HINDLEY CLOSES ACCORD SEASON WITH TURKEY CHASE 100 VICTORY
By BRETT DEYO
ACCORD, NY - Tom Hindley isn't one to give up easy.
On Saturday night, his perseverance paid off at Accord Speedway.
Rebounding from misfortune in the first of four 25-lap segments comprising the 3rd Annual 358-Modified Turkey Chase 100, Hindley racked up his second consecutive victory at the Ulster County quarter-mile. He collected $3,000 for his efforts.
Following an eighth-place run in segment one, Hindley finished third, first and second in the final three to collect 14 total points, two markers better than Mike Ricci, who placed second with 16.
"I thought after the first one, I was done," said Hindley, who got turned in an incident with Tony Kawalchuk on lap 10. "Eighth was pretty good for having to start over.
"Actually, I was happy to get my problems over in the first one. Everybody else had their trouble in the other segments. I was on a mission after that first race."
The Fair Oaks, N.Y., driver battled through traffic with reckless abandon, overcoming the inverts each time to make it to the front. That ability to negotiate was critical in his victory run.
"It seemed like they lined up for me to pass them," Hindley said. "You had to go where they weren't. Top, bottom, I went where I had to. The only way to get by cars is to move around."
The 38-year-old credited his '99 Teo-Pro car, equipped with a Precision/Hindley powerplant, as a key to his late-season Accord success. In fact, the only adjustment he made to the car all night was a change of rubber prior to the third segment.
"I think we've got a little something on the rest of them," he said. "This thing is incredible. It gets off the corner and I can out-drag them down the chutes; the car has some bite here. You've gotta come with the right equipment."
Entering the final 25-lapper, Hindley held a precarious two point lead over Rich Ricci Jr. Early on, it appeared that victory was slipping from his grasp, as his Smykla Trucking No. 17H dropped from the top five while Ricci marched forward.
Following a caution on lap 16, Hindley came alive.
"I said 'there's too much money on the line here' and I regrouped after that caution," he recalled. "I couldn't get going in the beginning. I was trying to let everything sort out, but I was backing up."
When Rich Ricci Jr. went spinning on lap 23 of the final segment, Hindley knew his lead was safe. His second place finish sealed the deal.
"I saw Rich spinning and I knew I had to capitalize on it," he said. "A race like this is tough, with the extra laps, coming through traffic and having the track a little rough. It was definitely a tough one.
"Two wins to end the season, you can't beat that."
Rosendale, N.Y.'s Mike Ricci finished the runner-up off the strength of a two seconds, an 11th and a first. Aside from coming up two markers short of his second straight Turkey Chase 100 win, the 39-year-old barely missed out on the '04 point title. He fell three points shy of younger brother Rich.
"It's a good way to end the season," Ricci surmised.
"The second segment did us in," he continued. "We missed the set-up, just blew it (and later suffered a left-rear flat tire on lap 18 of that segment). Once we got back on our game plan, we were fine."
Ricci did his part to advance his overall position with a win in the final segment, but it wasn't enough to put him on top.
"It was close and we knew that going in," he said. "It was going to come down to the last race. If we hadn't missed it in segment two, it might have been different."
First time Accord visitor Jason Hamilton of Erwinna, Pa., collected third place money, finishing first, second, 12th and third in his Dave Van Horn-powered No. 15 Teo-Pro car to accumulate 18 points.
"We were fast," said the 28-year old Hamilton, the '04 New Egypt (N.J.) Rookie Sportsman champ who later settled in as a Big Diamond (Pa.) regular. "The track had bumps but it had a lot of bite. I'd rather have it that way. I don't know if we would have been as good if it was smooth and slick."
Hamilton came out of the box strong, but a broken front-end in the third segment hindered his shot at a victory.
"We started out great and I thought we were in good shape," he said. "But we got back in traffic and started getting beat up pretty bad. It was a good run for my first time here. I'm happy."
John Ferrier of Middletown, N.Y., put forth a strong effort in his first Accord appearance, finishing fourth (two fifths, fourth and seventh). Rich Ricci Jr. of New Paltz, N.Y., rounded out the top five (third, first, 10th and ninth). With the finish, Ricci picked up his eighth 358-Modified championship and second in a row at the bullring just 20 minutes from his home.
In the first segment, Hamilton assumed the lead on lap 10, then valiantly fought off a late-race charge by Mike Ricci to record the win. Ricci attempted to use the high-low cross on the rookie in the final laps, but he proved to be up to the challenge, winning over Mike Ricci, Rich Ricci Jr., Joe Winne Jr. and Ferrier.
