Jimmy Johnson Wins Opener In Return To Accord
By BRETT DEYO
ACCORD, NY – A month ago, Jimmy Johnson looked over his racing schedule and made a pivotal decision: he would return to Accord Speedway in 2005.
The $1,500 in his pocket at the conclusion of Friday night’s 43rd Season Opener told him he made the right choice.
Johnson outraced the 358-Modified field in a victorious comeback after a season away from the Big A. The former Sportsman champion held off Andy Bachetti to win the Albany Avenue Garage/Trailer King 30-lap main event.
It marked Johnson’s first small-block win at the Ulster County track since the 1996 season.
“Racing 11 times isn’t enough for a guy like me,” offered Johnson, referencing Orange County (N.Y.) Fair Speedway, where he competed regularly as a 358-Modified in 2004. “I knew if we came back up here, we could race weekly and we’d make money.
“Tonight we took all the money!”
A heat victory landed Johnson on the pole for the main, but the Bloomingburg, N.Y., native withstood pressure early on from defending champion Rich Ricci Jr. On lap two, Ricci dove to the inside in the second turn. Johnson repelled the challenge after two circuits of side-by-side action.
Following a lap-six restart, Ricci again forced his way to the inside. The lead duo diced until the 10th circuit when Johnson’s outside momentum carried his Precision-powered Bicknell back to the top spot.
“I can race with Rich,” Johnson said of the tussle. “We have respect for each other. I was tight in one and two. I thought those guys might drive around me so I moved up through there to free up the car.”
Thirteenth-starter Andy Bachetti joined the lead battle by lap 14. Two circuits later, he powered by Ricci with a sweeping outside pass. Bachetti immediately went to work on Johnson, setting the Downes Racing No. 40 in the outside groove.
Bachetti’s best opportunity to take command came on lap 21. He pulled even with Johnson in turn two, forging ahead on the backstretch. But a spin by Mark Pullen necessitated the caution.
The field reverted to the last completed lap and Bachetti was relegated to second on the single-file restart.
Johnson, 45, learned from Bachetti’s bid for the lead.
“I should’ve looked at the lap counter,” Johnson said. “I thought it was Rich still behind me. Andy caught me by surprise out there.
“If there was one caution that helped me tonight, that was it. I wasn’t going to fire in the same place (on ensuing restarts) after that.”
The remainder of the distance went off under green flag conditions with Johnson holding a car-length edge on the high-running Bachetti. On lap 28, Bachetti attempted a last-ditch effort. Entering turn one, he made a banzai inside move on Johnson.
However, the Sheffield, Mass., star caught the berm and lost valuable ground, allowing Johnson to cruise to victory unchallenged.
“I’m glad to be back,” Johnson smiled.
The 28-year-old Bachetti was pleased with first run aboard the Donnie and LeAura Downes-owned A&C Performance-powered 2005 Bicknell. The car hadn’t hit the speedway until hot laps earlier in the night.
“That deal at the end (on lap 28) cost me,” Bachetti said. “But hey, you have to try something with two-to-go!”
“We’re still working the bugs out of the car,” he continued. “First time out, I was happy with second. I couldn’t touch the bottom tonight. I wasn’t comfortable up high, but that’s where the car wanted to go.”
Ricci, of New Paltz, N.Y., finished third, ahead of consolation transfers Mike Ricci and Jackie Brown Jr.
Heat winners for the 26 358-Modifieds in attendance were Johnson, Mark Flach Jr. and Rich Ricci Jr. Jeremy Markle won the consolation.
Jamie Yannone set one simple goal for himself this off-season.
“I’ve always wanted to win Opening Night.” Mission accomplished.
Finding a home in the extreme outside groove, the Wallkill, N.Y., native powered to victory in the 25-lap Sportsman feature. Yannone started sixth in his Moshier-powered Teo-Pro No. 21. By lap six, he worked around early leader Tom Tomasko to take command.
“If you want to pass, you’ve got to go up top,” Yannone offered. “It was slick in the middle. I found some moisture up high.”
Perfectly timed restarts in the event’s second half propelled Yannone to the $600 score, his fourth straight visit to Accord Victory Lane. The 25-year-old topped the final three shows of 2004.
Somerville, N.J.’s Tomasko finished second, with Dave Coene, a returning Whitey Slavin and second-year driver Steve Krom in tow.
Alan Houghtaling made history as the first ever Spec Sportsman feature winner. The longtime open wheel competitor from Poughkeepsie, N.Y., dominated the caution-free 15-lap main, winning over Joe Giachinta, Mike Van Tassel, Robbie Fairweather and D.J. Brooks.
Last year, John Lieto led the Mini-Sprint division with seven victories.
In took him only one lap to assert his dominance in 2005. Racing from third to the lead in one turn, Mt. Kisco, N.Y.’s Lieto controlled the 20-lap event, driving away from Tony Montesi to score the win. Montesi finished second ahead of sophomore John Guarino, newcomer Skip Travis and John Wullum.
