Strada, Jr. Wins In Storybook Moc-A-Tek Ed Strada, Sr. Memorial
By BRETT DEYO
LAKEVILLE, PA - Ed Strada, Jr. made his father proud.
In an event dedicated to the memory of the late Ed Strada, Sr., the second generation pilot from South Canaan, Pa. pulled off a storybook victory Saturday night at Lake Moc-A-Tek Speedway.
It was a dominant performance for Strada, who pulled off the emotional triumph in the 42-lap event to a thunderous applause from the standing room only crowd.
"I wanted to win bad," exclaimed Strada. "This one means a lot."
The $2,195 score didn't come easy, however.
While battling with Tom Hager for the runner up position, Strada got turned sideways on lap 5 and nearly spun. The 38-year veteran shot through the infield, but maintained control and settled back into third for the restart.
"Whoever it was that got under my bumper backed off and let me save it," he said. "I thought for sure I was gonna get turned around, but they gave me the chance to gather it back up."
Strada finally slipped by Hager on the 8th go round and set his sights on early leader Nick Barassi, Jr. A lap 9 caution gave him the break he needed.
Barassi bobbled momentarily on the start and Strada took full advantage, powering his Kids Shoe Korner Wally Fiehl-powered Bicknell into the lead with an outside move.
"Nick started to go on that restart then I went, he slowed down and took off again and I had a run on him up high," the happy victor explained. "He was just a little slow on the bottom and that gave me the run I needed up top; there was a decent outside groove tonight."
Several cautions plagued laps 10-20, playing into the hands of sixth starter Dom Roselli. The four time track champion burst into second on a lap 17 restart.
"I knew Dom was strong from the heat race," Strada said. "When I saw his number up on the lap counter, I knew he'd be tough."
A stretch of green flag racing at the race's midway point allowed Strada and Roselli to break away from the rest of the field.
"When I came in, they said I was pretty far ahead," Strada said. "But the car didn't feel fast at all. I was pretty tight, but the consecutive laps actually helped me a little bit. I was hoping for a lot of green laps."
Lapped traffic proved to be one final obstacle.
A large pack of slower cars forced Strada to slow on lap 33, allowing Roselli to close the gap to less than a car length. He wasn't able to make a move and a 37th lap caution provided the leaders with an open race track for the finish.
"Some of those guys wouldn't move over high or low," Strada said. "They were racing me hard - I had to be careful."
A lap 39 incident set up a three lap dash to the checkered, but Strada was up to the task. He crossed the stripe comfortably ahead of Roselli.
"Dom raced me clean," he said. "I give him a lot of credit."
For Roselli, the second place effort was his best of a rough 2003 season.
"We were a little too tight turning in," the Middletown, N.Y. native said. "Where he could pick up the throttle and turn, I couldn't. I mean, he didn't dust me and pull away, but I just needed a little bit more to run with him."
Longtime Orange County Fair Speedway racer Carl Pittenger clawed from 12th to finish third, his best career LMS finish. Tommy Hager held on for fourth, and 22nd starter Josh Beierle was fifth. The up and coming Newfoundland, Pa. competitor overcame an early race skirmish and trip to the pit area for his first top five of the year.
29 358 Modifieds entered the program.
Joey Grammes inherited the 25-lap Sportsman Challenge.
The 25-year old Kunkletown, Pa. resident overcame an early race incident for the $730 win. For the race's first half, however, it didn't appear that Grammes would reach victory lane.
New York invader Rick Mill raced from his fourth starting spot into the lead on the first lap and dominated aboard his trusty 1991 Troyer, pulling away with ease. However, a tangle with the lapped car of Andy Stout on lap 11 sent the two time Accord (N.Y.) Speedway to the pit area with a bent radius rod and steering problems.
That handed the top spot to Grammes, and he took full advantage.
"I don't know if we would have gotten this tonight," he admitted. "Rick Mill was fast - I hated to see that happen to him. I saw everybody bunch up and I got into the back of him a little bit."
In his first appearance of the year, Ricky Rutt finished a strong second. Rick Raisner was third, ahead of Grant Hilfiger and Jesse Kline.
Gary Schoch pulled off a brilliant last lap pass of Don Leeper to win the 15-lap Pure Stock main. Schoch drove to the extreme inside of the track in turn two, slipping underneath Leeper, who led from the outset. Mike Spinks, Frank Bush and Ralph Davis completed the front five.
