Oswego, NY: Chuck Hossfeld was to have a couple of busy days, with two of his biggest races of the year scheduled for this weekend.

The first would be the NASCAR Featherlite Modified Series Sylvania 100 to be held Friday Sept. 18th at New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon, NH.

The NASCAR Featherlite Modified Series visits the "magic mile" at NHIS twice a year in what are essentially the biggest events on the tour schedule. Not only do FMS drivers get the opportunity to compete on the one-mile oval, but it also gives them exposure and the chance to rub elbows with some of the top drivers in NASCAR as they share the weekend with the Nextel Cup and Craftsman Truck Series drivers.

Piloting the v4 Mystic Missile for owner Bob Garbarino and the Mystic River Marina race team, Chuck was excited to get back to the track where he has won two of the last four races.

"We [finished] 24th here back in July and that was disappointing to all of us," Hossfeld said of his return to NHIS. "We're looking for a much better performance this weekend."

The second big race of the weekend would be the 54th Annual Sunoco Race Of Champions 200. Scheduled for Saturday Sept. 19th at Oswego Speedway in Oswego, NY, Hossfeld would campaign his #22 DeLange Racing sponsored modified.

In 2002, Hossfeld was leading the race when contact with Eric Beers on a restart with just a few laps to go, sent Chuck spinning into the wall in turn one. While damaged he still managed a sixth place finish. After qualifying through the "consi" in 2003, Chuck was working his way through the field until an accident near the half-way point took him out of the race.

"I'm really looking forward to The Race of Champions this year, " said Hossfeld, "the crew has been working hard to prepare for the race, and I'm confident if we can stay out of trouble that we'll be a contender."

Hossfeld's plan was simple, go to Loudon, NH for the race on Friday, afterwards he would turn around and drive back the 330+ miles to Oswego, NY for the race on Saturday. Greg Aumann, spotter for both the Mystic Missile and DeLange Racing teams, would travel with Chuck and assist with driving to get him to the track Saturday as rested as possible. Meanwhile the remainder of the DeLange Racing Team would haul the car and equipment to Oswego Friday night to be ready to roll into the track Saturday morning.

Even the best laid plans seldom work flawlessly. As Hurricane Ivan pounded the southeast it was almost certain to effect the weather in the northeast during the weekend… and it did.

Thursday in New Hampshire provided beautiful weather as Hossfeld and the Mystic Missile team put the car through practice and qualifying, placing 9th on the starting grid for Friday's Sylvania 100. However Friday was another story, overcast skies loomed above, and the radar screens in the NASCAR trailers were showing more and more green as the day progressed.

The Featherlite Modified race was scheduled to begin after Nextel Cup Bud Pole qualifying, though less than a quarter of the way through qualifying the rains came in. Light, but persistent rain showers forced NASCAR to cancel the remainder of the day's events. The race was rescheduled to run after the Busch North and Craftsman Truck Series races on Saturday.

Racing Saturday in New Hampshire would eliminate any possibility for the Oswego race, so Chuck called The DeLange Racing team, now stationed in Oswego, and delivered the bad news that he wouldn't be able to make the race. The DeLange Racing team was dejected, as this was to be their biggest race of the season.

Back in New Hampshire Saturday morning, the rains continued non-stop from the previous night. Weather forecasts for the day called for continued showers until early afternoon. It began to look like the Sylvania 100 would again be postponed. Indeed it was. NASCAR made an early call to postpone both the Busch North and Featherlite Modified races until Monday Sept. 20th.

Knowing that it had rained the previous night in Oswego as well, postponing several of the features, Hossfeld began working the phones. When it became clear that there might be a possibility of making the race, Hossfeld hit the road for Oswego.

Chuck pulled up in front of Oswego Speedway just prior to the start of the modified heat races. Although a cold wind was blowing in from Lake Ontario, the skies were clear blue overhead, and most importantly Hossfeld had made it in time to have a chance to qualify for the race.

After entering the pit area, Chuck and the team had a few moments to go over some last minute prepartations before going out in the fourth heat race. With over 50 cars attempting to make the field, there would be six heats, with 4 cars qualifying from each heat. In addition the top two qualifiers from each heat would redraw for starting position.

Chuck took the 4th and final qualifying spot in his heat, ensuring that the DeLange Racing Team would be racing this evening. Once all of the heats were completed, Hossfeld was set to go from a 22nd position starting spot in the 41 car field. Rules for the race were that caution laps were counting, and that a mandatory pit stop had to be made after lap 50.

After being held up by a caution filled late model race, the modifieds finally took the track late in the evening. From the drop of the green flag, Chuck quickly starting moving forward through the field, and by lap 20 was running in 12th position.

On lap 54, under caution, The Hotshoe turned onto pit road for the mandatory pitstop. The DeLange Racing Team pulling off a quick stop, changing only right side tires, and getting Chuck quickly off pit road and back into the race.

Hossfeld would ride conservatively in the top-ten for a little while, with several cars ahead of him still needing to make the mandatory pitstop. By the half-way mark, he was comfortably in the top-five, although several cautions hindered progress.

The car was not very responsive on restarts, and forced Hossfeld to do all he could to hold his position. After five or ten laps though it would come to life, and allow him to close in on the leaders. Unfortunately, while not a particularly caution prone race, the yellow came out frequently enough that Chuck couldn't get the long green flag run he badly needed.

Hossfeld had raced his way up to second at one point, but late pitstops by earlier race leaders #93 Tim Mangus and #19 Eric Beers, allowed those cars with fresh tires to get by. When the checkered flew Hossfeld came across the line 4th, behind race winner #19 Eric Beers, second place #93 Tim Mangus, and #45 Tony Hanbury in third.

"We had a solid run tonight," commented Hossfeld after the race. "The team did an excellent job getting the car here and having it ready for me to race. After missing practice and almost not making it [to the race], we can be happy with a fourth place finish."

The event marks the end of the 2004 season for The DeLange Racing Team. With five top-5 finishes in 7 races, including a win in the Lancaster season opening Queen City Clash, it was a successful year.

Upon returning to New Hampshire on Monday, Hossfeld posted a 6th place finish in the Sylvania 100. It was a big improvement upon the July race result, and a strong top-10 finish for the Mystic Missile team as their season draws to a close.

Hossfeld has two races remaining on the NASCAR Featherlite Modified Series tour, where he currently resides 8th in the points standings. The next race will be the Carquest Fall Final on September 26, 2004 at Stafford Motor Speedway.