Rudolph Caps Off Busy Weekend With Win In Jan Corcoran Memorial At Utica-Rome

Story By: JOHN TIFF / UTICA-ROME SPEEDWAY – VERNON, NY – For the first time in 2019, the Big Block Modifieds were part of the action in a special Big Block/Small Block Challenge for the 9th annual Jan Corcoran Memorial, which saw Erick Rudolph keep his hot streak going by claiming the $3,064 win the in the 50-lap main event.

Other winners included Matt Janczuk in the Broedel Energy Fuel Group Sportsman while Nick Stone was victorious in the Ted’s Body Shop Pro Stocks. Rich Christman also won as he took the Bernie’s Extreme Performance Parts Rookie Sportsman win on Northeast Racing Products and Power Seal night.

Pat Ward and Claude Hutchings, Jr. led the starting field to the green flag to begin the 50-lap Jan Corcoran Memorial Big Block/Small Block Challenge, with third place starter Danny Varin bolting to the lead by the field got into turn one. Varin easily controlled the pace through the first handful of laps as the field tried to keep pace, while 10th place starter Erick Rudolph knifed his way to the front.

By lap seven, Rudolph slipped by Ward to grab second and set off after Varin. By lap 12, Rudolph had caught Varin and began to pressure him for the lead. Over the next dozen laps, Rudolph made repeated attempts to pass Varin, with every advance being repelled by Varin.

On lap 23, Rudolph was finally able to get around Varin to gain control of the race. Just two circuits later, Varin slowed on the front stretch to bring out the first caution of the night. He went pit side and was able to rejoin the tail end of the field. On the restart, Rudolph pulled away from the field with Billy Dunn, Matt Sheppard, Ward, and Dave Marcuccilli giving chase.

Lap 36 saw second place running Dunn slip off the top of turns one and two, handing the runner-up spot to Sheppard with Ward and Gary Tomkins also getting by before Dunn regained control. The final yellow of the event came out a lap later for a disable car in turn two, setting up a 13 lap shootout for the $3,064 top prize.

When the green lights came back on, Rudolph easily pulled away from the field with Sheppard unable to keep pace. The battle for the final podium spot was a heated one with Ward and Tomkins battling side by side until the checkered flag flew. Rudolph would score the victory with Sheppard coming home in second. Tomkins nipped Ward at the line for third with Dunn rounding the top five. David Schilling, Lance Willix, Marcuccilli, Adam Roberts, and Hutchings filled out the remaining top 10 spots.

Third place starter Kyle Inman immediately took the lead in the Broedel Energy Fuel Group Sportsman 20-lap main event, with pole sitter Addison Bowman and Tyler Corcoran in tow. Fifth place starter Matt Janczuk was able to grab second on the by lap four, setting his sights on the leader Inman. After several laps and attempts to get by Inman, Janczuk was able to go around him to the lead on lap nine.

Inman wasn’t going away easy however, as he was able to get back by Janczuk on lap 14, only to have an untimely yellow nullify the pass before the lap was completed. The restart saw Janczuk retain the lead and hold off any of Inman’s challenge to the end of the event. Inman came across the line in second with Chris Mackey, Tyler Corcoran, and Alan Fink chasing.

Nick Stone took the initial lead on the 20-lap Ted’s Body Shop Pro Stock feature event, coming from his fourth starting spot to the lead by the completion of the opening lap. Stone would survive nearly race long pressure from point leader Josh Coonradt to take the victory with Pete Stefanski following the duo to the checkered flag in a close third place finish. Shane Henderson and Mike Welch rounded out the top five positions.

Rich Christman led all 15 laps of the Bernie’s Extreme Performance Parts Rookie Sportsman non-stop main to grab the victory, with Mike Grover and Ernie Staelens grabbing the final two podium spots.

This coming Sunday, August 11, A-Verdi Storage Containers and Park’s Truck and Paving presents the annual Bobby Page Foundation Backpack Give-A-Away and popular Autograph. Admission to the weekly event featuring the DirtTrackDigest.com 358-Modifieds, Broedel Energy Fuel Group Sportsman, Ted’s Body Shop Pro Stocks, and Bernie’s Extreme Performance Parts Rookie Sportsman will be just $20 a carload.

NORTHEAST RACING PRODUCTS/POWER SEAL JAN CORCORAN MEMORIAL RACE SUMMARY

JAN CORCORAN MEMORIAL BIG BLOCK/SMALL BLOCK CHALLENGE FEATURE FINISH (30 LAPS)-ERICK RUDOLPH, Matt Sheppard, Gary Tomkins, Pat Ward, Billy Dunn, David Schilling, Lance Willix, Dave Marcuccilli, Adam Roberts, Claude Hutchings Jr., AJ Miller, Lucas Heintz, Anthony Cardamone, Danny Varin, Billy Shantel Jr., Brad Godshalk, Billy Whittaker, Randy Shantel, Alan Barker, and Don Bellen.

BROEDEL FUEL GROUP SPORTSMAN FEATURE FINISH (20 LAPS)-MATT JANCZUK, Kyle Inman. Chris Mackey, Tyler Corcoran, Alan Fink, Charlie Tibbitts, Dylan Zacharias, Jeff Taylor, Brent Joy, Rocco Leone, Zach Sobotka, Corey Barker, Dave Manchester, AJ Miller, Brian Calabrese, AJ Filbeck, Tye-Scott Rood, John Strickler, Payton Talbot, Casey Cunningham, Rick Rogala, Mark Effner, Addison Bowman, Isiah Forward, Tim Falter, Mike Button, Ed Lukas, Jack Miller, Dave Moyer, George Dyer, Mike Richmond, and Tom Juno.

TED’S BODY SHOP PRO STOCK FEATURE FINISH (20 LAPS)-NICK STONE, Josh Coonradt, Pete Stefanski, Shane Henderson, Mike Welch, Russ Marsden, Jerry Streeter, Ernie Staelens, and Aaron Page.

BERNIE’S EXTREME PERFORMANCE PARTS ROOKIE SPORTSMAN FEATURE FINISH (15 LAPS)-RICH CHRISTMAN, Mike Grover, Ernie Staelens, Matt Richardson, and Riley Rogala.