MATT HIRSCHMAN WINS AGAIN ON 2013 ROC TOUR. CHARLIE SHARPSTEEN, SCOTT NURMI AND GENE PURVIS ALSO WIN
May 19, 2013
MATT HIRSCHMAN WINS AGAIN ON 2013 ROC TOUR. CHARLIE SHARPSTEEN, SCOTT NURMI AND GENE PURVIS ALSO FIND VICTORY LANE AT SHANGRI-LA II
By Tom Cummings
Tioga Center, NY
Matt Hirschman collected the win in the RoC-N-Concrete Rumble at Shangri-La II Motorspeedway on Sunday afternoon. For Hirschman, he is now two for two in 2013 on the RoC Pavement Modified Tour and has let the other competitors know that the drive for a repeat championship is alive and well. Charlie Sharpsteen survived a hard drive in the Pudgies Pizza Street Stocks to claim his second Shangri-La II win, coincidentally both wins came while driving brother Gil’s car. Scott Nurmi was the Latemodel winner and Gene Purvis took home the Four Cylinder Stock feature.
Shangri-La II, the ASA Member Track in Tioga Center, N.Y. hosted their season opener following a rain out the week before. The Race of Champions Pavement Modified Tour was featured in their first of three appearances this season. The heat racing for the Modifieds showed that the teams had learned a lot with regard to the American Racer Tires since debuting them one year ago. Kyle Ebersole won that race last year, and looked to be fast right off of the trailer. He won his heat race but started the feature in eleventh spot following the redraw. Tommy Cloce won the second heat and started fourth while Hirschman was the winner of heat three and started eighth after the draw. Mike Leaty drew the pole and started along second generation driver Nick Pecko. Jimmy Zacharias charged from his third starting spot to take the lead in turn four as lap one clicked off on the score board. Zacharias had Brian DeFebo on his back deck as the pair set a blistering pace, pulling away from the rest of the pack. The dominance of the Zacharias ride at Shangri-La II showed as Jimmy opened up a two second lead over DeFebo when the first of three cautions flew. Ebersole spun entering turn two. While keeping the car off of the wall, Ebersole brought the car to the pits to check the tires. The restart had Jimmy Zacharias and DeFebo pull away from the field again, but Mike Leaty, Nick Pecko and T-J Potrzebowski kept the swift pait within seven or eight car lengths. Lap fifteem had Hirschman pass Potrzabowski for fifth. Hirschman’s set-up kicked in, and he took fourth position from Pecko on lap twenty three. Hirschman had his work cut out for him with his challenge to Leaty, but wrestled third away from Leaty on lap thirty eight.
