Matt Hirschman Looking to Do Something That has Never Happened in 63 Editions of the Sunoco Race of Champions – Three Peat.
BINGHAMTON, NY — The Sunoco Race of Champions Weekend is this Friday and Saturday at the Oswego Speedway. On Sunday six-time Race of Champions Asphalt Modified Tour Champion Matt Hirschman will try to accomplish a feat that has never been done in the RoC 200, win it three consecutive years. The Sunoco Race of Champions Modified 200 takes place on Sunday along with the 2014 Oswego Speedway Super Modified Championship title race and Super Stock 75 lap event. Qualifying begins at 12 noon on Sunday with the winner of the RoC 200 earning a minimum of $10,000.
Hirschman, a six-time Race of Champions Asphalt Modified Tour Champion is currently second in the overall tour standings entering the event. Chuck Hossfeld a two-time winner of the RoC 200 and two-time RoC Tour Champion stands in his way. Hossfeld has been on a tear this season and is fresh off a win at Oswego Speedway on Classic Weekend in the Modified 100.
For Hirschman a victory this Sunday would put him in his own status among Modified drivers. There is always great debate over who are the top Modified drivers of all time. If Hirschman won on Sunday no one could deny his accomplishment. Hirschman will have a long overnight tow from the Riverhead Speedway on Long Island as he will be competing in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event on Saturday evening.
The Race of Champions 200 has been won in back to back years six times including Hirschman’s recent back to back wins in 2012 and 2013. Jim Delaney was the first to do it back in 1958 and 1959 at the Langhorne Speedway 1 mile dirt oval. Dutch Hoag was the next to accomplish the feat in 1967 and 1968 at the Langhorne Speedway after it was paved. Maynard Troyer was the next to do it in 1976 and 1977. What was unique about Troyer’s back to back victories was that they occurred at two different facilities. In 1976 Troyer recorded the victory at the Trenton Speedway, a 1.5 mile paved oval. In 1977 the race moved to the Pocono Speedway to the 2.5 mile paved oval and it was Troyer claiming victory again.
Richie Evans won back to back RoC events in 1979 and 1980. The first came on the Pocono Speedway 2.5 mile track with the second coming on the inner oval at Pocono. George Kent liked the move to Oswego Speedway by winning the race in 2000 and 2001. Hirschman has been the first to accomplish the feat since that time.
The race has always had a family theme about it. The Gerber Family founded the event in 1951, the same year that the Caruso Family built the Oswego Speedway and the Heath Family built the Five Mile Point Speedway. Today, Five Mile Point Speedway owner and grandson of that track’s founders Andrew Harpell continues to lead the Race of Champions event.
On the track five time race winner Dutch Hoag will again serve as Grand Marshall of the race. His grandson Alex Hoag will race in the Small Block Super Modified event on Saturday. Merv Triechler and Roger Triechler were back to back winners in 1970 and 1971. Geoff Bodine won the event in 1972 and 1978, his brother Brett won the event in 1985. Tony Hirschman is a four time winner of the event. He is the father of Matt Hirschman. Rumors have circulated that Tony may try to come back and compete for the most ever RoC 200 wins with Dutch Hoag. That has not been confirmed. Jan Leaty a two-time winner of this event will see his son Mike Leaty try and add another father and son team to the record books. Mike Leaty is the defending Race of Champions Sportsman 100 winner at Oswego Speedway. He will defend that title on Saturday this weekend.
The Sunoco Race of Champions Weekend takes place this Saturday and Sunday at Oswego Speedway. On Friday night the Oswego Kartway will have dirt Kart racing on the backstretch of the speedway. On Saturday the racing will take to the 5/8th mile oval with the Oswego Speedway Small Block Super Modified Track Championship race, NEMA Lites and Midgets, the RoC Sportsman 100 and qualifying for the Super Stocks.
On Sunday the Sunoco Race of Champions Modified 200 will highlight a day of racing that will include the 75 lap Oswego Super Modified 2014 Track Championship race and 75 lap Super Stock feature.
For a complete schedule of events please log on to www.raceofchampionsnet or phone 607-775-5555. To order your weekend tickets please phone the Oswego Speedway box office at 315-342-0646 or log on to www.oswegospeedway.com.
