Hindley Outdoes Ricci For Accord 358-Modified Victory
By BRETT DEYO
ACCORD, NY - When Rich Ricci Jr. takes the lead in a feature at Accord Speedway, he rarely - if ever - relinquishes it.
Don't tell that to Tom Hindley.
The Fair Oaks, N.Y., driver out-witted eight-time track champion Ricci to score the victory in Friday night's Wide Open Motorsports 358-Modified feature.
After losing the lead to Ricci three laps from the finish in the 30-lap contest, Hindley didn't just settle for second. He took the top spot back and raced to his third victory of the '05 season at the Ulster County quarter-mile.
"That was good racing," Hindley said with an ear-to-ear grin following the $1,500 triumph. "You can't beat that!"
Hindley started seventh and missed an ugly incident that necessitated the red flag on lap one. Bill Papula attempted a three-wide maneuver for the lead on the frontstretch, initiating contact that sent John Sanders' No. 27D onto its side.
The car slammed the pit gate with the roof and hood, collecting Dom Roselli, Papula and Jimmy Johnson. No one was injured in the incident.
When the race resumed, Ryan Stortini took command with Hindley romping into second on lap four. He powered around Stortini on the eighth lap to take the lead.
Meanwhile 17th-starter Ricci was on the charge after qualifying through the consolation.
He took second from Stortini on lap 12, setting up a battle of contrast between the leaders: Hindley kept his Teo-Pro car No. 17H wound up in the extreme outside groove, while Ricci sucked the inner hub, gaining ground through the corners.
"I couldn't give up the top," Hindley said. "I was too slow on the bottom. When I passed the 7 (Stortini) for the lead, I tried to move down and he ran right into the back of me because I had to get off the gas so much.
"The outside was fast tonight; there was a lip up there, and if you ride that lip, it was perfect. If you missed it, especially in (turn) two, you were in trouble."
Hindley's car bounced wildly in the air in turn two twice - on laps 18 and 23 - allowing Ricci to drive by. On both occasions, quick yellow flags put Hindley back into the lead when scoring reverted to the previous lap.
The third time Hindley bobbled, he had to regain the lead on his own.
On lap 27, Ricci pulled even with Hindley at the stripe. In turn two, Hindley pushed wide, grazed the wall and backed off the gas. Ricci took advantage and grabbed the top spot on the backstretch.
However, Ricci couldn't keep his car on the bottom in turn three. The clear inside path allowed Hindley to jump on the brakes, toss his car sideways and drive right by Ricci.
The 39-year-old held the lead over the final two circuits en route to the hard-earned triumph.
"He (Ricci) came across my front-end on the backstretch trying to get to the bottom," Hindley said. "I think it screwed up his angle getting into (turn) three. He started skating up the track, so I drove right by him on the bottom.
"It was clean racing. The best thing about it is we never touched."
Ricci, 38, of New Paltz, N.Y., found solace in a $1,000 runner-up payday and his growing point lead.
"Did the cautions kill me or what?" Ricci said, shaking his head "Man, I had him passed twice and the caution came out.
"I got in a little high (in turn three on lap 27). My car had to run the bottom or the middle. If I tried to run the top he'd leave me. I got in there in front of him and I think I stopped his momentum a little. He slowed up, held the bottom and drove right under me.
"Hey, it was clean racing and it was great for the fans!"
Ryan Stortini of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., finished a strong third, ahead of Jackie Brown Jr. and 12th-starter Robbie Green.
Bill Papula, Ryan Stortini and Larry Badaracco scored heat victories for the 25 358-Mods in attendance, while Jeremy Markle won the consolation.
Jamie Yannone sat facing traffic in turn one two laps into the regularly-scheduled 25-lap Sportsman feature.
Yannone found himself in Victory Lane 23 laps later. In an extraordinary performance, Newburgh, N.Y.'s Yannone throttled from dead last to the top spot, weaving through the pack in his Moshier-powered Teo-Pro No. 21.
Yannone took second with four laps remaining and began to close on race leader Howard Jarvis. After failing to capitalize on a lap-22 caution, the 25-year-old made it count when the yellow lights flickered on with 24 laps complete.
Timing the restart perfectly, Yannone muscled to the inside of Jarvis on the frontstretch and took the lead in turn one, scoring a division-high fourth victory.
"He beat me on the first restart," Yannone said. "But I'm a fast learner. I knew what I had to do the second time. This is definitely exciting...the best race of my life for sure!"
Jarvis settled for second ahead of Whitey Slavin, Tom Tomasko and 17th-starter Chris Grispin.
For the first time since July 11, 2003 Swan Lake, N.Y.'s Ladd Yeomans visited Accord Victory Lane in the heldover 25-lap Sportsman main from July 15.
The race resumed with six laps complete and Yeomans out front. Yeomans fought off sophomore driver Steve Krom, who made several inside moves to gain the top spot. Krom's No. K3 pushed wide on lap 16 and Jesse Marks slid by for second.
Marks kept the pressure on Yeomans, but couldn't complete a pass. Yeomans took the win over Marks, Krom, Whitey Slavin and Ken Ferrier.
Goshen, N.Y.'s Jeff Richardson took the top spot on lap eight and raced on for win number six of the season in the 15-lap Spec Sportsman feature. Robbie Fairweather nosed out Brett Graham for second. Mike Van Tassel and Doug Tyler Jr. completed the front five.
Roaring into the top spot midway through the 20-lap Pro Stock main, 15-year-old Danny Tyler scored his second win of the '05 season in his family-owned No. 22. The youngest member of the Tyler racing clan gained ground in the championship battle over his chief rival, Scott Mill. The difference is now just 16 markers.
