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Early Race Incident Hampers Erick Rudolph's Performance at Thompson International Speedway
Mooresville, N.C. (April 14, 2010) - Damage early in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour 2010 season opener Sunday at Thompson International Speedway led Erick Rudolph to finish 19th for Heinke-Baldwin Racing (HBR).
The weekend got off to a slow start for Rudolph and his No. 98 Mohawk NorthEast/Original Pizza Logs team. In Saturday's 90-minute practice session, the young driver found himself 24th fastest with a time of 18.813 seconds and speed of 119.598 mph.
Rudolph went on to qualify 29th with a time of 19.113 seconds. "We set up the car too loose, so we didn't qualify very well," Rudolph said.
Following qualifying, the Ransomville, N.Y., native was excited for the race to begin because he was encouraged the car would be good come race time. The Icebreaker 150 started off well for the No. 98 team, as the HBR driver began working his way towards the front.
On lap 65, however, Rudolph brought out the second caution of the day. Contact with another car caused Rudolph to spin, which bent the front of the No. 98 Chevrolet. The damage caused the car to be unstable, and Rudolph spent the rest of the race trying to maintain his position.
"After our damage on lap 65, we were no longer able to compete for the win," the 18-year-old explained. "We spent the rest of the race riding around and collecting as many points as possible."
Rudolph finished 19th in the 150-lap event, which was won by his fellow HBR development driver, Bobby Santos III.
Although the driver was disappointed with the day's events, he kept a positive outlook. "I would say we finished pretty good for the circumstances," Rudolph stated. "Hopefully we'll have a little better luck at the next race."
Rudolph currently sits 19th in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour standings. His next race is at Stafford Motor Speedway on April 25, 2010.
About Heinke-Baldwin Racing
Heinke-Baldwin Racing was formed in 2009 by H&H Motorsports owner Al Heinke and Tommy Baldwin Racing owner Tommy Baldwin. Both Baldwin and Heinke grew up racing in New England and saw an opportunity to work together to help young drivers pursue their dreams to race.
In 2010, the team's freshman year, HBR is fielding the No. 98H for driver Jimmy Phelps in the Super DIRTcar Series, with sponsorship from Wave Energy Drink. They will also be fielding the No. 98 for driver Erick Rudolph in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, with additional sponsorship from Pizza Logs, Brigham Concrete and PrimeTyme Motorsports.
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