Welcome to toddhoddick.com
08/28/08 06:56 AM
WNY Auto Racing /By Larry Ott
Hoddick sporting a new look on track
One should forgive Todd Hoddick if he forgets which race car to enter to go racing these last few weeks. From his family-owned late model to two different SST sportsman cars and a jaunt in the ARCA Re/Max Series, Hoddick has been one busy race car driver.
What won’t escape the Cheektowaga- based driver’s attention, however, is trying to capture one of the biggest prizes annually in area racing, a victory in the late model Budweiser 100 on Saturday at Holland NASCAR Motorsports Complex.
“Over the years in our late model, I’ve been able to win both the Race of Champions at Oswego Speedway and the U. S. Open at Lancaster, so the Budweiser 100 is the last big area crown jewel late model race that I haven’t won yet,” said Hoddick, 24. “That’s the last big late model trophy I have to get.”
With Dunn Tire Raceway Park only running limited stock car shows this season and with Holland hosting the late models on rare occasions the last few years, Hoddick, with far less late model racing opportunities, has been available to get into the seat of other race cars.
He once raced about 50 local late model races each year but that has dwindled to about 10 this season.
“One night this season at [DTRP], Kirk Rutherford asked me if I would like to drive the SST sportsman car that he drives for his owner, Dave Johnson, in the George Decker Memorial at Holland,” recalled Hoddick. “I said sure and even though the Decker race got postponed by rain that night I still got to drive the SST car in qualifying that night and I had a ball.”
Hoddick so enjoyed his foray in the Johnson No. 11 SST car that he desired to do more racing in the open wheel SST machines. It was a fun departure from the full-fendered late models he knows.
Hoddick got word that Tom and Norm MacLeod were selling their No. 32 SST car, so Hoddick and his father, Trey Hoddick, made a deal and purchased the MacLeod machine Aug. 14. Two nights later the car debuted with Hoddick behind the wheel of the “X” car in the SST class at DTRP where he placed a strong fourth.
“We bought the car that Thursday and didn’t even have time to paint a number on the car so it became the “X” car. I think before long we will put our familiar No. 49 on it,” laughed Hoddick.
“There is no real difference between driving the late model and the SST car like you would think. They both have about the same type tires and engines and are pretty close in horsepower. I have no idea why but I find the SST car easier to drive. I think that in order to get a late model to run well you always have to be on the ragged edge but with SST cars you don’t.”
On July 12 at Holland, Hoddick was leading the late model Northeast 100 on lap 24 when rain forced the postponement of the remainder of the event until Sept. 13. Hoddick is hoping to first win the Budweiser 100, which will be held two weeks prior to the rescheduled Northeast 100, and learn something in the process that will help him in the Northeast 100.
“The Budweiser 100 should give us a pretty good indication of how good our car stacks up against the competition to help us gauge things for the Northeast 100,” explained Hoddick. “I’ve never led a race and then had to wait almost two months to complete it so the Northeast 100 will be interesting.”
As if that wasn’t enough, Hoddick also made his debut earlier this summer in the ARCA Re/Max Series and placed 14th at Berlin Speedway in Marne, Mich. His next ARCA stop is set for October in Toledo, Ohio.
Hoddick also will be busy this fall continuing his education working toward an MBA in finance at the Hilbert campus of St. Bonaventure.
Pit stop
Jeff Price took exception to Monday’s column that stated he used jumped restarts to find his way to Victory Lane in the George Decker Memorial 100 last Saturday at Holland.
While Price did say that he was quoted properly in the column and that is what the lead of the story was based on, Price felt that the article put too much emphasis on the restart issue but not enough on his belief that he had the dominant car over the last few weeks at Holland, including Saturday. His belief is justified as he has been the fastest.
There is no question that Price and his brother Jonathon, based on their performance over the years, are talented drivers that usually have fast race cars in competition. They have been the dominant story in the SST/NASCAR pro modified division this season where Jonathan has won a race and is the current point leader at Holland.
Jeff has won the last three races at Holland and will go to Dunn Tire Raceway Park on Saturday, where he will run in the SST Sportsman 50 preparing for the U. S. Open weekend in late September.
It should also be noted that last Saturday’s Decker race was under the control of SST officials, not Holland officials. Earlier in the evening Holland officials did run their own weekly races in which all jumped restarts were not allowed. They immediately threw the yellow flag to realign the field.
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