Higbie breaks through with Modified win on Upstate Auto Night
By FRANK CATIZONE Accord Speedway Media 5/19/2013
ACCORD, NY – Jerry Higbie has been racing through some rough times during the past few seasons at the Accord Speedway.
Higbie, a former Modified track champion and winner of the 2009 King of the Catskills championship held here annually in September, has only managed one victory the past two years and his 2013 racing campaign was off to another rocky start.
However, Higbie, taking advantage of a front row starting spot, put an end to his recent string of bad luck last Friday night as he led the entire 30-lap distance to capture the All American Ford Modified main event during Upstate Auto Night. It was the veteran driver’s first visit to the Lucas Oil Victory Lane at the Ulster County bullring since Sept. 16, 2011.
Higbie, who was driving the New York Truck Parts owned No. 55 Modified, was the class of the 15-car starting field as he took the checkered flag more than two seconds ahead of reigning track champion Andy Bachetti, who was also seeking his first win this year.
Bachetti, who dominated racing here in 2012 with 11 Modified wins, has also been plagued with bad luck so far this season. The Sheffield, MA., driver, after leading so many laps a week ago, lost a potential win to Jeff Heotzler Sr. when his car had a right rear tire go soft in the latter stages. He managed to cross the finish line in third place.
But Bachetti would be no match for Higbie in this event. Higbie blasted into first place at the drop of the initial green flag and stretched out his margin with each passing lap as the event was run caution free. The more intense racing was contested behind Higbie and Bachetti.
Heotzler, after battling with Danny Creeeden for several laps, backed up last week’s victory with a third-place effort, while Creeden, Jackie Brown Jr., Tommy Meier, Danny Tyler, Danny Johnson, Billy VanInwegen and Ken Boniface Jr. rounded out the top 10.
Johnson, who has enjoyed much success in previous visits to the quarter-mile banked oval, was making his 2013 debut at the track. “The Doctor’’ was behind the wheel of the No. 27J, owned by Lee Shultz of Holmes.
Richie Eurich, who had an impressive drive in winning his qualifying heat, scratched his own car for the feature and drove Creeden’s No. 16X back-up car. Eurich was scheduled to start on the pole, but was forced to the rear because of the car change.
In the Escape RV Sportsman division, Anthony Perrego picked up a controversial victory in the feature after dragging Vinnie DeCicco across the finish line. The drivers’ cars hooked together while racing down the homestretch.
DeCicco, who blasted ahead of Randy Green down the homestretch to complete four laps, looked well en route to his first win this season until a caution came out with 15 laps completed. DeCicco’s big cushion evaporated and Green was right back on his tail.
But DeCicco was able to begin stretching his lead again when racing resumed. Perrego, meanwhile, was making his presence known as he cracked the top five, moved ahead of Dave Werber, Tom Johnson and Green, and was sitting behind DeCicco when Dave Coene’s spin halted racing with 23 laps completed.
Perrego found an opening while racing into the third turn following the restart and dove inside of DeCicco to grab first place. However, the two drivers’ cars hooked together while racing off the fourth turn and Perrego pulled DeCicco across the finish line as the checkered flag was displayed after 24 laps were completed.
After a meeting involving track officials and scorers, Perrego was awarded his first win of the season with DeCicco finishing in second place, Green, Tyler Dippel and Tom Johnson rounded out the top five.
The Healey Brothers Spec Sportsman class had Mike DuBois pick up his first victory this season in the 20-lap feature. He finished ahead of Joe Judge, Ed Dachenhausen, Mike Traver and Rich Ricci III.
DuBois, who picked up his last Accord win on Sept. 7, 2012, wrestled the lead away from Nick Plumstead following a third-lap restart and never trailed again as he was able to hold of Judge by 0.483 seconds at the finish.
In the Ruge’s GM Parts Center Pro Stock division, Tom Vasta notched his first win at Accord this decade. Vasta wrestled the lead away from Paul Aragon Jr. on the backstretch of the 15th lap and then went on to capture the 20-lap main event.
Aragon, who was also seeking his first win, led for most of the race after grabbing first place away from Ralph Ronk on the second lap. But Vasta was able to chase down Aragon as the race progressed before making his winning move.
John Roese also passed Aragon to finish in second place. Aragon, Ronk and Paul Maiolo rounded out the top five.
The Arkel Motors Pure Stock division had Nick Johnson record back-to-back victories for the second time of his young racing career. He took the 15-lap feature ahead of Kevin Skelly, John Woinoski, Ray Tarantino and Ant Marguglio.
Nick Johnson, who opened the 2012 season with the first two wins of his Accord career, grabbed first place from Woinoski on the ninth lap and never looked back. Skelly made some late-race passes to finish in second, but never challenged Nick Johnson for the win.
The Want Ad Digest Fifreball Four-Cylinder class was highlighted by Matt Curry’s second straight triumph of the season. He finished the Fireball Four-Cylinder 15-lap feature ahead of George Zeininger, Shawn Maloney, Kayla Curry and Johnny Bankich.