Welcome Back J.R., Returning Heffner Scores At Accord; Yannone RoC Winner
By BRETT DEYO
ACCORD, NY - Welcome back, J.R. Heffner.
After three full seasons away from weekly competition at Accord Speedway, Heffner returned to Victory Lane Friday night in the Crackers Motorsports/Fabrications by Tauschman/Peak Racing Equipment open competition Modified headliner.
Making his second '05 start at the Big A, the Lebanon Valley (N.Y.) Speedway regular earned $1,500 for the triumph.
"It's just like riding a bicycle," smiled Heffner, a two-time big-block winner on the Lebanon Valley high banks this season. "I felt right at home."
The Averill Park, N.Y., native rolled off fifth in his Silly's Competition-powered Bicknell car equipped with sail panels, but he didn't immediately surge to the front.
Polesitter Tony Kawalchuk was the man to beat early on, taking the lead from the outset.
Kawalchuk persevered through several early restarts to maintain the top spot, while the race for second heated up behind him.
Jackie Brown Jr. muscled by Rick Mill for second on lap 10. Two circuits later, Heffner powered around Mill for third, switching grooves to the extreme outside of the Ulster County bullring.
"I was on the bottom going nowhere," Heffner said. "I was getting beat on down there. I said to myself 'I've gotta try something different' and I moved up.
"I could feel the right-rear (tire) dig in. I had it right on the floor."
At the halfway mark, it became a three-car fight between Kawalchuk, Brown and Heffner. The lead trio continued their battle until lap 20, when a backstretch tap on the back bumper from Heffner translated into a turn-three spin for Brown, bringing out the caution.
"I didn't get into Jackie entering the turn," Heffner explained. "I'm not that kind of driver. I got into his back bumper on the straightaway when he came across my left-front."
With Brown out of the mix, Heffner sized up the 17-year-old Kawalchuk, the winner of the 2003 Joe Winne Memorial Race as a Modified rookie.
Winding up his No. 74 following the race's final caution on lap 22, Heffner built enough momentum to take the lead on lap 25, driving by Kawalchuk up high at the exit of turn four.
"I got a rhythm going up there, watching him (Kawalchuk) the whole time," he said. "When we entered (the turn), I wanted him to know I was out there.
"He ran an excellent race. He gave me the room I needed."
Kawalchuk, of Accord, N.Y., held on for second in John Thew's No. 314 Teo-Pro car. For the teenager, it was only his second run with a new '04 DIRT-legal small-block Turco's Machine engine.
"This is one hell of a powerplant," Kawalchuk said. "We've got it together under the hood now.
"We used up the tires pretty good, and I think we had about 20 points too much gear. Once the car started going toward the wall out of (turn) four, I knew someone would get me. I could hear J.R. out there.
"I tried following him once he got by, but he got away."
South Canaan, Pa.'s Ed Strada Jr. rallied to third in his Wally Fiehl-powered No. 42. Strada charged hard from sixth position.
"That was fun right there," said a smiling Strada. "I had in my mind from the start I was going to the top. They all went to the bottom and it opened up for me after I got shuffled back in the beginning with Robbie Green and a couple other guys.
"If that one caution hadn't come out (on lap 22), I might've had J.R."
Robbie Green blasted forward in the final laps, finishing fourth after a lap-27 pass of Tom Hindley, who rounded out the top five.
Heat winners for the 23 Mods were Kawalchuk, Brett Graham and Rick Mill. Marc Johnson topped the consolation.
A racy track surface did the trick for Jamie Yannone in the Race of Champions Dirt Sportsman Tour event.
The '05 Accord champion rode the high line to a $1,000 victory in the 40-lap event, race number eight of the nine-race Tour. For Yannone, it marked his sixth Big A triumph of the season and a career-first on the RoC Tour.
"Man, I've got to thank (promoter) Gary Palmer for giving us a good track," an enthused Yannone said.
"These guys are tough. I knew if I was going to get them, I had to go to the top. There was a lot of track out there."
Starting second, the 25-year-old got shuffled back to fourth in the early circuits, as Derrick McGrew raced into the lead on the first lap with his Parillo Services No. 17.
McGrew proved to be a formidable opponent, holding the top spot through a slew of restarts and a red flag on lap eight for Howard Jarvis, who flipped his No. 3J on the frontstretch.
Moving his groove up on the tacky quarter-mile oval, Yannone came to life at the halfway point. He worked by Mike Ruggiero for second on lap 21. After four laps of nose-to-tail action, Yannone put his Moshier-powered Teo-Pro car into the lead on lap 25 exiting turn four.
With the exception of restarts on laps 28-30, Yannone cruised home unchallenged for the biggest win of his career.
Ballston Spa, N.Y.'s McGrew was second, ahead of Orange County (N.Y.) Fair Speedway regular Mike Ruggiero. Penn-Can (Pa.) Speedway/RoC Sportsman standout Shaun Walker of Masonville, N.Y., was fourth and Mike Ketcham was fifth.
Thirty-four Sportsman entered the event. Heat winners were Steve Krom, Dave Coene, Brad Grim and Jason Hamilton. Arnie Slade and Jeff Richardson split the consolations.
Doug Tyler Jr. of Cottekill, N.Y., was handed the Pro Stock victory after apparent victor Mike Sabia failed post-race tech inspection. Sabia, the '05 Pure Stock champ making the move up to the Pro Stock ranks, led all 20 circuits in just his second career start in the division.
