La-II Speedway
Sat. May 25th Oswego Speedway
Fri. June 7th Spencer Speedway
Sat. July 6th Holland Speedway
Sat. July 20th Oswego Speedway R.o.C 200
Sun. July 28th Shangri-La II Speedway
Fri. Aug. 30th Oswego Speedway
Sun. Sept. 22nd Dunn Tire Raceway Park
Sun. Sept. 29th Shangri-La II Speedway
Sources: ROCMT PR