An apparent victory for Rob Trafford was taken away by a penalty and Cresco, Pa.'s Eric Palmer picked up his first win of the season in the 250cc Micro Sprint main. Trafford followed Palmer until a lap 18 restart when he outgunned the second year Micro Sprint racer into the first turn.
Track officials ruled that Trafford jumped the start and he was assessed a two spot penalty, handing the win to Palmer.
Ed Krupa was second in the finish order, with Trafford, New Milford, Conn. hotshoe Pat Potter and Joe Smith following.
A rain shower that moved in after the Modified feature forced the postponement of the Street Stock feature. It will run prior to the July 12 program.
The evening was dedicated to the memory of Ed Strada, Sr., a pioneer, champion and winner at Moc-A-Tek and several other short tracks in Northeast Pennsylvania and New York's Southern Tier. Strada died of a heart attack in 1986 while undergoing tests in a Scranton hospital.
Notable: The total sponsorship for the event totaled near $4,000 with purse money, lap money and extra prizes. Organizers Joanne Strada Bates and Brett Deyo would like to thank everyone that made the return of the Ed Strada, Sr. Memorial a success...
It was the first time the event has been on the schedule since 1996. Strada, Jr. won it previously in 1994. "I want to thank everyone that gave money for this race. We appreciate it."...
Mike Ricci made his return to the speedway, but a pair of incidents sidelined the former track champ early on. Picking up the ride in the Grammes-owned No. 5, Ricci and Tom Oleski got together on the backstretch on lap 5, then piled into a lap 9 skirmish in turn 4. The latter ended his night...
Alan Kellogg ran amongst the top five until, on lap 37, the right rear tire blew on his No. 99, ending a solid run. "We were good," he said. "I just blew the right rear."...
Fresh off a win Friday night at the relatively unknown Redline (Pa.) Raceway, Tom Gervasi joined the 358 Modified field, as did Alex Konopka, Ralph Henneforth and Tommy Greiner...
Keith Nonnemacher was in the pit area with Rick Raisner and Keith Fleming. Nonnemacher is hoping to increase the popularity of the Pauch/Tobias cars at Moc-A-Tek. He plays a major role in the design and promotion of the chassis...
Joey Grammes, the 358 Modified point leader entering the evening, got turned around on a lap 39 restart while running fifth. He went off on the hook and finished 17th...
358 Modified Feature Finish: Ed Strada, Jr., Dom Roselli, Carl Pittenger, Tommy Hager, Josh Beierle, Everett Haubrich, Don Hildebrant, Allen Shiffler, Ryan Taylor, Tom Gervasi, Barry White, Timmy Carter, Scott Frack, Tom Oleski, Alan Kellogg, Buddy Altemose, Joey Grammes, Gary Griffin, Joe Eisenhauer, Alex Konopka, Troy Weisenfluh, Ralph Henneforth, Mike Ricci, George Hildebrant.
Did Not Qualify: Tom Greiner, John Leiby, Jr., Tim Gutekunst, Tom Solderich, Bernie Kelly.
Sportsman Feature Finish: Joey Grammes, Ricky Rutt, Rick Raisner, Grant Hilfiger, Jesse Kline, Timmy Carter, Kevin Bates, Greg Morgan, Mike Van Tassel, Mike McClinton, Marie Knecht, Bob Reese, Bill Moyer, Dave Boyce, Chris Riddle, Archie Myers, John Leiby, Jr., Andy Stout, Ryan Olsommer, Ray Deemer, Rick Mill, Steve Kyzer, Mike McCollum, Craig Whitmoyer.
Did Not Qualify: Troy Moyer, Peach Cole.
250cc Micro Sprint Feature Finish: Eric Palmer, Ed Krupa, Rob Trafford, Pat Potter, Joe Smith, Tim Manieri, Chad Behler, Don Colaluce, Greg Stevens, Jared Shaw, Matt Mountz, Darrell Cobb, Frank Venezia, Marc Montalbano, Kevin Horton, Kevin Van Valkenburg, Mike Rasely, Kevin Nolf, Rich McKay, Rick Yetter, Marty Reinsmith, Stephanie Stevens, Joe Buchanan.
Pure Stock Feature Finish: Gary Schoch, Don Leeper, Mike Spinks, Frank Bush, Ralph Davis, Jim Balutis, Jay Martin, Jason Walsh, Allen Metzgar, Jon Walsh, Tony Garland, Ron Blake, Todd Buskirk.