Tanner Goes From Zero To Hero Wednesday At New Egypt
New Egypt, NJ (July 2) – Last Saturday night at New Egypt Speedway, Tim Tanner Jr. was being attended to by EMTs, bruised and banged up after a violent frontstretch crash completely wiped out the right side of his #18 Modified. The serious setback didn’t daunt the 28-year-old from Ivyland, PA, for a minute: In Wednesday’s special “Spring Drizzle, Summer Sizzle” make-up event, Tanner took a back-up car straight to the winner’s circle for the first time this year.
“We really needed that. It makes all the pain go away, that’s for sure,” said Tanner, after his zero-to-hero transformation. “This win’s for my wife Jody, who’s home sick, and for my friend, Gabe, who’s cleaning up the mess in Iraq. They both sure would’ve liked to be here for this.”
Tanner had it all his way in the 30-lap Modified feature, jumping out front on the initial green and setting the pace for the duration. But behind him, all hell was breaking loose: G.R. Smith, Ryan Godown and Frank Cozze spent most of the race running under a handkerchief for second, with G.R. making his own lane so high he was practically navigating Route 539 traffic. Smith was an absolute maniac, making moves on Godown and Cozze that’d leave lesser men weak, whipping it around at the tippy-top of the track, over the cushion, on the cushion and wheels up against it. While Tanner cruised, Smith was the show. Tanner came in for his fourth career win, worth $2,500, while G.R. Smith claimed a hard-fought and dramatic second. Current division point leader Frank Cozze, Ryan Godown and Donny Radd completed the top five.
It was a doubleheader for the Super Stocks, with Saturday’s held-over main event up first. In the initial race, Rob Ormsbee of Wall, NJ, overtook a rapid-running Ralph Gargiulo at the halfway mark and sailed on to score his second of the season. Billy Bauer, division point leader Pat Conaway and Kim Cooke trailed Ormsbee and Gargiulo at the line.
Gargiulo got his revenge in the Super Stock nightcap, leading the entire caution-free 15-lap distance, for his first win since April 2002. Pat Conaway padded his point lead with a second-place finish, followed by Spider Ensinger, Al Cheney III and Robert Melton.
The Metal Fab Lightning Lap Awards for fastest lap in a feature event were won by G.R. Smith (Mods, 18.678), Rob Ormsbee (Super Stock, 19.649) and Pat Conaway (Super Stock, 20.597).
A roster of 51 Modifieds and 43 Super Stocks made the call for this added Wednesday date, one of a series of midweek make-up dates. The next event in the “Spring Drizzle, Summer Sizzle” series will be Wednesday, July 16.
This Saturday, July 5, Mid-State Communications presents Grand Slam Little League Night at New Egypt Speedway, with all Little Leaguers in uniform admitted free. A rain-out bonus special: Cream Ridge Golf Club’s Senior Masters Challenge for dads of drivers. Big-block Mods, Sportsman, Super Stocks and SS Sprints are on the racing card. Gates open at 3:45 pm, with first race at 5:45. Adult admission is $15, children 7-12 are $5, and kids 6 and under are free. For more information, call the speedway office at (609) 758-1900.
7/2/03
MODIFIED RESULTS
Heat 1: 1.Mark Bitner 2.Keith Hoffman 3.Stan Ploski III 4.Doug Hoffman 5.Ron John Koczon
Heat 2: 1.G.R. Smith 2.Ryan Godown 3.Billy Pauch 4.Tad Cox 5.Ricky Elliot
Heat 3: 1.Tim Tanner Jr. 2.Frank Cozze 3.Bucky Kell 4.Jimmy Chester 5.Matt Papiez
Heat 4: 1.Fred Dmuchowski 2.Darren McCaughey 3.Mike Hendershot 4.Donny Radd 5.Rick Grosso
B Main 1: 1.Bob Worthington 2.Sam Martz 3.Jimmy Reppert 4.Rich Scagliotta 5.John Dixon 6.David VanHorn
B Main 2: 1.Gary Hager 2.Rick Laubach 3.Pete Telesco 4.Eddie Bohn 5.Gary Velenger 6.John Pakenham
Feature: 1.Tim Tanner Jr. 2.G.R. Smith 3.Frank Cozze 4.Ryan Godown 5.Donny Radd 6.Doug Hoffman 7.Tad Cox 8.Darren McCaughey 9.Rick Grosso 10.Ricky Elliot 11.Mike Hendershot 12.Sam Martz 13.Billy Pauch 14.Bucky Kell 15.Bob Worthington 16.Scott VanGorder 17.Gary Hager 18.Ron John Koczon 19.Stan Ploski III 20.Jimmy Chester 21.Jimmy Reppert 22.Keith Hoffman 23.Matt Papiez 24.Mark Bitner 25.Rick Laubach
DNQ: Doug Liedl, Bruce Plenick, Mike McAleer, Joey Tinnes Jr., Scott VanGorder, Eddie Cranmer, Phil McCloughan, Phil Meisner, Sr., Mike Lyons, Kenny Brightbill, Art Liedl, Gene Stravinsky, Mike Reutter Jr., John Miloszar Jr., Mark Tranquilli, Barry Laird, Rich Acolia, Dominick Buffalino, Dave Wisniewski
SUPER STOCK RESULTS
Heat 1:1.Conaway 2.Ormsbee 3.Gargiulo 4.Quinlan 5.Ensinger 6.Melton
Heat 2: 1.Cheney III 2.Cooke 3.Pfeil 4.Saredy 5.Search 6.Fleming
Heat 3: 1.Bauer 2.Roveda 3.Reed 4.Infante 5.Guyer 6.Whitehouse
B Main: 1.Marra Jr. 2.Bubeck 3.Bifulco 4.Miscoski 5.Garey 6.Dorry Jr. (Pts. Prov: George Idell Jr.)
Feature 1: 1.Rob Ormsbee 2.Ralph Gargiulo 3.Billy Bauer 4.Pat Conaway 5.Kim Cooke 6.George Quinlan 7.Spider Ensinger 8.Robert Melton 9.Paul Marra Jr 10.Bryan Reed 11.Al Cheney III 12.Bill Liedtka 13.George Idell Sr. 14.Bill Miscoski 15.Kenny Guyer 16.Matt Kall 17.Jason Saredy 18.Ron Coverly 19.Jon Hewitt 20.Wayne Pfeil 21.Rocco Infante 22.Stan Janiszewski 23.Carol Whitehouse 24.Clyde Cox 25.Jake Roveda
Feature 2: 1.Ralph Gargiulo 2.Pat Conaway 3.Spider Ensinger 4.Al Cheney III 5.Robert Melton 6.Wayne Pfeil 7.George Quinlan 8.Rocco Infante 9.Billy Bauer 10.Jake Roveda 11.Carol Whitehouse 12.Kory Fleming 13.Jason Saredy 14.Bryan Reed 15.Kenny Guyer 16.Bill Miscoski 17.Kim Cooke 18.Mick Search 19.Paul Marra Jr 20.Frank Dorry 21.Larry Bubeck 22.Joe Garey 23.George Idell Jr. 24.Rob Ormsbee 25.Kevin Bifulco
DNQ: Ron Coverly, Bill Liedtka, Rich McTighe, Greg Schmidt, Don Shipley, Chip Grant, Wayne Asay, Tom Lainhart, Al Boytis, Clyde Cox III, Tom Durko, Norm Saxton, Hilton Buckalew, George Idell Sr., Matt Kall, Stan Janiszewski, Ron Barnstead, Jon Hewitt