Ricci's Last-To-First Run Yields Ninth Accord Speedway Title
By BRETT DEYO
ACCORD, NY - Rich Ricci Jr. may want to give up heat races altogether.
Snaring the final transfer spot in the consolation, Ricci battled from 20th starting position to win Friday night's Mid-Hudson Concrete 30-lap 358-Modified feature at Accord Speedway.
In the process, the second-generation driver clinched his ninth track championship with one point event remaining.
The New Paltz, N.Y., native earned $1,500 for his second last-to-first performance this season.
"I like it last," an enthused Ricci said while celebrating in the pit area. "That was a battle tonight. It wasn't a 'gimme.'"
Ricci struggled royally in qualifying action, finishing dead last in his heat before making the cut - barely - in the consolation.
"We got here tonight and the track was totally different," Ricci reflected. "It was slippery. We came in after the heat and changed tires, stagger and gears. Me and (his father/crew chief) 'Papa Rich' put our heads together.
"We picked 'em off in the consi and I knew we had the set-up."
Numerous tangles in the opening laps aided Ricci's ascent. By lap two, the 39-year-old was up to ninth in his Precision-powered Dirt Wheels mount, while polesitter Larry Badaracco set a torrid pace out front.
Ricci cracked the top five by lap seven. Keeping the car perched precariously in the upper groove against the boilerplate, Ricci picked off cars handily, sweeping around Jimmy Johnson for second at the halfway point.
Badaracco was next on his list.
Reeling in the Danbury, Conn., veteran with ease, Ricci pulled even with Badaracco entering turn one on the 18th circuit and surged ahead in the third turn.
"They (the top four cars) were all hugging the bottom," Ricci said.
"I could run the middle in (turns) one and two and the top in (turns) three and four. I watched them all run right around the barrier, and they were all holding their line.
"I raced with that 17L (Badaracco) once before this year. He stayed on the bottom and raced me clean. I'll race with him anytime."
Jimmy Johnson took second on lap 27 with an inside pass of Badaracco, but had little for Ricci, who pulled out to a straightaway advantage en route to his sixth Accord triumph of '05.
The 46-year-old Johnson, of Bloomingburg, N.Y., bounced back from an uncharacteristic DNQ one week earlier to post a runner-up effort in his Bicknell No. 77, equipped with a Steve Canfield-owned Precision engine.
"I was slowing the car down (later in the race)," Johnson said. "I knew if I could get the 17L (Badaracco) out of the groove and get a wheel under him, there was no bite on the outside and I could get him.
"Eventually, I got under him. If I had a half-inch less stagger I could have gotten him way earlier."
Did Johnson feel he had anything for Ricci?
"No," he said bluntly. "He's the nine-time champion. He's got this place figured out."
Wallkill, N.Y.'s Robbie Green finished third, his best effort since returning to Accord midway through 2005. Badaracco and Tom Hindley rounded out the top five.
Twenty-seven 358-Modifieds signed into the pit area. Heat winners were Scott Ferrier, Andy Bachetti and Bobby Hentschel. Jackie Brown Jr. took consolation laurels.
Howard Jarvis capitalized on a prime starting position to win his third Sportsman feature of the season.
Wheeling his PMC-chassied No. 3J from the pole, Accord, N.Y.'s Jarvis aced a slew of restarts to fend off a determined Ladd Yeomans, who wouldn't let Jarvis far from his sights.
"It's unfortunate that we've had three straight DNFs," Jarvis said. "But starting up front was a plus for us tonight."
Yeomans settled for second, ahead of Jesse Marks, Danny Creeden and Dave Coene, who snatched fifth on the final lap.
Seventeen-year-old Brett Graham of Accord, N.Y., notched his first win in the 15-lap Spec Sportsman feature event.
Moving from the Quad ranks to run stock cars as a rookie this season, Graham raced from third to take the lead on lap four and motored away in his No. 76 Teo-Pro car to score the breakthrough triumph over Mike Van Tassel, Doug Tyler Jr., Jeff Richardson and D.J. Brooks.
Veteran George Christiana of Accord, N.Y., returned to Victory Lane for the first time since Nov. 30, 2002 in the heldover 20-lap Pro Stock feature from Aug. 26. Christiana repelled the late-race advances of Mike Manetta and survived a lap-17 restart for the popular win. Manetta, Jerry Craig, John Roese and Danny Tyler filled out the front five.
The regularly-scheduled Pro Stock 20-lapper fell to the 11:30 p.m. curfew. It will be run on Sept. 2. Jerry Craig and Mike Manetta won the heat races.
Good fortune played into the hands of Paul Corazzo Jr. in the 15-lap Mini-Sprint feature.
Starting 12th, the Rocky Hill, Conn., native avoided a multi-car incident that resulted from contact between front-row starters Ralph Utter Jr. and Clint Roehrs on a lap-eight restart.
Utter and Roehrs both flipped wildly on the frontstretch, collecting several other competitors, while Corazzo squeaked through to hold the lead following the red-flag period.
John Guarino turned up the wick in the waning laps, but it was to no avail. Corazzo earned his first Big A win in only his third start of the season at the quarter-mile oval.
Guarino posted his fifth runner-up finish of '05, besting John Lieto, Paul Corazzo Sr. and Darrell Quackenbush in the double-points main.
James DeCicco III was a first-time winner in the 15-lap Pure Stock main. The Kingston, N.Y., rookie nudged Kyle Wright aside entering turn one on lap eight to take the lead and held off all challenges to score the upset win.
Wright held on for a career-best second, ahead of Joe DiStefano, Billy Rion and Bob Gibson. Apparent third-place finisher Adam Douglas was disqualified for an illegal carburetor.
