Bachetti Spins and Wins Wild Accord 358-Modified Main, Charges From Dead Last To Triumph
By BRETT DEYO
ACCORD, NY - Andy Bachetti looked at the starting lineup, saw his number listed in the top five and thought his second win of the season might come easily.
Not the case.
When heavy contact on the opening lap sent Bachetti's Downes Racing No. 40 spinning, the Sheffield, Mass., driver began a tenacious drive from the rear of the 21-car field to win Friday night's rugged Bergin Equipment 30-lap 358-Modified feature at Accord Speedway.
Bachetti earned $1,500 for a triumph that had the packed house on its feet.
Rolling off fifth, Bachetti didn't complete a lap before trouble erupted on a heavy, choppy racing surface.
Front row starters Bobby Hentschel and Scott Ferrier hooked bumpers heading down the backstretch. When Hentschel broke loose, his car spun wildly in turn three. Bachetti got tagged and went around, collecting several other cars.
"I had a good feeling about tonight after the heat," said Bachetti, who has struggled at the Ulster County track in '05. "The car was decent all night.
"I got hit hard down there (in three) and spun out, but it did no damage to the car. I guess you could say we got lucky - imagine that."
Restarting from the rear, Bachetti began his march forward in the A&C Performance-powered Bicknell, while John Ferrier motored into the lead in search of his first Big A win.
Ferrier's first obstacle came on lap six during a red-flag situation for his brother Scott, who executed a gentle rollover in turn two. The leader's car needed several attempts at a push-start to fire back to life.
Dodging one bullet, Ferrier had to deal with Bachetti next.
Bachetti took fourth on the 10th circuit. He was third one lap later and slipped by Ryan Stortini for second with a well-timed move at the halfway point.
"Once they thinned out, we got going," the 29-year-old said of his ascent through traffic. "I slowed down and rolled around the bottom in three and four; that's how I gained a lot of ground."
Bachetti caught Ferrier on lap 17 and initiated a crowd-pleasing eight-lap battle for the top spot.
While Ferrier hugged the low line in turns one and two, Bachetti opted for the extreme outside. They swapped lanes each lap in turns three and four, as Bachetti pulled even with Ferrier right around the inside hub.
Ferrier repelled all challenges until lap 25 when Bachetti made the pass exiting turn four to take sole possession of the top spot.
"I watched the line he (Ferrier) was taking for a few laps," Bachetti said. "He got to the bottom in (turns) one and two, but he kept going to the top in (turns) three and four. That wasn't to his benefit.
"I rolled around under the ruts there and got him. It's nice to end the point season with a win, and to do it from last is big!"
Ferrier, 39, of Middletown, N.Y., remained in awe of Bachetti's performance well after the checkered flew.
"I'm amazed that he was able to pass me like that," said Ferrier, who drove a Teo-Pro car equipped with an Allen Mills-built Five Star Crankshaft engine. "I have to give him credit. It was a clean, hard race.
"I would have liked to get one here before the points ended. The car's been good here for a few weeks, but we've just had mechanical problems."
Poughkeepsie, N.Y.'s Ryan Stortini was third, with a returning Mike Ricci and Jimmy Johnson rounding out the top five.
Heat wins for the 27 358-Modifieds in attendance went to Tom Hindley, Bobby Hentschel and Bachetti. Phil Recchio topped the consolation.
Rich Ricci Jr. was an unspectacular 13th, but walked away with the 358-Modified title.
Howard Jarvis won the Aug. 26 Sportsman feature from the pole. This week, Jarvis proved he could be just as successful from the back, taking the 25-lap main in the final quarter-mile.
Jarvis authored a stirring drive after he was collected in a lap-six incident, running down first-time Accord Sportsman visitor Derrick McGrew, who had taken the lead on the seventh lap.
With the white flag flying, Jarvis ducked his PMC No. 3J inside McGrew in turn two, catching the inside wall and launching the car skyward. Unfazed, Jarvis drove hard into turn three, pulled the cross-over move and beat McGrew back to the line for his fourth '05 triumph.
