Accord, NY- Accord Speedway Names 2016 Champions To Highlight Spectacular First Responders Night
By: Steve Pados, Accord Speedway Media
The unseasonable hot and humid weather in the Catskills Mountains of New York State provided the backdrop for a great Friday evening as the Accord Speedway presented it's "Night of Champions" to a large enthusiastic crowd on hand for the event. Most track champions were crowned in the final evening of points at the speedway for the 2016 racing season. The co-sponsored event by Taylor Rental and Handsome Devil BBQ brought out a nice field of drivers and racing equipment as the event served a dual purpose for those drivers who will be entering the spectacular "King of the Catskills" events scheduled for Friday, September 16th. With four titles left to be decided coming into the evening of events, when the final checkered flag fell from starter Steve Otten, new champions were crowned for the 2016 racing season. C&J Self Storage was the Checkered flag bonus sponsor.
Heading up the list of champions is "The Montgomery Missile" Anthony Perrego who enjoyed a great 2016 season and finished with a late season charge in the United Pump and Tank Modified division to claim the title in a tight battle against "Iron" Mike Ricci, who was a close second in the final standings. "Jammin" Jimmy Wells captured ten wins during the season on his way to his Accord title in the Healey Brothers Group Sportsmen division. "The Young Outlaw" Jesse James Bartleson put his stamp onto the speedway title in the Ruge's Performance Center NEWS Sprint Car division. Bob Sleight raced hard all season in the hotly contested Arkel Motors Pure Stock division to earn his first driving title at Accord. "The Hurricane" Hunter Lapp enjoyed a break-out season with nine wins to capture the WRWD Radio Junior Slingshot title. Samantha Muller captured eight feature wins during the season to capture the Want AD Digest All Star Slingshot title at the speedway. The Rookie Sportsman title race and final points are under review as of this writing.
The racing action during the evening was hot and heavy on the speedway with some of the track titles on the line. Anthony Perrego was fast and furious in his pursuit of the driving title at Accord and put all of the pieces together to dominate the racing action and claim his third feature win at Accord in the Modified division and insure himself of the championship. Joey Bruning had a fast set of wheels under him as he claimed his first win of the season in the Sportsman finale. Bob Sleight knew what he had to do coming into the final event and went out and did it as he won his fourth feature at Accord in the Pure Stock headliner. Heidi Hedin made her long trip worthwhile as she dominated the action to win her third feature of the season in Sprint Car action. "The Bloomingburg Bullet" Taylor Mills used a late charge to capture his first career win of the season in the All Star Slingshot division National Tour event. Hunter Lapp left no doubt in his run for the title as he captured Junior Slingshot National Tour title feature event with a wire to wire triumph.
The United Pump and Tank Modified division title was on the line as the 30-lap event unfolded. "The Ice Man" Dom Roselli took advantage of a front row starting spot to blast out front at the drop of the green flag and led through the first fourteen laps of the event. Anthony Perrego started from eleventh position, found some early seams on the raceway to slip past those in front of him and began reeling in Roselli using the upper reaches of the speedway. Perrego took over command of the race on lap fifteen and led the remaining laps to claim the track title and the win. Danny Creeden finished a solid second with Mike Ricci third, Donnie Elliott fourth and Brad Rothaupt completing the top five. Heading up the second five were Jesse Marks, Ed Dachenhausen, the returning Bobby Hentschel, Mark Pullen and New Jersey's "Iron" Mike Butler.
The Ruge's Performance Center NEWS Sprint Car feature found Heidi Hedin grabbing the lead at the start of event. Hedin was all business as she opened up a sizeable lead through the first half of the race. Jesse James Bartleson found a faster line around the speedway and began to reel in the field, first slipping past Eric Jennings for the runner-up slot and then setting sail for the leader Hedin. As the checkered flag waved the leaders were running nose to tail with Hedin capturing her third win of the season and Bartleson in second and claiming the track title. Zach Mead was third with Jennings fourth and Andrew Davis completing the field.
The Arkel Motors Pure Stock finale proved to be an entertaining event as Gary Ronk led the first three laps before yielding to Steve Williams. Williams would lead for two laps before Bob Sleight found the needed room to slip past him and drive away to victory and the track title. Williams was second and was also second in the final points. Ray Tarantino was third with Livy Johnson and Travis Brockner completing the top five. Chris Kanuk, Austin Smith, Harry Bachman and newcomer Gary White completed the field.