Ray See Jr., a returning John Roese, Mill and Bill Deak Sr. filled out the front five.
Sitting third six laps into the Mini-Sprint feature, Ralph Utter Jr. saw his time to shine.
When leaders Gary Reyer and John Lodini made contact in turn four and momentarily slid wide, West Milford, N.J.'s Utter drove to the inside past both. Utter dominated the remainder of the 20-lap distance to score the win over current point leader John Lieto, Peter Sindt, John Guarino and Skip Travis.
Mike Sabia of Easton, Conn., inherited the lead on lap 11 when Kevin Krusewski's car overheated. Sabia fended off Mike Deyo to pick up his sixth win of 2005 in the 15-lap Pure Stock headliner. He took a scant two-point lead in the process. Jim O'Neil, Paul Aragon Jr., Joe DiStefano and Bill Rion trailed.
Racing resumes at Accord Speedway on Fri., July 29 with a full program of 358-Mods, Sportsman, Spec Sportsman, Mini-Sprints, Pro Stocks and Pure Stocks sponsored by Van Kleek's Tire. It will be double-points for the Sportsman. Gates open at 4:30 p.m., with hot laps at 6:30 p.m. and racing 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: A shower that moved over the speedway at 6:30 p.m. lasted only 10 minutes and the program went off as scheduled before a sizable crowd.
Twenty-five 358-Modifieds, 21 Sportsman, eight Spec Sportsman, 12 Street Stocks, 18 Mini-Sprints and 22 Pure Stocks took part in the busy night....
Steve Krom won the 5-lap Bars-for-Less Sportsman Dash-for-Cash....
Despite the heavy contact with the pit gate on the opening lap, John Sanders actually rebounded for eighth in the 358-Modified feature: a season-best. Sanders said the air cleaner bent around the throttle linkage from the impact, causing the throttle to stick intermittently throughout the feature....
Mark Flach Jr. absorbed a hard hit in turn one in the first 358-Modified heat when a heim "tore out" of the car's panhard bar, causing the rear-end to move. In turn, the rear-end broke the fitting off the right-rear brake caliper and sent the young Coxsackie, N.Y., driver into the boiler plate....
Rick Mill and crew changed the steering box after his heat race. They got the borrowed box (from Danny Creeden's team) into the car just in time for the feature green flag. However, an electrical fire during the lap-one red flag ended his night early....
WIDE OPEN MOTORSPORTS RACE SUMMARY
358-Modified Feature Finish: TOM HINDLEY, Rich Ricci Jr., Ryan Stortini, Jackie Brown Jr., Robbie Green, Barry Davis, Bobby Hentschel, John Sanders, Mike Murphy, Rich Salisbury, Mark Pullen, Jeremy Markle, Larry Badaracco, Andy Bachetti, Phil Recchio, John Ferrier, Bill Papula, Dom Roselli, Jimmy Johnson, Rick Mill.
Did Not Qualify: Mark Flach Jr., Jimmy Halpin, Scott Ferrier, Larry Hendershot, Mel Schrufer.
Sportsman Feature Finish: JAMIE YANNONE, Howard Jarvis, Whitey Slavin, Tom Tomasko, Chris Grispin, Mike Ketcham, Nicole Tracy, David Bush, Ladd Yeomans, Will Galm, Steve Krom, Jesse Marks, Ken Ferrier, Jim Fugel, John Sundlof, Jeff Geiges, John Lieto, Kenny Moulton Jr., Paul Minton.
Disqualified: Dave Coene, Danny Creeden.
Sportsman Heldover Feature Finish From July 15: LADD YEOMANS, Jesse Marks, Steve Krom, Whitey Slavin, Ken Ferrier, Mike Ketcham, Jeff Geiges, Tom Tomasko, Howard Jarvis, Jim Fugel, Danny Creeden, Dave Coene, John Sundlof, Will Galm, David Bush, Nicole Tracy, Kenny Moulton Jr., John Lieto, Jamie Yannone, Chris Grispin, Paul Minton.
Spec Sportsman Feature Finish: JEFF RICHARDSON, Robbie Fairweather, Brett Graham, Mike Van Tassel, Doug Tyler Jr., Alan Houghtaling, Al Archieri, D.J. Brooks.
Pro Stock Feature Finish: DANNY TYLER, Ray See Jr., John Roese, Scott Mill, Bill Deak Sr., George Christiana, Katie Nugent, Terry O'Brien, Jared Hayes, Mike Manetta, Lenny Brice, Jerry Craig.
Mini-Sprint Feature Finish: RALPH UTTER JR., John Lieto, Peter Sindt, John Guarino, Skip Travis, Clint Roehrs, Bobby Lynt, Hank Katz, Marshall Gogg, Kevin Kondelka, Ed Burgess, Gary Reyer, Dana Carey, John Lodini, Jeremy Quick, Rob Scaccio, Kevin Horton, Mark Rogers.
Pure Stock Feature Finish: MIKE SABIA, Mike Deyo, Jim O'Neil, Paul Aragon Jr., Joe DiStefano, Bill Rion, John Woinoski, Bill Deak Jr., Tony Squicciarini, Kyle Wright, Joe Judge, Sharon Byrne, Sam Dwy, Steven Kanuk, James DeCicco Jr., Jay Smalley, Ralph Ronk, Kevin Krusewski, Adam Douglas, Darin Ploss, Bill Judge.
Did Not Start: Charlie Winne.