However, officials found an illegal rear-end in Sabia's car, and he was disqualified. That handed the win to Tyler. Rob Rowe, John Roese, George Christiana and Chrissy Rider filled out the front five.
Teenager Clint Roehrs raced to his second win of the season in the Mini-Sprint 20-lapper.
New Paltz, N.Y.'s Roehrs started second, burst into the lead on the opening lap, and motored away from an intense battle for second between Peter Sindt and two-time winner John Guarino.
At the stripe, Roehrs scored the win over Sindt, Guarino, Jeremy Quick and James Tomlinson.
2004 champion Mike DuBois of Highland, N.Y., drove the former Joe Narok car to victory in the 15-lap Pure Stock nightcap. DuBois fended off Kyle Wright, who matched his career-best finish in second. James DeCicco III, Bill Rion and Paul Aragon Jr. were third through fifth, respectively.
High Falls, N.Y.'s Mike Brown topped the 15-lap Northeastern Vintage Dirt Modified Racing Club main, fending off ferocious charges from Howie Murphy and Jimmy Halpin.
Racing resumes at the Action Track on Sat., Oct. 8 with the "Run What You Brung" paying $1,500-to-win, plus Pro Stocks, Pure Stocks and Four and Eight Cylinder Demo Derbies. Gates open at 3 p.m., with racing at 5 p.m.
For more information, contact the speedway office at (845) 626-3478 or visit the website: www.accordspeedway.com.
BIG A NOTES: On a cold autumn night, 23 Modifieds, 34 RoC Sportsman, 10 Pro Stocks, 12 Mini-Sprints, 19 Pure Stocks and 17 Vintage Modifieds signed in for competition. A hearty crowd braved temperatures that dipped into the low 40s....
Teenager Brett Graham, a graduate of the Spec Sportsman class, made a statement by winning a heat in his Modified debut, but contact with the turn two wall on lap one of the feature spoiled his maiden voyage....
Pennsy standout Shawn Reimert made a rare Accord appearance with the No. 55 he campaigns at Central PA Speedway during the regular season....
Brown was disappointed following the spin with 10 laps remaining in the Mod main. The Hurley, N.Y., driver remains winless this season. "I couldn't catch it," he said....
Nice rebound for RoC Dirt Sportsman point leader Jason Hamilton, who was collected in a lap-one melee but raced methodically back to sixth in the 40-lapper....
Night sponsors Crackers Motorsports and Peak Racing Equipment went all out with giveaways for the racers, fans and kids in attendance....
CRACKERS MOTORSPORTS/PEAK RACING EQUIPMENT/FABRICATIONS BY TAUSCHMAN RACE SUMMARY
Modified Feature Finish: J.R. HEFFNER, Tony Kawalchuk, Ed Strada Jr., Robbie Green, Tom Hindley, Marc Johnson, Rick Mill, John McGill, Hank Goranson, Larry Hendershot, Ryan Stortini, Jackie Brown Jr., Mark Pullen, Scott Ferrier, Cass Bennett, David Bush, Shawn Reimert, Brett Graham, Joe Barbagallo Jr.
Did Not Start: Mel Schrufer.
Did Not Qualify: Jeff Heotzler Jr., Phil Recchio, Bernie Kelly.
Race of Champions Dirt Sportsman Tour Event No. 8 Finish: JAMIE YANNONE, Derrick McGrew, Mike Ruggiero, Shaun Walker, Mike Ketcham, Jason Hamilton, Whitey Slavin, Arnie Slade, Danny Creeden, Kyle Weiss, Jeff Geiges, Craig Whitmoyer, Shane Jablonka, Jesse Marks, Jeff Richardson, Chris Grispin, Steve Kyzer, Steve Krom, Frank Doty, Chad Hadlick, Dave Coene, Brad Grim, Danny Tyler, Howard Jarvis.
Did Not Qualify: Ken Ferrier, David Towns, Lee Maulik, Keith Van Oyan, Mike Van Tassel, Joe Giachinta, John Sundlof, Jeff Hager, Andy Miller, Dusty Jagger.
Pro Stock Feature Finish: DOUG TYLER JR., Rob Rowe, John Roese, George Christiana, Chrissy Rider, Mike Dutka, Ray See Jr., Scott Mill, Jason Shuart, Jim Sykes.
Disqualified: Mike Sabia.
Mini-Sprint Feature Finish: CLINT ROEHRS, Peter Sindt, John Guarino, Jeremy Quick, James Tomlinson, Jeff Van Steenburg, Will Casazza, John Parete, Darrell Quackenbush, Kevin Kondelka, Gary Reyer, Mark Rogers.
Pure Stock Feature Finish: MIKE DUBOIS, Kyle Wright, James DeCicco III, Bill Rion, Paul Aragon Jr., Kevin Krusewski, Tom Byrne, Bob Gibson, Tony Squicciarini, Kevin Winters, Scott Ackerley, John Woinoski, John Hager, Tony Polemeni, Joe Kasulis, Chris Kanuk, Scott Hornbeck, Ed Haley, Ralph Ronk.
Northeastern Vintage Dirt Modified Racing Club Feature Finish: MIKE BROWN, Jimmy Halpin, Howie Murphy, Mike Murphy, Rob Rowe, Rob Casti, Ray See Sr., Mike Kehr, Jerry Van Tassel, John Vogt, Pete Gardner, Jim Bush Jr., Don Johnson Jr., Pat Murphy, Burt Irwin Jr.
Did Not Start: Don Johnson Sr., Paul DeMott.