McGrew settled for second, ahead of Jesse Marks, Whitey Slavin and Tom Tomasko.
Despite spinning on lap five, piling into an incident on the ensuing restart and heading to the infield with a right-front flat tire on lap nine, Jamie Yannone of Newburgh, N.Y., finished ninth (one lap down) and earned the Sportsman title by a single point.
Brett Graham scored his second straight Spec Sportsman feature victory in the 15-lap headliner. The 17-year-old Accord, N.Y., resident split Mike Senecal and Mike Van Tassel on the frontstretch with two laps remaining to snatch the lead. He bested Robbie Fairweather, '05 track champ Jeff Richardson, Al Archieri and Senecal.
Talented teenager John Guarino has won on the road this season with the Central New York Mini-Sprint Tour.
He got the job done before the local crowd on Friday night.
Starting ninth, Nanuet, N.Y.'s Guarino inherited the lead with five circuits remaining in the 20-lap contest when Skip Travis did a pirouette in turn four.
Guarino had erased a full straightaway advantage when Travis slowed, narrowly avoiding contact with a head's-up inside maneuver. Taking full advantage, Guarino raced on to the win over fellow young guns Clint Roehrs and Bubba Broderick. Ralph Utter Jr. and Jeremy Quick rounded out the top five.
John Roese of Schoharie, N.Y., earned his first '05 triumph in the 25-lap Pro Stock feature. Roese took the top spot on the 21st lap when Mike Manetta lost a drive shaft. Manetta had driven from 12th to take command before dropping off the pace.
Roese drove on to the win over 15-year-old Danny Tyler, who earned the championship in his rookie Pro Stock season. Tyler's father Doug Jr. and grandfather Doug Sr. were both Accord champions.
Bill Deak Sr., Chrissy Rider and Jerry Craig rounded out the top five.
Milan, N.Y.'s Mike Manetta topped the heldover 20-lap Pro Stock main event from Aug. 26, taking the lead on lap five. It was Manetta's third '05 victory. Bill Deak Sr., George Christiana, Danny Tyler and John Roese trailed.
Kevin Krusewski of Seymour, Conn., earned his first career victory in a time-shortened 10-lap Pure Stock main event. Krusewski came from 17th starting position to take the lead from Joe DiStefano on a lap-six restart, fending off Billy Rion for the breakthrough triumph.
Mike Deyo was third in a 1965 Oldsmobile borrowed from the Hager Bros. team. John Woinoski and Mike Sabia rounded out the top five.
Overcoming a flat tire on a sixth-lap caution, Easton, Conn.'s Sabia earned the Pure Stock championship.
Racing resumes at the Action Track on Sept. 16 as Bryant's Towing presents the "Run What You Brung" event paying $1,500-to-win, plus Pro Stocks, Pure Stocks and Demo Derbies for four and eight cylinder cars.
Gates open at 4:30 p.m., with hot laps at 6:30 p.m. and racing promptly at 7 p.m. For more information, contact the speedway office at (845) 626-3478 or visit the website: www.accordspeedway.com.
BIG A NOTES: It was a festive night at the Big A to kick off the Labor Day weekend. Race fans enjoyed a pre-race performance by the live band "Tragic Magic," fulfilled their appetite at a spare rib barbecue, took rides on a mechanical bull and viewed a gigantic fireworks display....
A Red Cross collection was taken to benefit the Hurricane Katrina victims on the Gulf Coast....
Car counts were 27 358-Modifieds, 26 Sportsman, six Spec Sportsman, 12 Pro Stocks, 21 Mini-Sprints and 20 Pro Stocks....
Tom Hindley lost the engine in his No. 17H after a dominant heat victory. The Fair Oaks, N.Y., driver jumped into Mel Schrufer's No. 84 for the feature and finished sixth despite racing with a flat left-front tire for half the distance....
