Modified drivers ready for BRP Tour event

BUFFALO TOWNSHIP -- New Brighton's Kevin Bolland is riding a hot streak heading into one of the most important Modified races this season at Lernerville Speedway.

The Bicknell Racing Products Modified Tour will award $1,200 to the winner of the 30-lap feature at the local clay track tonight.

Bolland won two features last weekend, including a BRP race at Mercer Raceway Park, giving him three wins this year. He also won May 28 at Lernerville.

"At the beginning of the year, we were under-powered," Bolland said. "We were waiting for new pistons to be manufactured. This weekend was the first week back with the new pistons."

Bolland will be one of the drivers to beat. He is second all-time in BRP Tour wins with seven.

Ron Smoker, of North Boston, N.Y., has nine victories and has captured the past two BRP Tour point championships along with their monetary prizes.

"The BRP Tour is very important," Bolland said. "Around western Pennsylvania, there is probably one of the lowest pay scales. If you go up to New York, most guys won't even race unless the money is at least $1,500 to $2,000 a night. The Modifieds in New York are like the Sprint cars here."

The tour was started in 1998 to provide higher purses and a point fund for Modified drivers.

Tonight, a part of the purse will go to each of the top 24 finishers. The second-place driver takes $800 and third-place $600.

Since 1998, the tour has expanded from five to 10 speedways. This season, the tour will run its first race in Canada, stopping July 1 at Merrittville Speedway in Thorold, Ontario.

"We want to give the drivers as much opportunity as possible to prosper," BRP Tour board member Ed Sanner II said.

"But we also want to keep it affordable," he added. "We want to allow the average racer to compete. This is not your standard week-to-week racing, but we don't want to grow too large."

Other drivers to watch include Frenchville's Del Rougeux Jr., who won his first BRP Tour race this season; Brian Swartzlander, who won the BRP point titles in 1998 and '99; and Liberty, Ohio's Jim Weller Jr., who is running third in BRP Tour points.

Additional Information:

BRP Modified Tour

Top 20 point standings

Car/driver/points

62RRon Smoker89

83Brian Swartzlander86

31Jim Weller Jr.82

65Rex King82

26ZTommy Kristyak72

61Dave Murdick72

777Kevin Bolland71

9JJosh Skarzenski70

41/21NAndy Priest69

25Joe Crawford68

20DDel Rougeux Jr.67

19Bob Dorman64

11TSteve Young62

64Rodney Beltz61

7SChris Schiffer60

00KRobby Kristyak59

37MDJeremiah Shingledecker59

8Chanda Reitz58

8JDean Pearson58

3GGary Risch Jr.56

All-time winners

NameWins

Ron Smoker9

Kevin Bolland7

Jeff Hoffman6

Lou Blaney4

Brian Swartzlander3

Rodney Beltz2

Rex King2

Alan Dellinger1

Brian Fink1

Rick Hall1

Tommy Kristyak1

Jim Rasey1

Lonny Riggs1

Del Rougeux Jr.1

Jeff Schaffer1

Jim Weller Jr.1

Jim Weller III1

-- Source: dirttour.homestead.com