RoC Modifieds & Jet Funny Cars Part Of Big Weekend At Lancaster

Story By: DAVE BUCHANAN / LANCASTER SPEEDWAY – LANCASTER, NY – This weekend at Lancaster National Speedway & Dragway will feature the fire and power of Jet Funny Cars and the thunder of 600-horsepower Race of Champions Modifieds with two can’t miss events.

The action starts Friday night with the rescheduled Jet Funny Car Night featuring Hanna Motorsports’s First Strike and Top Secret Eastern Raider Jet Funny Cars. These fire-breathing monsters will battle side-by-side down Lancaster’s 1/8-mile dragstrip at speeds surpassing 200 mph.

A full card of Franco’s Pizza Friday Night IHRA Drag Racing will be part of the show, including Mallare Enterprises Top, McGard Mod, Hebeler’s Sales Bikes & Sleds and Tread City Tire Street. The future stars of Lancaster National Dragway will also be in action with a special 7.90-index Junior Dragster class.

Time trials start at 5 p.m. The Jet Funny Cars are tentatively scheduled to run at 7:30 and 9 p.m. Adult All Access passes are just $15 with kids 11 and under free.

The X-Press Signs Stock Car Series takes center stage on Saturday night with the 28th running of the Tommy Druar/Tony Jankowiak Memorial 110 for the Race of Champions Modified Series.

Race of Champions series points leader, Patrick Emerling of Orchard Park, N.Y., enters the event as the two-time and defending race winner. Emerling is coming off his first career victory NASCAR Modified Tour on Wednesday night at the Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee. He’ll look to extend his points lead in the RoC Series with his third win in a row.

Emerling will have plenty of challengers on Saturday, including L2 Autosport teammate Mike Leaty. Leaty helped Emerling get to victory lane on Wednesday night at Bristol as part of his crew, but they will be rivals once they hit the track at Lancaster.

Three-time Tommy/Tony 110 winner Chuck Hossfeld is also a favorite even though he is still searching for his first RoC Modified Series victory of the season. The “Hotshoe” has been chasing Emerling for the past two years at Lancaster, and he is looking to finally come out on top this Saturday.

A solid field of Modifieds is expected with the RoC Modified Series having its two best car counts of the season in its last two events. George Skora III, Tommy Catalano, Tyler Rypkema and Andy Jankowiak will be some of the additional Series regulars in action. Former Lancaster RoC Modified winner and former Sportsman track champion, Bobby Holmes, will return to Modified competition behind the wheel of the Hoddick Racing #7NY as well.

RoC Series car owner Erin McGrath has raised over $4,000 in lap money for the Tommy/Tony 110 to give drivers an extra incentive.

The Advance Auto Parts Street Stocks, Roaming Buffalo 4-Cylinders and NYPA TQ Midgets will fill out the racing program. Racing starts at 6:30 p.m.

About Lancaster National Speedway & Dragway: Founded in 1959, Lancaster National Speedway and Dragway, WNY’s Premier Motorsports and Event Facility, is a multi-use facility located on 77 acres just outside of metropolitan Buffalo, N.Y. The facility features a 1/8-mile drag strip, a 1/2-mile oval track and hosts several non-motorsports events such as car shows and concerts. For the latest information on Lancaster National Speedway & Dragway check out our website www.lancasternationalspeedway.com. Additional information for racers and fans can be found on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/LancasterSpeedway) and on Twitter (@LancasterSpdwy).

Tommy Druar/Tony Jankowiak Memorial winners:

1990 – Sege Fidanza
1991 – Charlie Rudolph
1992 – Sege Fidanza/Rick Fuller (Separate events)
1993 – Charlie Rudolph
1994 – Tim Mangus
1995 – Jan Leaty
1996 – Billy Putney
1997 – Todd Burley
1998 – Sege Fidanza
1999 – Danny Knoll, Jr.
2000 – Billy Putney
2001 – Danny Knoll, Jr.
2002 – Rich Littlefield
2003 – Chuck Hossfeld
2004 – Buck Catalano
2005 – Dave Wollaber
2006 – No Race
2007 – Jan Leaty
2008 – Chuck Hossfeld
2009 – Jeff Hamman
2010 – Matt Hirschman
2011 – Chuck Hossfeld
2012 – Matt Hirschman
2013 – Matt Hirschman
2014 – Tony Hanbury (Combined with U.S. Open)
2015 – Patrick Emerling
2016 – Patrick Emerling