National Short Track
Championships
Rockford Speedway,
Rockford, IL
September 25-26, 2004
Hoffman Goes 3
for 3 In Winning The NAPA National Short Track
Championships At Rockford Speedway
Rockford, IL (September 26, 2004)
– Fast Eddie Hoffman lived up to his nickname at the 39th
Annual NAPA National Short Track Championships at Rockford Speedway,
making some breath taking passes coming from the 6th starting position
to the win the NAPA 250 Sunoco Super Series event. Hoffman, racing
in his third Sunoco Super Series event this season, has now won all
three, dominating at Illiana Motor Speedway, his home track, passing for
the lead with 10 laps to go at Baer Field Speedway, and taking the lead
with 30 laps to go Sunday afternoon at Rockford Speedway to get the
win. Steve Moenck finished second, Brian Hoppe third, Steve Rubeck
fourth and Brian Johnson, Jr. rounded out the top five.
"I did not even realize we were going for
our third Sunoco Series win in a row until after the race," stated a
jubilant Hoffman in victory lane. "This series and race has so many
solid drivers, I feel really good about my win today, I’m very proud to
be the 39th Annual NAPA National Short Track Champion!"
On a beautiful September afternoon, Brad
Mueller started on the outside of the front row jumping out front to
lead the first 220 laps. Mueller built a lead running out ahead of
Justin Diercks, and Steve Moenck. Diercks passed Mueller a couple of
times, but each time a yellow flag came out causing the track positions
to revert to the last completed lap, allowing Mueller to keep the lead.
Hoffman was working his way through traffic
picking off the cars in front one by one. On lap 177 he took over second
place moving around Diercks while avoiding a lapped car on the low side
and moved cleanly up before Diercks could get to the spot. Hoffman then
passed Mueller using the lapped cars very carefully to his advantage on
lap 204. Mueller was given another chance when an accident behind the
leaders caused the field to revert to the previous lap again putting
Mueller back in the lead.
The accident involved Diercks, Junior
Hanley, and several other cars, forcing Hanley and Diercks to move
behind the wall. After the restart Hoffman followed Mueller until he
found an opening. Going under Mueller, who was running a high line in
the corners, Hoffman took the lead for good on lap 220. Mueller slipped
up into the wall lightly and moved from first to seventh on that lap,
before finishing sixth.
Moenck took full advantage of the problems
of the cars ahead of him and moved into second place. He held off a
strong Brian Hoppe to finish second, right in front of the third place
finishing Hoppe. "We did not have a first place car today," commented
Hoppe. "I am very happy with our finish here today!"
40 cars were at the track attempting to get
into the 28-car field, with the top twenty in qualifying were locked
into the field. Nathan Haseleu, the Corteco Fast Qualifier, set a new
track record, one of 23 drivers to break the previous record set last
season. Matt Kocourek and Tommy Pecaro, won the Qualifying races to
transfer to the National Short Track Championships along with the second
place finishers in those races, Mike Monroe and Jeff Way. Kenny Tweedy
battled brake problems all weekend, but still managed to race his way
into the field with a win in the Last Chance Race. The Lucky Dawg
Draw went to Eddie Van Meter to round out the field for the 39th Annual
NAPA National Short Track Championships.
Brad Mueller was the Wax Shop Halfway Award
Leader. Eddie Hoffman was the Sweet Manufacturing Sweet Move Of The Race
Award winner for his great moves to get to the front for the victory.
Bruce Carlson, Crew Chief for Hoffman, was the Gladiator GarageWorks
Crew Chief Of the Race Award. Series newcomer Brian Johnson, Jr. was the
ISKY Racing Cams/Lane Automotive Hardcharger Award winner. Johnson
finished fifth after starting twentieth. Goodyear Performance Awards
went to Johnson and Ron Breese Jr. Steve Moenck was the Backstretch
Performance/Blake Carburetion/Reed Cams Rookie Of The Race.
The next Sunoco Super Series event will be
the World Cup 300 Friday and Saturday October 8th and 9th
at I-70 Speedway in Odessa, MO.
Official Results
Field Now Set
Rockford, IL (September 26, 2004) - Kenny Tweedy battled brake problems all weekend, but still
managed to race his way into the field with a win in the Last Chance
Race. The Lucky Dawg Draw went to Eddie Van Meter to round out
the field for the 39th National Short Track Championships.
The winners of Saturday nights Qualifying Races, Matt Kocourek and
Tommy Pecaro, the second place finishers in those races, Mike Monroe
and Jeff Way and the points provisional positions for Junior Hanley
and Scott Hantz also are in the field with the twenty fastest
qualifiers.
Lineup for
National Short Track
Championships
Last Chance Race
Results
Nathan Haseleu Sets New Track Record
Rockford, IL
(September 25, 2004) - Former NASCAR Craftsman Truck series regular Nathan Haseleu was the
fastest of the 26 drivers to break the track record at the Rockford
Speedway at the NAPA National Short Track Championships. Haseleu
piloted his He & She/Cornett Engines Ford to a 13.115 second lap for
an average of 68.624 mph on the Rockford half-mile. Terry
Fisher, Jr. was second fastest with a 13.152 and Fast Eddie Hoffman
was third with a time of 13.157. Haseleu drew an 8 on the invert
meaning he will start in the 8th spot, putting Sunoco Series Rookie
Steve Moenck on the pole.
Junior Hanley, and Scott Hantz, Sunoco Series regulars and current
point championship contenders both missed the cut off for a guaranteed
spot in the race and will be starting in the Qualifying Races later
this evening.
The fastest twenty drivers qualified for the Sunday Featured event,
the next four will come from the two last chance races (the first two
from each), the next two cars will be Sunoco Super Series Championship
point provisionals, the next driver will the winner of the Last Chance
Race Sunday morning and the final started will be the winner of the
Lucky Dog Draw.
Qualifying Race #1 Results
Qualifying Race #2 Results
Qualifying Race #2 Lineup
Qualifying Race #1 Lineup
Qualifying Results
Practice Session #2 Results
Practice Session #1 Results
Qualifying Order