Ray See Jr.’s most formidable challenge in the time-shortened 18-lap Pro Stock feature came before one lap was scored. Emerging from a lead-swapping battle with George Christiana on the initial circuit, the Patterson, N.Y., racer led the remainder of the event to post his first career Opening Night victory.
Christiana, Larry Temple, Bill Deak Sr. and Scott Mill finished second through fifth, respectively.
The 11:30 p.m. curfew arrived before the 15-lap Pure Stock feature hit the speedway, forcing its postponement until April 22. Heat winners for the 18 Pure Stocks in attendance were Mike Sabia and Joe DiStefano.
Racing resumes on Fri., April 22 with a full six-division program of 358-Modifieds, Sportsman, Spec Sportsman, Pro Stocks, Mini-Sprints and Pure Stocks, plus the postponed April 15 Pure Stock main. The evening will be sponsored by Kwik Mart. 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 check out the website: www.accordspeedway.com.
NOTABLE: Car counts for the earliest opener in a decade were 26 358-Modifieds, 27 Sportsman, six Spec Sportsman, 13 Pro Stocks, 23 Mini-Sprints and 18 Pure Stocks….
Scott Ferrier dropped off the pace on lap 11 while running third with a rear end gear problem. Ferrier, of Middletown, N.Y., had been on the move with his revamped ’95 Troyer.
“When the car’s like that, it’s easy,” he said….
Newcomer Mark Flach Jr. looked solid with a win in the second 358-Mod qualifier, but spun on lap six while running third in the feature. He rebounded for eighth. Flach, of Coxsackie, N.Y., plans to be a regular in ’05….
Sportsman winner Jamie Yannone’s night didn’t start out on a good night. He sustained a flat tire on his truck en route to the track and was a late arrival….
A surprise on the 358-Modified DNQ list was quarter-century veteran Dom Roselli. He missed hot laps, spun twice in his heat before making contact with the frontstretch wall and went off on the hook following a final-lap consolation melee….
ABC Sports commentator Jack Arute was on hand in the Mini-Sprint division. Arute, whose aim was “to end up on the other side of the microphone” in Victory Lane, finished sixth….
ALBANY AVENUE GARAGE/TRAILER KING RACE SUMMARY
358-Modified Feature Finish: JIMMY JOHNSON, Andy Bachetti, Rich Ricci Jr., Mike Ricci, Jackie Brown Jr., John McGill, Rich Salisbury, Mark Flach Jr., Rick Mill, Phil Recchio, Bobby Hentschel, John Ferrier, Mark Pullen, Ryan Stortini, Jeremy Markle, Scott Ferrier, Larry Hendershot, Mike Trautschold, Barry Davis, Tom Hindley.
Did Not Qualify: Bill Papula, Jim Halpin, Larry Badaracco, Cliff Bush, Jake Schlagel, Dom Roselli.
Sportsman Feature Finish: JAMIE YANNONE, Tom Tomasko, Dave Coene, Whitey Slavin, Steve Krom, Ryan Olsommer, Jim Fugel, John Lieto, Jesse Marks, Howard Jarvis, Howard Jarvis, Nicole Tracy, Ken Ferrier, L.D. Smith, David Towns, Mike Senecal, Danny Creeden, Don Johnson, Keith Still, Jeff Geiges.
Did Not Qualify: David Bush, Paul Minton, Mike Ketcham, Chad Hadlick, Todd Sundlof, Jeff Hager, Jeff Warren.
Spec Sportsman Feature Finish: ALAN HOUGHTALING, Joe Giachinta, Robbie Fairweather, Mike Van Tassel, D.J. Brooks.
Did Not Start: Jeff Richardson.
Pro Stock Feature Finish: RAY SEE JR., George Christiana, Larry Temple, Bill Deak Sr., Scott Mill, Terry O’Brien, Katie Nugent, Danny Tyler, Jim Sykes, James Devitt, Jared Hayes, Jerry Craig, Scott Liese.
Mini-Sprint Feature Finish: JOHN LIETO, Tony Montesi, John Guarino, Skip Travis, John Wullum, Jack Arute, Mark Rogers, Kevin Kondelka, Mel Lewis, Mark McKeon, Rich Ford, John Lodini, Clint Roehrs, Ralph Utter Jr., Todd Lapp, Jake Schlagel, Ed Vickery, Rob Scaccio.
Did Not Qualify: Josh Webb, Peter Sindt, Gary Reyer, Tom Hindley, Kevin Horton.
Pure Stock Starting Lineup (Feature set for 4/22): Mike Sabia, Joe DiStefano, Bill Rion, Hank Morin, Bill Deak Jr., Kyle Wright, Kevin Krusewski, Mike DuBois, Jim O’Neil, Chris Kanuk, Sharon Byrne, Paul Aragon Jr., Mike Deyo, Todd Houghtaling, John Woinoski, Joe Judge, Darin Ploss, Bill Judge.