NEW EGYPT — Keith Hoffman, of Whitehall, Pa., ran like a man possessed to take his fifth win of the year in Saturday’s final night of point racing at New Egypt Speedway, sponsored by Century 21.

But it was Jimmy Horton, of Neshanic Station, who persevered through a tough bunch of breaks to clinch his first New Egypt Modified track championship, worth $10,000.

“We made all the right decisions tonight and did what we had to do to try to win that championship,” said Hoffman, the track’s 2001 division champ. “It just wasn’t meant to be ours.”

Hoffman watched Tommy Beamer, Tim Tanner Jr. and Donny Radd lead early legs of the feature event, finally darting from third to the point in one fell swoop when he saw his opening on lap 23. Other title contenders fell by the wayside — both Frank Cozze and Billy Pauch retired from the action. Radd chased Hoffman right to the line, but couldn’t grab the gold ring. It was Hoffman, in for No. 5, over Radd, Horton, Tanner and Rick Grosso.

Despite Hoffman’s command performance, it was Horton’s championship to lose on this night — and things didn’t go his way right from the start. After his car developed a vibration in the heat race, Horton’s crew was forced to pull a backup ride out of the hauler and hope for the best. Starting dead last on the grid, Horton patiently worked his way forward to third in that 30-lap race — good enough to take the title.

“I can’t thank the crew enough. We were really in the hole today. We broke the primary car and were forced to run the backup car, which isn’t a bad car. We ran second with it on Wednesday night and won with it last night. But it wasn’t what we’d planned to do,” Horton, 48, described the maddening events of the evening, en route to his first New Egypt title in his first full year of competition at the track.

“[The championship] is what we tried for all year. That’s what we were going for. We knew it would be an uphill battle.”

Brian Godown, of Frenchtown, had it all his way in the 20-lap Sportsman fray, finally making it stick for his first win of the year. Willie Osmun, Art Liedl, Ken Meisner and Rich Rutski followed in Godown’s heady wake.

Veteran Larry Kline finished every event he entered in 2004 to win a first Sportsman championship for car owner Paul Marra.

On his sponsor’s night, Jake Roveda, of Cream Ridge, rocketed to his second win of the season in the caution-plagued Super Stock race. Al Cheney was second, Jason Bubeck finished third, with Pete Fogarty in fourth, and Roveda’s teammate, Kim Cooke, in fifth. Wall’s Rob Ormsbee came from the rear twice to take the 2004 division title.

Jackson’s Dan Wall scored his second of the year in the SS Sprint class, fending off division champion Art Liedl’s late-race charge for the win. Mike David, Rick Cozze and George Idell Jr. completed the top five.

New Egypt season closes

with ‘run watcha brung’

You live by the rules, you die by the rules — that’s the way it is the other 364 days of the year.

But on Saturday, New Egypt Speedway racers will be free at last as the Ocean County track throws out the rulebook for one crazy night of “run watcha brung” competition, on Tech Inspector’s Night Off, sponsored by Dirt Wheels Race Cars & Speed Shop.

For New Egypt’s final event of 2004, competitors in all four divisions — big-block Modified, Sportsman, Super Stock and SS Sprint — will have carte blanche to get wildly creative with their race cars. Tires, engine and suspension parts, wings, sheet metal, whatever — it may be illegal the rest of the year, but it’s green-lighted for this one night. The only stipulations: all safety rules will be in effect; all cars must conform to chassis rules for that division (such as no Sprint Car frames on Modifieds, etc.); and Sportsman and Super Stocks will be required to run two-barrel carburetors. That’s it.

New Egypt management added the bonus date after wet weather forced cancellation of three scheduled shows in the last six weeks. And the “run watcha brung” concept seemed a fitting way to end a rather unconventional season.

“It’s the first time we’re presenting a ‘run watcha brung’ program, with no rules. But we’ve had a lot of other firsts at New Egypt this year,” said track owner Rick Grosso Sr. “We’re being recognized as a leader in the national press and on national television. Some say our ideas are crazy — but hey, we like to do things a little different. So we’ll end this year on a different note, and hope the drivers and fans can have a little fun with it.”

The season finale will feature big-block Modifieds, Sportsman, Super Stocks and SS Sprints, all doing the wild thing in whatever configuration their owners can dream up. Gates open at 3:45 p.m. with first race at 6 p.m. Adult admission is $16, children 7-12 are $5, and kids 6 and under are free.