By ohnson 
It was this close, merely.012.
That was the razor-thin margin of victory for Erick Rudolph over Zane Zeiner in Saturday’s Gambler’s classic at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. The fact that Rudolph led from the very beginning to the end doesn’t fully convey the thrilling tale of the final corner of the 40-lap feature. Zeiner made a daring dive low off the exit of the fourth turn after giving a gentle tap to Rudolph’s bumper. However, it wasn’t sufficient as Rudolph managed to hold his ground and stay in the lead, thus claiming his third career win in this event. He had also crossed the finish line first in 2012 and 2015.
“I had a clear idea about who was behind me,” remarked Rudolph after the $5,000 victory. “I was aware that there were several changes in the second and third positions, but the car showed a slight dip in performance towards the end. I felt an intense pressure. I was simply doing my utmost to complete the task successfully.”
And complete the task he did. Rudolph desperately needed a performance like this after a lackluster showing in Allentown, which followed a dominant display in Trenton back in early December.
“It means a great deal, truly a lot, especially after the previous outing here where we failed to secure any wins,” said Rudolph. “We were in a highly competitive position and had the best car. Tonight, maybe not the absolute best car, but nonetheless, we were able to park it here in Victory Lane.”
The two drivers trailing him for a significant part of the race were Zeiner and, at other moments, Tim Buckwalter. On the final lap, it was Zeiner digging deep for the win as he sought his first Atlantic City checkered flag. Rudolph did everything within his power to prepare himself for the inevitable challenge on the final lap.
“I felt him there for the better part of the race,” stated Rudolph about Zeiner. “At the end of the race, I attempted to adjust my racing line and make some adjustments within the car. It provided some assistance, but still, I don’t think I had the fastest car at the very end.
“You know, in the last couple of laps, they will give it their all, as no one aims for second place. I was merely doing my best to park it here in Victory Lane.”
Luckily for the driver from Ransomville, N.Y., he had just enough.
Rudolph set up his path to the checkered flag early in the night when he claimed the five-lap dash. He executed some remarkable maneuvers to reach the front after starting from the middle of the pack. From that point on, it was merely a matter of keeping his car in the lead.
“I entered the dash without having a specific plan to take the lead or anything, but I knew that if I had an opportunity to seize the lead for the start of the race, it would be in my best interest,” commented Rudolph.
The sole scare for Rudolph occurred when he nearly collided with the slower car of Earl Paules. Something broke on Paules’ No. 8 car, and Rudolph took evasive action entering turn three to avoid a severe impact with him.
“With a track slightly larger than in Allentown, we didn’t have a constant problem with lapped traffic, but there were still a few lapped cars,” Rudolph pointed out. “You approach them so rapidly that you don’t even know what to do. I reached him (Paules). Suddenly, I had no idea where to go. As I said, I closed in on him on the straightaway and then, all of a sudden, he was right there in the corner.”
Rudolph’s win came in his powerful Lafler Chassis No. 22. It continued the streak of dominance by the chassis manufacturer in indoor races. Lafler-built cars swept the 2016-17 indoor racing season.
“It’s truly evolved into a Mark Lafler Chassis phenomenon where consistently he has the cars to outperform others,” said Rudolph. “I’m really happy for myself, but I’m even happier for Mark (Lafler) because he’s the one who invests all the effort. The guys put in all the hard work, and then I go out for 40 laps and do my part. That is minimal compared to the countless hours they spend in the workshop striving to secure wins like this for us.”
Zeiner Comes up Just Short
Zeiner did everything possible. There wasn’t a single additional thing he could have done in the final lap to overtake Rudolph. He got the right momentum at the opportune time. Unfortunately, he fell just centimeters short at the finish. He and his team had no reason to be downcast.
“Without a shadow of a doubt, everything went in our favor,” commented Zeiner. “Yes, we came up a little short, but I’m proud of all these guys and the car they provided me. We drove a smart race. I made a mistake once and hit the tires. I told myself to just hit my marks and go after him again, and that’s exactly what we did. We are genuinely satisfied, although a little disappointed, but I know we have an excellent car that we can come back with next year and give it our all.”
Indoor racing is almost always a contact sport. Zeiner employed some contact on the final lap in an attempt to make the pass. It was neither dirty nor sufficient to wreck Rudolph. It was a small tap on the bumper as he got loose, creating an opening for Zeiner to try and slip underneath. It was a fierce but fair race between two seasoned indoor racers.
“That’s what I told him afterwards,” Zeiner said. “We raced fiercely. I didn’t displace him. I just loosened you up there. He was doing what he had to do while going straight. Even if I went in there forcefully to move him, he had it blocked. I just caught him at the right angle. He stepped on the gas really hard and got his car sideways. We had the drive off, but still fell slightly short. That was truly amazing.”
Gambler Globs
Rudolph noted the remarkable success of car owner Mark Lafler in the indoor series. Six of the top nine cars qualified for the show were Lafler’s, and of the six qualifiers, five were won by Lafler cars. By my count, 16 Lafler cars were in the starting grid for the 40-lap feature event…
Chad Jones was the sole victim of a flip in the afternoon. Jones got upside down early in the first B-Main event…
Tommy Catalano saw his hopes of making the indoor series A-Main finale vanish as his car leaked fluid prior to the start of the third B-Main…
Josh Dalrymple was running third in the same B-Main when his car started smoking heavily before it eventually forced him to stop on the backstretch, ending his night…
Timmy Catalano emerged victorious in B-Main three after contact with Bob Baker sent him spinning late while leading. He capitalized on a couple of restarts to power his way back to the lead and secure the win…
Ted Christopher was running within the top five when he clipped an implement tire, breaking the left front of his Trey Hoddick-owned car. He was towed off, finishing 20th…
Anthony Sesely’s bid for another Gambler’s Classic came to naught on lap 24 when he was sent to the pits with fluid dripping from his No. 16…
With 35 laps completed, Tim Buckwalter exited the track, relinquishing a top five position in the running order.