The TQ Midgets made their first visit to the Perry Bullring on August 7, 2005. This western New York organization never fails to provide a very competitive race. One of the drivers who provided a lot of excitement is Erick Rudolph. In only his eighth TQ race, he won his heat and finished third in the feature. This fourteen year old driver is very impressive. He is the third generation of the Rudolph family to compete in motor sports. The name, Rudolph is synonymous with winning. Erick’s grandfather, Jim has two Ransomville track Championships and a Spencer Modified Championship. His dad, Charlie was inducted into the FOAR Score Hall of Fame in 2004. Charlie has won numerous Modified Track Championships. In 1986, Charlie captured three Championships and the “Mr. Dirt” title. Erick said, “I have learned a lot from my dad and grandfather. My family’s involvement makes racing special.”
Erick first got interested in racing at age five. He remembers, “My dad took me to the Niagara Falls convention center to watch go kart racing. I really enjoyed the racing and wanted to get involved.” When the race program was complete, Erick asked the question, “Can we buy one?” A short time later, Erick and his dad paid a visit to Dave Just. Charlie recalls, “I knew Dave from racing. He builds racing karts and had one for sale.” They purchased the kart and began racing. The first year was a learning experience for Erick. He remembers, “We started racing at Ransomville, Langford, Merritville, and Geneva. I won a few times that year. The best part was the time I spent with my dad.” Erick’s education that first year resulted in a lot of success. In the next eight years of kart racing, Erick drove to 11 track Championships. He had three at Langford and eight at Ransomville. He has won over 200 Go-Kart Feature Wins. Erick said, “We have raced indoors at Syracuse, Detroit, Fort Wayne, RCA Dome (Indianapolis), Lockport, and Clarence. He went on to say, “My first Langford track Championship meant the most to me. That took a lot of effort and came down to the last couple of races. The track attracted many competitive drivers.” The Rudolph race team was no stranger to large fields of competition. Charlie, a former Winston Cup driver remembers, “Fort Wayne had nearly fifty competitors at every race. The top twelve get to start the main feature. We won nine consecutive features at that facility.” Erick has also competed in national level karting events sanctioned by WKA. The WKA events are the best of the east coast kart drivers. Erick said, “I finished third at the Chapel Hill race. That was one of the toughest races I have ever competed in. We were very happy with the finish.”
In 2004, Erick met Vinny Christiano Sr. He invited Erick and his dad over to look at a TQ Midget. The car was appealing and the next logical step. A search for a TQ racer resulted in a custom built one. Erick explained, “The cars we looked at would all require modifications. My dad and grandfather decided to build the car.” The advent of the 2005 racing season found Erick in the seat of the #20 Pizza Log machine. Erick now has eight starts in the TQ Midgets. He is currently fourth in points at Lancaster Speedway. Erick said, “The first time I drove the car was at Lancaster. TQ’s are much faster than the karts. You sit higher in the car and the response is much quicker.” The Rudolph TQ is powered by a Kawi ZX7. Charlie and Jim designed and built the chassis for the #20. Erick has some great sponsors who support the team. The primary sponsor is Pizza Logs of Niagara Falls. Most western New York tracks have the Pizza Log pastries for sale. The owner, Bob Cordova is a big race supporter. Brigham Concrete Construction (Lockport) and Primetyme Motorsports of Tonawanda are also a sponsors. The Rudolph Racing team consists of Charlie Rudolph (dad), Jim Rudolph (grandfather), Chris Murphy (cousin), and Jimmy Pringle (friend).
Erick is very thankful to be racing. He said, “I love to race. The best part is my family is with me. This makes racing very special.” Erick wants to thank Harry Macy and Vinny Christiano Sr. for all the help. He said, “Harry and Vinny have really given a lot of support. They are a big reason why TQ Midgets are a great organization. Erick went on to say, “I also want to thank my mom. She is my #1 fan.” Erick is grateful for all the support of the fans.
The third generation driver is off to a good start in 2005. He is knocking at the door of his first feature win. The Rudolph Race team is in contention for a track championship. His fan base will continue to grow. Erick is very happy with the TQ Midgets organization. He is continuing the family tradition of racing. This young man has inherited his dad’s talent. That talent will be bringing many more championships to the Rudolph family.