Nick Plumstead raced into the lead at the start of the Sportsman feature and led two laps before giving way to Joey Bruning. Bruning, who just recently returned to competition at the speedway, was quick as he ripped off some 13.6 second laps to step away from the field. A couple of restarts would bring the field back together and on each restart Bruning would re-establish himself in front of the field. Jimmy Wells broke through late in the race to take up the chase but the evening belonged to Bruning as he raced across the line to capture the victory. Wells would finish second with Brandon McGill third, Connor Otten fourth after starting fifteenth and Milton Mann completed the top five. The second five was headed up by the returning Tyler Johnston, Phil Goetchius, Ralph Ronk, newcomer Jim Introne and the returning Mike Senecal.
Tyler Peet grabbed the lead at the start of the All Star Slingshot feature and led the first lap before yielding to Dylan Hoch. Hoch, the reigning national champion, would lead through lap four until a scramble would send some cars to the sideline including Hoch. Anthony Raisner seized the lead on the restart and would lead through lap sixteen. Taylor Mills started fourteenth in the feature and soon found himself searching for the move that would maneuver him around Raisner. Mills found the hot spot on lap seventeen and would grab up the lead for the remaining three laps to claim his first career win at Accord and his first National Tour victory. Raisner was second with Alex Yankowski hustling hard to finish third while Joe Toth and Seth Spayd would complete the top five, Marty Kelly, Samantha Muller, Bryce Cherko and Brett Putnam completed the field.
Hunter Lapp used his outside pole position start to grab the lead at the start of the Junior Slingshot Tour feature with Jared Silfee close behind. Lapp would fight off the advances of Silfee through the early portion of the event to hold the rest of the field at bay. Silfee remained close to Lapp and as the leaders got into slower traffic, the leaders were once again nose to tail. Hunter Lapp made the most of the so-called home track advantage and would run a perfect race to capture the tour event with Silfee second in an outstanding performance by both drivers. Jake Mason finished third with Michael Corbin fourth and John Kendall completing the top five, making four out of the top five Accord Speedway regulars. Heading up the second five were Cole Stangle, Kyle Smith, Tanner Jones, Gavin Santee and Nico Flammer.
GEMSTONES:
Under the tutelage of Promoter Gary Palmer, the talented roster of drivers tested the many racing channels of the speedway throughout the evening in preparation for the blockbuster "King of the Catskills" spectacular coming up this week and sponsored by Insinger Fuels. The speedway was in good form with a tip of the fedora is in order going out to the hard working Accord Speedway Promoters Gary and Donna Palmer.
The speedway took a long intermission session to pay tribute to all of the First Responders who work so diligently to keep our home security safe. Headed up by Jim Zelinski and the Ulster County Sherrif's Department, close to forty pieces of equipment came out onto the speedway in darkness and hoisted a 70 foot US Flag through the use of ladder trucks and at the designated moment all lights came on and put up an amazing display that covered the speedway and the entire infield area. Many thanks are in order to all of those who played a part in putting the spectacular event together. DVD Copies of the entire salute to the First Responders are available through Videographer Tom Czaban and can be ordered by phone at: 518-250-0001.
"Uncle Mike" Hansen from WRWD Radio was back on board last evening with the WRWD Radio show truck and once again joined announcers Steve Pados and Tim Adams in the tower. Mike thanked promoters Gary and Donna Palmer for their hospitality as he thoroughly enjoys the hot racing action taking place on the speedway.
Donna Kessler, who pens the "My Ride" column in the Times Herald Record and the Pocono Record, enjoyed a visit to the speedway last evening and interviewed with Steve Pados regarding the great racing action taking place on the speedway.
Heat race action in the Modifieds found Mike Ricci, Dom Roselli and Ed Dachenhausen capturing victories. Nick Johnson and Joey Bruning scored heat wins in the Sportsman action. The Pure Stock heats went to Steve Williams and Travis Brockner. Eric Jennings captured the Sprint Car heat win. A dual heat format was utilized for the Slingshot Touring events and claiming wins were Jared Silfee and Hunter Lapp in Round one and Jared Silfee and Jake Mason in Round Two of the Junior Slingshot heats. All Star Slingshot heats were captured by Anthony Raisner, Dylan Hoch and Cody Kline in Round One and Tyler Peet, Alex Yankowski and Chris Kurtz in Round Two.
