Andy Jankowiak Snaps Drought, Returns to ROC Modified Victory Lane at Chemung

For the first time since 2021, Andy Jankowiak went to victory lane with the Race of Champions Modified Series in the Night Before The Glen Rod Spalding Classic on Saturday night at Chemung Speedrome.

After battling with T.J. Potrzebowski for the top spot, Jankowiak held off Bryce Bailey and led the final 25 laps to take the victory in the RoC Modified Series event.

Jankowiak's last RoC Modified series victory before Saturday night came at Lake Erie Speedway in the 2021 Race of Champions 250. While the well-traveled racer from New York has seen plenty of victory lanes in the past four years, including seven RoC Sportsman Modified victories, none of them had come with the top tier in the Race of Champions Family of Series during that span.

"We tried to figure out how many laps are on this engine that's been in this car for about two years, so I looked up all my racing statistics," said Jankowiak. "It was fourth, second, third, fourth, second, third, fourth, second, third, win the pole, fourth, second. I don't know. It's been crazy.

"It's our home-built car. It's a touchy car, but we just took off today and it just went. It surprised me a little bit. It actually got a little tight there at the end, and I was fighting with it a little bit."

Jankowiak started to get emotional in victory lane, reflecting on the many opportunities he has to race across the country and how hard it is to get a win at any level of the sport.

"Just happy to be able to do this," said Jankowiak. "You've got to cherish these moments. They are so precious. I'm so blessed that I get to do all this stuff, I get to race with KLAS Motorsports and Kevin Lapierre, Andy Seuss and all those guys. They take such good care of me. They brought me a badass race car at Watkins Glen yesterday and we could run in the to p10. We get to come back today and do this in my home-built Modified with my family and friends and all my sponsors. I'm just, it's emotional."

The ROC Modified Series drought has definitely had an impact on Jankowiak, looking at the chances he's had to secure victories over the past four years.

"It has really bothered me that we haven't been able to capitalize," said Jankowiak. "I know we're capable, I know we have the speed. It's just, every time something happens. Like Holland, I thought we had it and we just missed the stagger a little bit. Today was the perfect night.

"It was so much fun battling with T.J. I was really good and I was saving. I think I had a little bit too much front brake in it trying to save. When I got going after I got him, the right-front just wouldn't cut like it would. It was a battle, it was fun. And Bryce Bailey, credit to him, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking at the scoreboard every 10 laps looking for that 60 [of Matt Hirschman].

"Just grateful, just really grateful. It takes a thousand people if you count everyone up that keeps me on the track and doing all this racing we do. I'm the one dancing on Facebook and doing all this stuff and making it look fun."

While Potrzebowski faded in the closing laps, Bryce Bailey picked up a runner-up finish trying to chase down Jankowiak in the closing laps.

"Paul just gave me a great race car at the end of the day," said Bailey. "Hats off to Andy there. He manages his stuff really well. I thought he went pretty hard there at the beginning. I thought he was going to come back to me. I was kind of waiting on Austin and Matt to start creeping up. I thought maybe I went a little too hard, but it just kind of stayed good. The first three laps of a run, I kind of struggled, but after that it just would take off really good.

"Me and Andy had a good battle there on that restart. I wish I didn't screw up so bad when he run me up off four, but he did what he had to do to win the race and got it done."

Austin Beers finished third, staying ahead of Matt Hirschman to claim the final step on the podium.

"It's definitely harder to pass Matt, so leaving him behind me helped out," said Beers. "We were a little too snug. We tried a little something different that we usually don't do, and it kind of stabbed us in the back a little bit, but it is what it is."

Hirschman finished fourth, with Shawn Nye rounding out the top five.

Next Saturday, the Race of Champions Modified Series returns to action in the 36th Annual Tribute to Tommy Druar and Tony Jankowiak 110 at Lancaster Motorplex.

-Photo credit: MoJo Photos/Race of Champions

Night Before The Glen Rod Spalding Classic Unofficial Results