KANKAKEE, Ill. — Continuing his early tour victory streak, Nick Hoffman came home the winner of 25-lap DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals feature at Kankakee County Speedway Thursday night.
Having won previously this week in Brownstown, Ind., and Peoria, Ill., Hoffman raced to his 39th career Modified Nationals victory. Hoffman, a three-time Nationals champion and the defending tour titlist, raced to the checkered flag in front of Michigan’s Curt Spalding and Indiana’s Nick Allen, who was the event’s fastest qualifier among 25 entries that timed in.
Kentucky visitor Tyler Nicely finished fourth with Levi Kissinger and Nick Clubb rounding out the top six finishers.
“It wasn’t easy tonight,” said Hoffman. “(Curt) Spalding had a pretty good car and showed his nose a couple of times. “Before the race, the car wouldn’t fire off. I was really nervous the whole race that it was just going to shut off on me. I didn’t know what the issue was there. I was able to hold on for 25 laps and keep them behind me.”
Caution flags slowed the race with Hoffman pretty much pulling away from Spalding after every restart.
Other feature winners during the night included Austin McCarty of Bradley, Ill., who won the 15-car/20-lap Pro Late Models main event over Chad Osterhoff and Billy Knippenberg for his first career win. Female competitor Megan Erwin, from Attica, Ind., came home the winner of the 19-car/15-lap street stock feature – her first at Kankakee.
The finish:
Nick Hoffman, Curt Spalding, Nick Allen, Tyler Nicely, Levi Kissinger, Nick Clubb, Steven Brooks, Kyle Hammer, Tom Pasek, Ian Keller, Jason Hastings, Shawn Scripter, Timothy Bennett, Travis Thrasher, Brandon Bollinger, John DeMoss, Travis Kohler, Jacob Rexing, Beau DeYoung, Arby Burton.