Newcomers and new cars continue to arrive at the speedway as the Friday show acted as a prelude to the mighty "King of the Catskills" weekend coming up this week. Bobby Hentschel, Ed Burgess, Mark Bishop and Ira Landrum added to the growing roster of Modified combatants at Accord. Mike Butler made the trip up from New Jersey and found his way into the top ten in the Modified main. Gary White, in a second Bachman ride, was a new addition to the Pure Stock ranks. Jim Introne, who is a regular at the Devils Bowl Speedway visited the speedway and a new racer car for Tyler Johnston headed up the new cars in Sportsman ranks that also included former regulars Mike Senecal and Brad Cicio.
The invading stars from the Slingshot ranks were well represented with Cole Stangle and Tanner Jones representing New Jersey and Jared Silfee, Kyle Smith, Gavin Santee, Nico Flammer representing the Keystone State and Tyler Banks from New York in the Junior ranks. The All Star Slingshots found newcomers Taylor Mills, Joe Toth, Seth Spayd, Dylan Hoch, Cody Kline, Chris Kurtz, Austin Silfee, Tyler Peet, Henry Anderson and Brayden Schoch making appearances at the speedway. Past winners in years past at Accord, Anthony Raisner and Alex Yankowski were also part of the mix of Slingshots. The Dunkin Donuts contingent of Brian Tobey, Jim Pollard and Bryce Cherko were on board with Cherko leading the Empire Region Points by a slim margin over Vermont's Marty Kelly. Kelly joined Steve Pados in the booth to announce the Modified feature and did his always good job. Jordan Lawrence and Dan Malley were part of the New York drivers in attendance with Malley suffering problems early on in the evening.
Former two time track champion "The Bushkill Bullet" Kyle Rohner was in the pit area last night assisting Anthony Perrego and will be competing in the upcoming King of the Catskills events this coming week. Rohner recently added a Five Mile track title to his racing resume.
RESULTS:
United Pump & Tank Modifieds: Anthony Perrego, Danny Creeden, Mike Ricci, Donnie Elliott, Brad Rothaupt, Jesse Marks, Ed Dachenhausen, Bobby Hentschel, Mark Pullen, Mike Butler, Scott Ferrier, Dom Roselli, Ed Burgess, Joe Judge, Mark Bishop, Ira Landrum, Brett Graham, Corey Lowitt, Danny Tyler, Richie Eurich, Ray See Jr, Ken Ferrier (Anthony Perrego Track Champion)
Healey Brothers Group Sportsman: Joey Bruning, Jimmy Wells, Brandon McGill, Connor Otten, Milton Mann, Tyler Johnston, Phil Goetchius, Ralph Ronk, Jim Introne, Mike Senecal, Brad Cicio, Nick Johnson, Nick Plumstead, Dave Demorest, Winter Mead (DNS) (Jimmy Wells Track Champion)
Ruge's Performance Center NEWS Sprint Cars: Heidi Hedin, Jesse James Bartleson, Zach Mead, Eric Jennings, Andrew Davis (Jesse James Bartleson Track Champion)
Arkel Motors Pure Stocks: Bob Sleight, Steve Williams, Ray Tarantino, Livy Johnson, Travis Brockner, Chris Kanuk, Austin Smith, Harry Bachman, Gary White, Austin Smith, Gary Ronk, Scott McCarthy (Bob Sleight Track Champion)
Ruges Parts Center Rookie Crate Sportsman: Race is Under Review
Want Ad Digest All Star Slingshots: (National Tour) Taylor Mills, Anthony Raisner, Alex Yankowski, Joe Toth, Seth Spayd, Marty Kelly, Samantha Muller, Bryce Cherko, Brett Putnam, Alan Kober, Jordan Lawrence, Dylan Hoch, Cody Kline, Henry Anderson, Brian Tobey, Tyler Peet, Austin Silfee, Jim Pollard, Chris Kurtz (Samantha Muller Track Champion)
WRWD Radio Junior Slingshots: (National Tour) Hunter Lapp, Jared Silfee, Jake Mason, Michael Corbin, John Kendall, Cole Stangle, Kyle Smith, Tanner Jones, Gavin Santee, Nico Flammer, Jaden Sleight, Tyler Banks, Ashton DeWitt (Hunter Lapp Track Champion)