SUNOCO RACE OF CHAMPIONS PAST MODIFIED WINNERS
Langhorne-Trenton-Pocono-Flemington-Oswego
Event No Year Track Winner
1 1951 Langhorne 1 mile dirt Hully Bunn
2 1952 Langhorne 1 mile dirt Jim Delaney
3 1953 Langhorne 1 mile dirt Ted Swaim
4 1954 Langhorne 1 mile dirt Frankie Schneider
5 1955 Langhorne 1 mile dirt Pete Corey
6 1956 Langhorne 1 mile dirt Dutch Hoag
7 1957 Langhorne 1 mile dirt Glenn Guthrie
8 1958 Langhorne 1 mile dirt Jim Delaney
9 1959 Langhorne 1 mile dirt Jim Delaney
10 1960 Langhorne 1 mile dirt Dutch Hoag
11 1961 Langhorne 1 mile dirt Freddy Adam
12 1962 Langhorne 1 mile dirt Frankie Schneider
13 1963 Langhorne 1 mile dirt Dutch Hoag
14 1964 Langhorne 1 mile dirt Freddy Adam
15 1965 Langhorne 1 mile paved Bill Slater
16 1966 Langhorne 1 mile paved Will Cagle
17 1967 Langhorne 1 mile paved Dutch Hoag
18 1968 Langhorne 1 mile paved Dutch Hoag
19 1969 Langhorne 1 mile paved Ray Hendrick
20 1970 Langhorne 1 mile paved Merv Treichler
21 1971 Langhorne 1 mile paved Roger Treichler
22 1972 Trenton 1.5 mile paved Geoff Bodine
23 1973 Trenton 1.5 mile paved Richie Evans
24 1974 Trenton 1.5 mile paved Fred DeSarro
25 1975 Trenton 1.5 mile paved Ray Hendrick
26 1976 Trenton 1.5 mile paved Maynard Troyer
27 1977 Pocono 2.5 mile paved Maynard Troyer
28 1978 Pocono 2.5 mile paved Geoff Bodine
29 1979 Pocono 2.5 mile paved Richie Evans
30 1980 Pocono .75 mile paved Richie Evans
31 1981 Pocono .75 mile paved George Kent
32 1982 Pocono .75 mile paved Greg Sacks
33 1983 Pocono .75 mile paved Jimmy Spencer
34 1984 Pocono .75 mile paved Brian Ross
35 1985 Pocono .75 mile paved Brett Bodine
36 1986 Pocono .75 mile paved George Kent
37 1987 Pocono .75 mile paved George Brunnhoelzl
38 1988 Pocono .75 mile paved Reggie Ruggiero
39 1989 Pocono .75 mile paved Tony Hirschman
40 1990 Pocono .75 mile paved Mike Stefanik
41 1991 Pocono .75 mile paved Satch Worley
42 1992 Flemington .625 mile paved Lenny Boyd
43 1993 Flemington .625 mile paved Billy Pauch
44 1994 Flemington .625 mile paved Tony Siscone
45 1995 Flemington .625 mile paved John Blewett III
46 1996 Oswego .626 mile paved Jan Leaty
47 1997 Oswego .626 mile paved Tony Hirschman
48 1998 Oswego .626 mile paved Sege Fidanza
49 1999 Oswego .626 mile paved Chuck Hossfeld
50 2000 Oswego .626 mile paved George Kent
51 2001 Oswego .626 mile paved George Kent
52 2002 Oswego .626 mile paved Tim Mangus
53 2003 Oswego .626 mile paved Sege Fidanza
54 2004 Oswego .626 mile paved Eric Beers
55 2005 Oswego .626 mile paved Chuck Hossfeld
56 2006 Oswego .626 mile paved T.J. Potrzebowski
57 2007 Oswego .626 mile paved Jan Leaty
58 2008 Oswego .626 mile paved Tony Hirschman
59 2009 Oswego .626 mile paved Billy Putney
60 2010 Oswego .626 mile paved Tony Hirschman
61 2011 Oswego. 626 mile paved Zane Zeiner
62 2012 Oswego. 626 mile paved Matt Hirschman
63 2013 Oswego. 626 mile paved Matt Hirschman
Sources: Race of Champions PR