Stewart doesn’t disappoint at New Egypt showdown

VERONICA YANKOWSKI NASCAR Winston Cup champion Tony Stewart is interviewed following his win in the 12-lap Challenge of Champions at New Egypt Speedway on Aug. 20.

NEW EGYPT — Track kingpin Billy Pauch of Frenchtown really got down when the purse went up Wednesday at New Egypt Speedway.

He beat a bevy of the Northeast’s best short-track stars, plus visiting celebrities Dave Blaney and Mike McLaughlin, to hit for a $6,000 score before a huge crowd in the Down & Dirty Modified 100, sponsored by Carquest Auto Parts.

"When you come up on two lapped cars that are fighting side by side at the end of the race like that, you get worried," Pauch said, referring to the final scenario in the 100-lap grind. "After I got past them, I was hoping they would keep Ricky (Elliott) busy."

Cool-hand contender Elliott wasn’t the only driver who gave Pauch cause for concern on his march to the six grand. Current Modified points leader Frank Cozze was three-wheeling it in the early laps before Doug Hoffman swept beneath to usurp the lead.

Hoffman was just beginning his rapid ride when his mount threw a shoe on lap 14, bringing out the red flag and retiring him for the night.

On the new green, Cozze hustled back out front, with Pauch powering up from his 10th starting spot to apply a hardcourt press.

A split-second before lapped traffic would’ve clouded the picture, Pauch dropped Cozze to second on lap 31 and attempted to shake Cozze’s No. 44 off his tail. The halfway mark is when Elliott made his presence known, pushing from an 18th starting spot to suddenly show his hand.

On lap 53, Elliott moved to third, then set his sights on second. He slipped under Cozze to take the spot on lap 69, then cranked it up to do business with Billy. But on the home lap, Pauch played traffic like a maestro, at one point squeezing three-wide down the backstretch to ensure a two-car cushion between himself and Elliott. Pauch powered home for the big check, his fifth win of the season at New Egypt, with Elliott second, Jimmy Horton in third, Cozze in fourth and Keith Hoffman in fifth. Tim Tanner Jr., Kenny Brightbill, Danny Johnson, Rick Laubach and Jimmy Chester completed the top 10. NASCAR stars Dave Blaney and Mike McLaughlin dropped from the race in the first quarter.

The 12-lap Challenge of Champions pitted current NASCAR Winston Cup champion Tony Stewart and Dave Blaney against some of the most storied dirt-track stars in Modified history.

In the Sprint, Stewart proved he hasn’t forgotten his roots, stamping the gas on the Team Goewey XST No. 20 to get the jump on polesitter Danny Johnson. With all the top hotshots chasing him, Stewart kept the pedal to the metal as the fans roared their approval. Doug Hoffman drove like a bat out of hell to catch Stewart, chewing away at his lead as the laps wound down. On the last lap, Hoffman pulled alongside the leader, but Stewart shut the door coming down for the checker and took the $1,000 victory. Hoffman was second, less than half a car length back.

"When I come out to play, I give it everything I’ve got," Stewart told the crowd after his dirt-track triumph. "I was giving it all I had. I had nothing left."

During the evening, Stewart met with fans and signed autographs to benefit Zippy’s Crusade for Kids, a charity created by his Winston Cup crew chief Greg Zipadelli to assist children experiencing medical, financial or social difficulties. New Egypt fans donated $8,800 to the cause, with a big check being handed to Zipadelli’s father, Chick, as Stewart looked on. Stewart graciously added his $1,000 Challenge of Champions winnings to the pot, raising the total to $9,800.

A field of 43 Modifieds from six states competed in the night’s activities.

Heat races were won by Frank Cozze, Tim Tanner Jr., Rick Laubach and Doug Hoffman. G.R. Smith and Mark Forte took the pair of consolation races.

Rookie Smith sails on

New Egypt Cruise Night

Last year Folsom’s G.R. Smith was the track’s Sportsman champion. Now the 22-year-old upstart can say he is a Modified feature winner since he sailed like a veteran, battling back the seasoned pros, to win his career-first in the division on CruiseOne Caribbean Cruise Night Saturday.

"I’ve got to thank my brother and my dad — this is actually my brother’s (Bucky Kell) car, and it’s only the second time I’ve ever driven a Big-Block," an excited Smith told announcer Nick Leach. "I knew Billy (Pauch) was back there, and I saw Keith (Hoffman). I overdrove it a couple of times, jumping the cushion. But I made sure I kept it going."

The 30-lap Modified main was marred on the initial green by a multicar pileup in turn four that took current division point leader Frank Cozze out of the running and sent five-time 2003 winner Billy Pauch to the pits. When the race finally went green, rookie Smith sailed onto the point, dominating until a lap 12 caution leveled the playing field.

When Smith’s misstep sent him over the cushion, Keith Hoffman briefly powered out front, but Smith assumed control again the next tour. Billy Pauch, rebounding mightily from his involvement in the early accident and pit stop, came on like gangbusters to give Smith a serious tussle. Although a yellow flag bunched the pack with four to go, Smith managed to keep the persistent Pauch in his wake and walked on out for his first Modified victory. Pauch, Ryan Godown, Keith Hoffman and Donny Radd followed Smith at the stripe.

It was another division rookie in the winner’s circle in the Sportsman ranks as former Super Stock ace Rich Page of Hillsborough held off the heated advances of Gary Butler to score the first of his career in the open-wheel class. Butler settled for another second, with Ken Meisner a fast-closing third, Donnie Kline fourth and Willie Osmun in fifth.

The 2001 division champ, Al Cheney III, Cranbury, finally broke out of a season-long slump to score his first of the year in the Super Stock fray. Pat Conaway continued to pad his point lead with a second-place finish, with Billy Bauer, Ralph Gargiulo and Jake Roveda completing the top five.

Jackson’s Ian Borden passed a faltering Craig Martin with three to go to win his first in the SS Sprint race. Mike David, Pat Freiberger, Rick Cozze and Phil Meisner Jr. trailed Borden at the flag.

As the highlight of Caribbean Cruise Night, CruiseOne specialist Gena Hoffman awarded a free four-night cruise for two to the Caribbean, with airfare and transfers included, to one lucky race fan. A very happy Ray Rosenberg of Piscataway will be sailing away on the New Egypt Speedway cruise on New Year’s Day.

Saturday it is Twins Night at New Egypt Speedway, sponsored by M2 Race Systems. One the bill is a twin 20-lap feature for the Modifieds. All twins will be admitted free at the front gate.

Sportsman and Super Stocks complete the race card.

Adult admission costs $16, children ages 7-12 enter for $6, and kids age 6 and under get in free. For more information, call the speedway office at (609) 758-1900.