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Hoffman Ready To Defend His NSTC Title
By: Kevin Ramsell
Wednesday, August 30, 2006 (Loves Park, IL) – Eddie Hoffman is getting ready
to come back and once again defend his Chicago International Trucks National
Short Track Championship at the Rockford Speedway.
The Wheaton, IL driver is a three-time and defending NSTC champion.
Hoffman picked up the titles in 2001, 2004 and 2005. He is hoping to
become the first driver since Steve Carlson to win it three years in a
row. Carlson, a seven-time champion, won NSTC three times in a row from
1998-2000.
“That’s always a special race,” Hoffman recently stated. “It’s
close to home and the National Short Track Championships have been around ever
since I have been playing in Deery’s playground there in the back.
It’s been cool, a good Series (CRA Super Series) and has paid good money
over the last few years and had plenty of cars.”
Last year, Hoffman led wire-to-wire in the 250-lap main event. But, it
wasn’t an easy task for the Chicagoland veteran. He lost his power
steering within the first 25-laps of the event.
“Good thing I still pick up a hockey stick,” Hoffman recalled. “I
really didn’t think I was going to make it. We really didn’t have
time to make any changes. If you go to the back at Rockford, you can
pretty much forget about it. So I had to decide to tough it out to make
it or we weren’t going to make it. I had to drive the car differently
than I wanted to.”
Hoffman held off challenges from Eddie Van Meter, Steve Rubeck, and Jeff Lane
to pick up his second NSTC title in a row, third overall.
Hoffman is looking forward to the 41st Annual Chicago International Trucks
National Short Track Championships. This year’s event returns to the
traditional 200-lap format that was used from 1966-87.
“They have shortened it this year, which I like to see the long ones where
you have to manage your tires and brakes,” Hoffman stated. “It just
puts the pressure on to get up there right away. Rockford is a difficult
track and it’s hard to pass on. There is not a lot of grip.
It’s largely a driver’s track. You got to have a good car but the
driver comes into play there quite a bit.”
A total of ten divisions will be competing over the three-day event on
September 22-24 at the Rockford Speedway. A total of 689 laps of feature
racing will be taking place along with qualifying and last chances
races. The CRA Super Series, Mid-American Series, and the Big 8 Series
are among the ten divisions competing.
Event and ticket information can be found at www.rockfordspeedway.com.
To order advance tickets please visit the website or call the track office at
(815) 633-1500.
It has been and will continue to be the great fans, the reunion atmosphere,
and the great racing that has made this, “One Great Racing Weekend.”
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