Rypkema Collects First Career World Series Victory

Column By: NICHOLAS FILLMAN / RPW – NEW SMYRNA, FL – Oswego, NY-native Tyler Rypkema lead the Tour type modified field from green to checkered on the second night of racing during World Series racing at New Smyrna Speedway.

Rypkema, who finished fifth on the Race of Champions Asphalt Modified Series Tour last year, held off a stout field of drivers from up and down the East Coast. He first held off former RoC champion Chuck Hossfeld at the initial green and was able to fend off a hard-charging Jimmy Zacharias in the closing laps to collect his first career victory.

Zacharias came home in second after finishing Monday night’s feature in eighth. A driver who races where he pleases and runs many speedways across the Northeast collected a victory last week at Bronson Speedway in Florida. He also frequents with the RoC tour, where he finished seventh in points in 2016, and even made a start with the Whelen Modified Tour at Oswego Speedway.

Chelmsford, MA driver Jon McKennedy was able to grab third after battling hard with many veteran drivers. The former VRMS Modified Champion has been fast all week and is looking to continue that pattern for the rest of Speedweeks.

Former NASCAR XFINITY Series driver Ryan Preece finds himself back behind the wheel of the famed TS Haulers, Troyer #6 again for the entire Whelen Modified Tour in 2017. He collected a fourth place finish Tuesday night after moving through the field. He started near the back half of top 10.

New Jersey’s Jimmy Blewett is behind the wheel of the Catalano Motorsports PJ45 for the World Series after a short stint in Tommy Baldwin’s #77 at Myrtle Beach. Blewett came home in fifth spot, battling hard with veterans Matt Hirschman, Preece, and Ronnie Silk throughout the feature event.

Blewett will run with the Team Outlaw, Starrett-sponsored #19 weekly at Wall Stadium this season as well as his family owned #76. Also look for him to make select starts in a second Jimmy Horton-owned #43 Big Block Dirt Modified for special shows at Bridgeport Speedway.

JR Bertuccio, who won the feature event on Monday night, was in fourth on the last lap but made contact with Preece, relegating him to a 16th place finish. Both drivers had a brief verbal altercation in the pit area following the feature event.

Second place starter and former RoC Champion Hossfeld had issues with the handling on his #22 machine throughout the main event. Despite those issues, and a stack field of Modifieds, Hossfeld was able to collect a seventh place finish at the checkers.

Hirschman, who has deservedly earned his nickname “Big Money Matt,” was another driver who struggled in the short 35-lap event. He finished second on Monday night where he challenged for the win, but came home in an uncharacteristic eighth position Tuesday.

Look for Hirschman to be a top contender for the victory in the longer distance races coming up like the John Blewett lll Memorial 76 and the Richie Evans 100.

Feature Finish (results unofficial):
32 Tyler Rypkema
2. 71 Jimmy Zacharias
3. 29 Jon McKennedy
4. 6 Ryan Preece
5. pj45 Jimmy Blewett
6. 82 Ron Silk
7. 22h Chuck Hossfeld
8. 60 Matt Hirschman
9. 16 Timmy Solomito
10. 54 Tommy Catalano
11. 33 Ricky Moxley
12. 64 Amy Catalano
13. 63 Austin Pickens
14. 71m Matt Montoneri
15. 70 Jermey Gerstner
16. 2 JR Bertuccio
17. 40 Calvin Caroll
18. 2x Al Ermmarino
19. 23d Joe DeGracia
20. 70g Shawn Balluzzo
21. 51 Justin Bonsignore
22. 10h Tom Tohn
23. 73 Paul Hartwig Jr.
24. 82x Spencer Davis
25. 6x Matt Gallo
26. 39 DJ Wagner