Mike Ricci ends three-year drought with Modified victory
By FRANK CATIZONE
ACCORD, NY – It seemed it was just going to be a matter of time before Mike Ricci raced his way back into victory lane at the Accord Speedway.
Ricci, one of the biggest winners during the track’s 51-year history, has been close since returning to action at the Ulser County bullring earlier this season. However, despite having a competitive race car, the veteran driver needed a little boost to reach the top.
Ricci said his prayers were finally answered last Friday night after putting an end to a three-year winless drought with a convincing victory in the All American Ford Modified 30-lap feature.
“It all comes down to track position,’’ said Ricci, after posting his first win since Aug. 13, 2010. “This was my eighth race since coming back and the car was fast right out of the box. We’ve been in the top 10 each time out, but just seemed to fall short from getting a win. But that all changed tonight.’’
That’s because Ricci, after starting fourth, had the track position he was searching for and didn’t waste his opportunity. The Rosendale driver was perched behind leader Donnie Elliott after eight laps were completed when Gary Quick spun in the second turn to force a caution.
Ricci was able to move ahead of Elliott after racing resumed on the 10th lap and began widening up his cushion before Ken Boniface Jr. forced a caution by slowing down on the backstretch with 24 laps completed. He then went on to finish well ahead of Elliott at the checkered flags.
“This car has just been awesome,’’ said Ricci, who was driving his cousin Jimmy Wells’ No. 831 Sportsman mount. “Jimmy and I share the car. We put a four-barrel carburetor on to compete against the Modifieds and he races it in Sportsman shows.
“We just had to put the car back together after Jimmy flipped it during the Battle of the Bullring show at Accord just a few weeks back. We all busted our tails getting the car back into shape and this was a testament to all our hard work.’’
Elliott, who was driving Danny Creeden’s RCI car, was light over the scales during the post-race inspection and was disqualified. That moved Creeden into second place with Anthony Perrego, Jackie Brown Jr., Tommy Meier, Danny Tyler, Brad Rothaupt, Quick, Scott Ferrier and Rich Ricci Jr. rounding out the top 10.
Brown, who leads the Modified standings, got turned around by Andy Bachetti following a 13th-lap restart. Bachetti was sent to the rear for causing the incident. Brown drove all the way back to a fourth-place finish.
Dave Coene picked up his first victory in more than a year as he held off the late charge offered by Kevin Ward to capture the Escape RV Sportsman 25-lap main event.
Coene, who hasn’t reached the Lucas Oil Victory Lane since June 29, 2012, wrestled the lead away from Jesse Marks at the midway point of the race and then went on to finish 1.302 seconds ahead of Ward. Marks settled for a third-place effort with Brad Szulewski and Greg McCloskey completing the top five.
Mike Sabia, who is enjoying the best season of his Accord career, picked up his fourth win of 2013 in the Healey Brothers Spec Sportsman 20-lap feature as he finishd ahead of Tyler Boniface, Joe Judge, Ed Dachenhausen and Mike Lewis.
Sabia, after starting fourth, got the jump on early leader Lewis following a fifth-lap restart and then held on to finish half a second ahead of Boniface when the checkered flags were displayed by Accord starter Steve Otten.
John Roese and Ralph Ronk swapped first and second place in a pair of 20-lap features for the Ruge’s GM Parts Center Pro Stock division.
Roese, after starting sixth, inherited first place on the seventh lap of the held-over race from June 28 when leader Ron Rion dropped out of the event with mechanical issues. Roese then went on to nose out Ronk at the wire with Jim Sykes, Dave Demorest and Charlie Rose following.
Ronk got the jump on pole-sitter Paul Aragon Jr. and led the entire distance to pull out a narrow victory over Roese, who was looking to sweep his competition for the evening. Roese was followed by Demorest, Sykes and Aragon.
Ray Tarantino, who had three seconds and a third during the course of the past four races, finally broke through with a victory in the Arkel Motors Pure Stock 15-lap feature.
Tarantino, who now has three triumphs this season, drove past Ant Marguglio down the backstretch of the fourth lap and then saw nothing but daylight as he finished well ahead of Nick Johnson. Marguglio, Joe Knoth and Eugene Helms rounded out the top five.
Zack Bennett started on the pole and led the entire race as he captured the WRWD Lightning Sprints 15-lap feature ahead of Joe Szczapa, Christian Wright, Phil Bessette and Lex Burritt.