By FRANK CATIZONE - Accord Speedway Media 7/15/2013
ACCORD, NY – Veteran driver Tommy Meier is calling Accord Speedway his Friday night home for the first time ever during his long, successful racing career.
Jeff Heotzler Sr., meanwhile, has flourished through the years while racing around the Ulster County bullring and is one of the biggest winners in the track’s 51-year history.
Meier and Heotzler, who have crossed paths many times throughout the Northeast during the past four decades, both raced their way into victory lane last Friday in a pair of 30-lap All American Ford Modified features during D&D Napa Night at Accord.
It was Meier’s first career Accord win and his initial visit to the Lucas Oil Victory Lane. Heotzler, who has two triumphs during the 2013 racing campaign, pushed his legendary career total to 48 victories around the quarter-mile, banked oval.
Meier, a two-time Orange County Fair Speedway Modified champion, started outside pole for both features and was leading the first 30-lapper, a held-over race rained out from June 28, which opened the racing program.
But Meier, who admitted the incident was entirely his fault, spun while racing off the fourth turn with the lead and handed first place over to Heotzler with six laps completed.
Heotzler, after having racing halted one more time for a second-turn incident involving Danny Tyler and Billy VanInwegen with 10 laps in the record books, then ran uncontested the rest of the way as he took the checkered flags from Accord starter Steve Otten more than three seconds ahead of Mike Ricci.
Ricci, who was behind the wheel of the Jimmy Wells owned No. 831 for the second straight week, did a tremendous job racing towards the front after starting 15th in the 17-car field. Danny Creeden followed in third place with Andy Bachetti, Jerry Higbie, Meier, Mel Schrufer, VanInwegen, Bill Haley and Chris Minardi rounding out the top 10.
Meier, whose best outing was a third-place performance on May 3, rebounded in the Modified nightcap as he led the entire 20-lap distance. The Waldwick, N.J., driver got the jump on Gary Quick before racing was stopped after two laps for a incident involving Gary Predmore and Kurt Hundeland between the third and fourth turns.
Heotzler, after starting fourth in the 19-car field, stood in third place for the restart and passed Quick for second before Schrufer spun to force a caution with five laps down. The accident enabled Heotzler to start side-by-side with Meier for the restart as he was looking to sweep Modified action for the evening.
But Meier was able to maintain first place following the restart and ran caution-free to the checkered flags as he finished ahead of Heotzler, Higbie, Ricci, Donnie Elliott, Creeden, Bachetti, Quick, Jackie Brown Jr. and VanInwegen.
Anthony Perrego returned to his winning ways as he captured his second Escape RV Sportsman 25-lap feature this season ahead of Greg McCloskey, Dave Werber, Mike Barrett and Kevin Ward.
Perrego, who reached victory lane nine times in 2012, grabbed the lead away from McCloskey while racing down the homestretch on the 15th lap and then pulled away as he recorded his first win since May 17. The event was slowed five times for cautions and aided Perrego, who started sixth in the 17-car field.
Tyler Boniface continued his red-hot pace as he locked up this third consecutive victory in the Healey Brothers Spec Sportsman 20-lap feature.
Boniface, who paces the standings and his competitors with four wins in 2013, moved ahead of leader Ed Dachenhausen at the starter’s stand to complete 12 laps and never looked back as he was able to keep Perrego at a distance in second place.
Dachenhausen settled for a third-place performance with Joe Judge and Mike DuBois rounding out the top five.
Tom Vasta led the entire 20-lap distance from his outside pole starting spot as he captured his second Ruge’s GM Parts Center Pro Stock victory of the season ahead of Ron Rion, Paul Aragon Jr., John Roese and Ralph Ronk.
Ray Tarantino became the division’s fourth multiple winner of the season as he captured the Arkel Motors Pure Stock 15-lap feature ahead of Nick Johnson, John Woinoski, Ant Marguglio and Tim Brown.
Tarantino, who picked up his first victory on June 21, also earned a guaranteed starting spot for Thursday’s 40-lap Street Stock race at the Orange County Fair Speedway in Middletown.
Reigning champion Joe Szczapa picked up his second win this season in the WRWD Lightning Sprints 15-lap main event ahead of Rich Stone, Zach Bennett, Adam White and Jason Roe.
Johnny Bankich earned his first career Accord win in the Want Ad Digest Fireball Four-Cylinder 15-lap feature.
Bankich inherited first place on the 12th lap when leader Shawn Maloney’s car burst into flames while driving off the fourth turn. Maloney was able to get out of his car on the homestretch and the fire was extinguished by track safety crews. He wasn’t injured.