Timmy Hogan wins the first Volusia 3/4 Modified race of 2023 after leading flag-to-flag.
After 15 laps of close-quarter racing, Timmy Hogan held on to win Sunday’s inaugural 3/4 Modified Spring Showdown.
Hogan, of Lake Helen, FL, started on the outside pole and jumped to the lead on the first lap. While the results showed he led from green to checkered, Hogan had to fend off multiple challenges to claim the victory.
After two wins last year, Hogan said this victory helped him get the gremlins out of his car before the Volusia Weekly Racing Championship begins in less than two weeks.
“This is my home track,” Hogan said. “Literally, I was four years old running around pit road and getting in trouble, so it means a lot to win at my home track like this. My guys and I pour out our hearts and souls into this car, nothing for nothing we go out to have fun. Last year, we had a lot of problems with fuel and such, and I think we’ve got it all figured out.”
Hogan noted that he was loose to start the night but gradually worked on his #26 car to get it to where he could be able to have race-winning pace.
“The track started out loose during the Heat Race,” Hogan said. “I knew it would come around, so we made some adjustments to let it go out and eat. I didn’t hear anybody behind me, so I made sure to hit my marks when Wade (Olmsted) was pushing toward the end. (Wade) was all over me on the inside and the outside, so I kept the same line I had ran and it worked out in the end.”
Olmsted, of Orange City, FL, had a night of fighting through adversity after starting from ninth in the Feature.
Olmsted, the 2021 Volusia 3/4 Modified champion, charged through the field to face Hogan toward the end. From the start, he faced adversity after starting in the last row of Heat #1. Olmsted came up short but has a lot to be proud of before heading into the 2023 points season.
“I was driving over my head the entire night,” Olmsted said. “(Race Control) told me I was toed-out in the Heat Race, so we thrashed and thrashed and thrashed. Literally, as they called us to line up for the Feature, we got the car on the ground and ready to go. It was a wicked night to start.”
Olmsted also credited the hard-fought battle he faced with Hogan, who beat him by a mere 0.138 seconds.
“I was able to, somehow, drive from the back to second (place),” Olmsted said. “When challenging the lead for the last couple of laps or so, I was all over (Hogan’s) bumper, and I didn’t mean to get into him on the last lap. When it’s the last lap, you don’t lift. Tomorrow, I just need to calm my brain down and we’ll be good to go.”
Completing the night’s podium is the #51 of Dustin Peterson. The DeLeon Springs, FL native won the second Heat Race of the night and raced inside the top five for the duration of the Spring Showdown Feature.
“It was a good night.” Peterson said. “We struggled a little bit in the beginning, we changed everything in the off-season, we threw the kitchen sink at it, and it didn’t work to start. I think we got it figured out tonight, and I’m confident we’ll be ready for (Monday) night.”
Rounding out the top five finishers in the Spring Showdown 3/4 Modified Feature was the #88F of Aidan Foley and the #27 of Steven Powers.
3/4 Modifieds Feature 15 Laps | 00:12:03.267
- 26-Timmy Hogan[2]; 2. 99-Wade Olmsted[9]; 3. 51-Dustin Peterson[5]; 4. 88F-Aidan Foley[1]; 5. 27-Steven Powers[6]; 6. 32P-Jesse Powers[4]; 7. 23-Patrick Vareika[8]; 8. 9-Logan Malone[7]; 9. 57-Ethyn Hwan[16]; 10. 67-Tad Olmsted[11]; 11. (DNF) 48-Rusty Young[3]; 12. (DNF) 59-Nathyn Hwan[10]; 13. (DNF) 0H-Matt Hodges[13]; 14. (DNS) 7-Chris Olmstead; 15. (DNS) 32-Wryan Shaffer; 16. (DNS) 3X-Scott Durlin; 17. (DNS) 14-Austin Culver
UP NEXT
The 3/4 Modifieds will be back on Monday night alongside the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars for the finale of the Low-E Insulation Spring Showdown. Grandstand gates will open at 5 p.m. (ET), with Hot Laps/Qualifying beginning at 6 p.m.
For more information, visit VolusiaSpeedwayPark.com or WorldofOutlaws.com. You can also watch the action live on DIRTVision – on your mobile phone or TV.