Robby Casti of Mahopac, N.Y., fended off the fierce challenges of Ray See Sr. to win the Northeastern Vintage Dirt Modified Racing Club 15-lapper. Burt Irwin Jr., Jimmy Halpin and Mike Brown finished third through fifth, respectively.
Racing resumes on Fri., Sept. 2 with the final night of points competition, featuring the 358-Modifieds, Sportsman, Spec Sportsman, Mini-Sprints, Pro Stocks and Pure Stocks sponsored by Bergin Equipment. There will be something for everyone, including a fireworks extravaganza, mechanical bull rides, a performance by the live band "Tragic Magic" and a spare rib barbecue. The Pro Stocks will also compete in the Aug. 26 heldover feature offering double points.
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 check out the website: www.accordspeedway.com .
BIG A NOTES: The pit area was jammed with 141 racecars: 27 358-Modifieds, 26 Sportsman, eight Spec Sportsman, 30 Mini-Sprints, 14 Pro Stocks, 21 Pure Stocks and 15 Vintage Modifieds....
With the pressure of points chasing gone, will Ricci change his strategy entering the Sept. 2 program? "We come to win no matter what," he said, adding, "It's nice to have that behind us."....
Ricci's two primary adversaries in the championship hunt encountered problems.
Jackie Brown Jr. piled into a lap-one tangle, managed to race back to seventh despite a broken birdcage and a busted frame mount for the steering box. ("I had the steering box on my lap," Brown said.)
But Brown ultimately slowed with a right-rear flat on lap three caused by his Teo-Pro car's rear-end shifting.
Simultaneously, third-place point main Andy Bachetti ducked pitside with a right-front flat (he nicked the wall). Neither driver made it out for the restart....
Jack Arute of ABC Sports fame was on hand with his No. 21 Mini-Sprint, but a heat race flip set him back early on and he was a DNQ....
Nice run for likeable John McGill, who brought his Precision-powered No. 62 Teo-Pro car home sixth after starting 19th in the 358-Modified main....
MID-HUDSON CONCRETE RACE SUMMARY
358-Modified Feature Finish: RICH RICCI JR., Jimmy Johnson, Robbie Green, Larry Badaracco, Tom Hindley, John McGill, Dom Roselli, Ryan Stortini, Rich Salisbury, Mel Schrufer, Mark Pullen, John Ferrier, Barry Davis, Larry Hendershot, Andy Bachetti, Jackie Brown Jr., Bobby Hentschel, Scott Ferrier, Bill Papula, Rick Mill.
Did Not Qualify: John Sanders, Bob Cancellieri, Phil Recchio. Hank Goranson, Mark Flach Jr., Mike Murphy, Jason Tompkins.
Sportsman Feature Finish: HOWARD JARVIS, Ladd Yeomans, Jesse Marks, Danny Creeden, Dave Coene, Jamie Yannone, Jeff Geiges, David Bush, Tom Tomasko, Steve Krom, Nicole Tracy, Mike Keeler, Will Galm, Keith Van Oyan, Mike Ketcham, John Sundlof, Chris Grispin, Paul Minton, Ken Ferrier, Whitey Slavin.
Did Not Qualify: John Lieto, Chad Hadlich, Lee Maulick, Chuck Thomaschek, Joe Giachinta, Greg Hocking.
Spec Sportsman Feature Finish: BRETT GRAHAM, Mike Van Tassel, Doug Tyler Jr., Jeff Richardson, D.J. Brooks, Robbie Fairweather, Mike Senecal, Al Archieri.
Pro Stock Heldover Feature Finish (From August 19): GEORGE CHRISTIANA, Mike Manetta, Jerry Craig, John Roese, Danny Tyler, Terry O'Brien, Bill Deak Sr., Ray See Jr., Steve Plumstead, Katie Nugent, James Devitt, Scott Mill.
Pro Stock Starting Lineup (Curfew Postponed - To Be Run Sept. 2): Katie Nugent, Terry O'Brien, George Christiana, Jerry Craig, Bill Deak Sr., John Roese, Danny Tyler, Scott Mill, Mike Manetta, Chrissy Rider, Al Cheney III, James Devitt, Ray See Jr., Steve Plumstead.
Mini-Sprint Feature Finish: PAUL CORAZZO JR., John Guarino, John Lieto, Paul Corazzo Sr., Darrell Quackenbush, Mark Rogers, Peter Sindt, Jeremy Quick, Marshall Gogg, John Lodini, Clint Roehrs, Kevin Kondelka, Mike Fogarty, Skip Travis, Rich Wood Jr., Ralph Utter Jr., Gary Reyer, Kevin Horton, John Parete.
Did Not Qualify: Mel Lewis, Mark McKeon, Kyle Spencer, Jack Arute, Will Einemann, Brian Oliver, Ed Burgess, Jack Fogarty, Arthur LeBlanc, Brian Baxter, Brian Pomponio.
Pure Stock Feature Finish: JAMES DECICCO III, Kyle Wright, Joe DiStefano, Bill Rion, Bob Gibson, Mike Sabia, Bill Deak Jr., Jim O'Neil, Joe Judge, John Woinoski, Bill Judge, Sharon Byrne, Kevin Krusewski, Ralph Ronk, Chris Kanuk, Joe Narok, Tony Polemeni, Paul Aragon Jr.
Disqualified: Adam Douglas (tech), Mike Deyo (on-track actions).
Did Not Start: Ed Howey.
Northeastern Vintage Dirt Modified Racing Club Finish: ROBBY CASTI, Ray See Sr., Burt Irwin Jr., Jimmy Halpin, Mike Brown, Pat Murphy, Mike Murphy, Paul DeMott, Jim Donelli, Don Johnson Sr., Mike Kehr, John Vogt, Jeff Hager, Jim Bush Jr., Don Johnson.