01/27/05

Chasing Down Another Championship
by Andy Ticco

Todd Hoddick, driver of the #99 Monte Carlo Late Model, finished off the 2004 season in no better fashion than by claiming the track championship at Lake Erie Speedway in Pennsylvania and by winning the last race of the year at Wyoming International Speedway. The track title gives him a championship at three different race tracks and his final win gave him at least one victory at three different tracks for a combined 11 wins in the 2004 season. The accolades do not end there for the talented young driver. Todd was also named the Northeast’s Winningest Asphalt Late Model Driver of 2004 by Area Auto Racing News, and he finished third in the National Valvoline Cup among registered paved Late Model drivers.

He was kind enough to answer some questions for NYRaceZone and me prior to the 2004 season. Going into last season the goal of the #99 team was to win races, win the Lake Erie Championship, and repeat as the Lancaster Raceway Park Late Model champion. Even though they settled for fourth in the Lancaster standings, 2004 was definitely solid all the way around. Todd claimed winning the championship at Lake Erie as the biggest accomplishment of his career due to the division being headliners at a NASCAR track. “Lancaster’s championship was nice, but many people downplayed it because my family has raced there and have had success there in the past.” He also added, “I feel that winning the championship at Erie showed that I can adapt and run well at many different race tracks and that I’m not a one track wonder, so to say.”      

The year wasn’t without its bumps along the way. Three of the biggest races of the year all had hard to swallow results. I was fortunate enough to be at Holland International Speedway for the Firecracker 100. It was a one-two battle a good portion of the race with Todd hot on the bumper of #03 Vern Bliss as the race was nearing an end. The #99 saw a small opening low in turn 1 and the two cars made contact in turn 2 and spun, leaving Todd with a twelfth place finish. “It was good hard racing between me and Vern, and those kinds of things happen.” Immediately following the race the team traveled to Lancaster and redeemed themselves somewhat with a third place finish.

Later on in the season at Holland again for the fourth and final Holland-Lancaster Amsoil Late Model Series Challenge Championship on the line it appeared as though Todd was going to take the title. While he was leading the race the car suffered from a broken module in the distributor and consequently lost the race lead and series point lead. That was a big disappointment, but not nearly as rough as the outcome at the Race of Champions (RoC) at Oswego Speedway.

Once again the #99 was “the car to beat” as Todd said, they led roughly the first 30 laps. As the lap cars bottled up the rest of the pack a mess ensued and the wall between turns 3 and 4 ended the team’s weekend prematurely. “The RoC is the biggest race of the year in my opinion, and Oswego’s my favorite track, so that one really hurt the most.” Being up front in each of those races is something few drivers can attest to, a couple breaks in the right direction and they could have easily found themselves in victory lane for three major races. “If we keep plugging along the way we have been, we will win these races eventually and catch the breaks.  Sometimes it’s more important to be lucky than to be good.”

With the 2005 season fast approaching, there was some uncertainty of where the Late Model drivers in Western NY would decide to race. One thing is for certain, Lake Erie is a must for the #99 team; it is important to go after another championship there as well as trying to win the Northeast Region. The NASCAR prize money they received after 2004 was a big factor in that decision. They will also compete at Holland on a weekly basis. “We haven't ruled out Perry (Wyoming County International Speedway) on the once a month Sunday shows because we ran well at the end of last year.” 

Changes are a minimum for the team in 2005. The Howe car that they ran at Lancaster and special shows elsewhere was sold and a new Howe SS car was purchased to race everywhere except Lake Erie, where the Port City car is the primary. Joe Deney from Gor-Den is still going to build the motors. Last season was their first with Gor-Den Engines and it proved to be successful. Todd complimented his engine builder by saying, “He really stepped up our motor program last year, and he will be at our side again. I can’t say how much I appreciate his help.”

I have to thank Todd Hoddick for taking the time to do another interview via email for the dedicated readers of NYRaceZone. We wish him and the entire #99 team luck in 2005.

Sources: Andy Ticco/NYRaceZone.com
Posted: January 27, 2005