In a race to be preserved in the memory books, 2002 Modified champion Billy Pauch of Frenchtown came out on top of a bitter, down-to-the-bone battle with arch rival Doug Hoffman to take the $5,000 top prize in Sunday’s Legends of the Fall Can You Hear Me Now? Modified 50 at New Egypt Speedway, sponsored by Advanced Wireless.
"Up, down, back, forward, it was a show, all right," Pauch said of the spot-swapping and daredevil traffic maneuvers between himself and Hoffman in the final laps. "I’m still trying to figure the car out; it’s still a little spooky to me."
Pauch won the big season finale, his first New Egypt win since June 8, in a new ride, the No. 114 Mrs. T’s Pierogies Mod of Pennsy owner Buddy Biever.
"I think they can win races, and they think I can get the job done. There’s a lot of potential here," was Pauch’s comment on the newly formed team.
The first half of the Modified 50 was the Doug Hoffman show, with the Pennsy invader dominating from lap 3 on. Hoffman’s big advantage was erased, however, when the race was red-flagged at halfway for a scheduled twist on the action: after collecting a $350 halfway bonus, Hoffman dialed up a "wired" fan in the grandstands, courtesy of Advanced Wireless, to find out which driver in the current top 10 would collect $2,000 and advance to the pole. Lucky Hoffman called his own number 1, to maintain position and pocket the bonanza bonus. But he had his work cut out for him the second half. As soon as the flags flew, Pauch blew by for the lead, and the two took off in a classic inside-outside duel for the final prize. With Hoffman stepping on his heels, Pauch kept control until Hoffman edged him in heavy traffic off turn four on lap 39. As the grandstands went nuts, Pauch retook the lead the next tour, and quickly lost it when he clipped the corner with 8 to go.
Driving hard on the outside, then diving low to split lapped cars, the 2002 champ outhustled Hoffman on the final lap to grab the 5Gs. Runner-up Hoffman collected $5,450, counting lap and bonus bucks. Frank Cozze, Keith Hoffman and Duane Howard completed the top five.
In another thriller, Mt. Laurel’s Jack Swain barely edged 2002 division champ G.R. Smith for the 40-lap Are You Wireless? Sportsman victory, worth $2,425 in lap and purse money. Mike Lyons, Matt Papiez and Mike Toth followed the dynamic duo to the stripe.
On this date last year, fans were passing the hat for driver Pat Conaway of Williamstown after he was injured in a race-track wreck. This year, the fans were cheering Conaway to victory, as he led every lap of the Advanced Wireless Sportsman 30 to ace his first win of the season and pocket $1,975. George Quinlan finished second, with Ralph Gargiulo third, Bill Gerber fourth, and Kory Fleming in fifth.
The Herman’s Trucking Lightning Lap Awards for fastest lap in a feature event were won by Doug Hoffman (Mods, 18.954), G.R. Smith (Sportsman, 20.356), and Pat Conaway (Super Stock, 21.189).
More than 150 cars competed in the day’s events. In keeping with the Legends of the Fall theme, the Garden State Vintage Stock Car Club also raced in an exhibition match, with retired stock car legends signing collectible autograph cards and reminiscing with fans.