John Ferrier said his car "flooded" during the red-flag period. "I shut the car off and it flooded, and I couldn't restart it. I've never had that problem before."....
Talk about luck: Jamie Yannone found a hairline crack in his right-rear hub hot laps. The crew scrambled to change it before the heats....
McGrew was on hand with the Parillo Services No. 17 Sportsman after he was "voted out" of the division at Albany-Saratoga (N.Y.) Speedway in a typically bizarre CVRA twist....
BERGIN EQUIPMENT RACE SUMMARY
358-Modified Feature Finish: ANDY BACHETTI, John Ferrier, Ryan Stortini, Mike Ricci, Jimmy Johnson, Hank Goranson, Tom Hindley, Dom Roselli, Rich Salisbury, Barry Davis, Jackie Brown Jr., Bill Papula, Rich Ricci Jr., Larry Hendershot, Larry Badaracco, Mark Pullen, Robbie Green, John McGill, Phil Recchio, Scott Ferrier, Bob Hentschel.
Did Not Qualify: Jason Tompkins, Mel Schrufer, John Sanders, Rick Mill, Bob Cancellieri, Mark Flach Jr.
358-Modified Track Champion: Rich Ricci Jr.
Sportsman Feature Finish: HOWARD JARVIS, Derrick McGrew, Jesse Marks, Whitey Slavin, Tom Tomasko, Dave Coene, Chad Hadlich, Chuck Thomaschek, Jamie Yannone, Jeff Geiges, Will Galm, John Sundlof, Keith Van Oyan, Nicole Tracy, Mike Ketcham, Ken Ferrier, Danny Creeden, John Lieto, David Bush, Steve Krom.
Did Not Qualify: Paul Minton, Ladd Yeomans, Lee Maulik, Greg Hocking, Joe Giachinta, Dave Harris.
Sportsman Track Champion: Jamie Yannone.
Spec Sportsman Feature Finish: BRETT GRAHAM, Robbie Fairweather, Jeff Richardson, Al Archieri, Mike Senecal, Mike Van Tassel.
Spec Sportsman Track Champion: Jeff Richardson.
Pro Stock Feature Finish: JOHN ROESE, Danny Tyler, Bill Deak Sr., Chrissy Rider, Jerry Craig, Scott Mill, George Christiana, Katie Nugent, Ray See Jr., Mike Manetta, James Devitt.
Did Not Start: Terry O'Brien.
Pro Stock Heldover Feature Finish (From Aug. 26): MIKE MANETTA, Bill Deak Sr., George Christiana, Danny Tyler, John Roese, Chrissy Rider, Jerry Craig, Katie Nugent, Scott Mill, James Devitt, Terry O'Brien.
Did Not Start: Al Cheney III.
Pro Stock Track Champion: Danny Tyler.
Mini-Sprint Feature Finish: JOHN GUARINO, Clint Roehrs, Bubba Broderick, Ralph Utter Jr., Jeremy Quick, John Lieto, Darrell Quackenbush, John Lodini, Jeff Van Steenburg, Brian Oliver, Kevin Horton, Paul Corazzo Sr., Mark Rogers, Kevin Kondelka, Brian Pomponio, Skip Travis, Paul Corazzo Jr.
Did Not Start: Sam Rogers Sr., Todd Lapp.
Mini-Sprint Track Champion: John Lieto
Pure Stock Feature Finish: KEVIN KRUSEWSKI, Billy Rion, Mike Deyo, John Woinoski, Mike Sabia, Kyle Wright, Bob Gibson, Ralph Ronk, Sharon Byrne, Paul Aragon Jr., Steven Kanuk, Tony Squicciarini, James DeCicco III, Mike DuBois, Joe DiStefano, Joe Judge, Jim O'Neil, Adam Douglas, Bill Deak Jr.
Did Not Start: Ed Howey.
Pure Stock Track Champion: Mike Sabia