The second segment went to Ricci Jr., with Hamilton trailing him across the line. Ricci used a veteran move to take the lead on lap eight, darting below Hindley and Ferrier in turn four as they battled for the lead. Hindley, Tony Kawalchuk and Ferrier were third through fifth, respectively.
Hindley took advantage of Rich Ricci Jr.'s lap-13 suspension problems to take the lead in segment three and recorded the win over Mike Ricci, Kawalchuk, Ferrier and Bob Hamm Jr.
A segment four jumping penalty on Hamm, who led the first 16 laps, handed the lead to Ferrier. However, his car dropped off the pace on the restart, relinquishing the top two spots to the Ricci brothers, who battled side-by-side for six laps before the two made slight contact getting into turn one on lap 23.
Rich Jr. spun from contention and Mike Ricci went on to win over Hindley, Hamilton, Hamm and Jeff Heotzler Jr.
Heat winners for the 36 358-Modifieds in attendance were Hamilton, Mike Ricci, Tony Kawalchuk and Robbie Green. Chris Ostrowsky and John Sanders topped the consolations.
Jamie Yannone disposed of 2004 track champion Kevin Duryea and went on to win the time-shortened 15-lap Sportsman feature.
The Wallkill, N.Y., driver worked his trademark high line in his No. 21 Teo-Pro car, running wheel-to-wheel with Duryea for two circuits before taking the top spot for good on lap five.
Once in front, Yannone raced on to the $600 victory uncontested, increasing his total to four victories in the last six events. He became an Accord regular in July.
Due to excessive caution flags, track officials displayed the yellow and checkered following a spin by Whitey Slavin 10 laps shy of the scheduled distance.
"This car likes the top," said a smiling Yannone. "I just drive around them."
Duryea, 25, racked up his third title at the Big A, backing up his '03 regular season championship effort and the '02 Fall Series triumph. Mike Ruggiero, an Orange County (N.Y.) Fair Speedway regular in his first '04 appearance, raced to third, ahead of L.D. Smith and Dave Coene.
For the eighth time in 2004, Doug Tyler Jr. topped the 20-lap Pro Stock feature.
And once again, he did it in thrilling Tyler fashion. Charging from outside the top five in the second half of the event, the Cottekill, N.Y., driver built momentum on the topside of the speedway. On lap 18, he made his move, whipping around Ray See Jr. to record the win. See, George Christiana, Mike Manetta and Scott Mill trailed. Norbert Bracklow collected the 2004 title.
John Matrafailo's undoing proved to be the break Jake Schlagel needed en route to his first career Mini-Sprint victory.
Matrafailo led until a lap-11 caution period, when a battery that jarred loose caused his car to lose power. That handed the lead to Schlagel, the former dirt Modified driver from Wanaque, N.J., who led the remainder of the 20-lap distance. Marc Geurard, John Guarino, James Tomlinson and Jeff Van Steenburg rounded out the top five. Peter Sindt earned the Mini-Sprint championship.
In a dominant performance, Little Ferry, N.J.'s Frank Venezia wired the 10-lap 250cc Micro-Sprint feature. It marked Venezia's first of the season on the quarter-mile. Finishing second through fifth were Todd Wickham, Jay Sisco, M.C. Bodick and Erik Engstram. Ralph Utter Jr. was declared the '04 Micro-Sprint champ.
Driving a borrowed car from Kevin Krusewski, Mike DuBois of Highland, N.Y., clinched the 2004 championship with a victory in the 15-lap Pure Stock main. DuBois took over the lead on lap 11 when leader Mike Sabia was sent to the rear for a restart miscue. DuBois went on to win over Joe Giachinta, Ira Landrum, Kyle Wright and Joe DiStefano.
Howie Murphy of Verplanck, N.Y., won the 15-lap Vintage Modified main.
NOTABLE: Weather conditions cooperated and a large field turned out for the final show of the season, led by 36 358-Modifieds. Also on hand were 25 Sportsman, 18 Pro Stocks, 20 Mini-Sprints, five 250cc Micro-Sprints, 25 Pure Stocks and eight Vintage Mods….
Harry Baldwin won the Bars-For-Less Sportsman Dash-For-Cash….
First-time 358-Modified visitors included Hamilton, Bob Hamm Jr., Chris Ostrowsky, Kim Lavoie and Willy Decker….
Only 11 cars remained for the final 358-Mod segment….
After damage in the first two segments, Robbie Green loaded up early, failing to repeat his '02 victory in the event….
358-Modified Turkey Chase 100 Overall Finish: TOM HINDLEY, Mike Ricci, Jason Hamilton, John Ferrier, Rich Ricci Jr., Jeff Heotzler Jr., John Sanders, Tony Kawalchuk, Bob Hamm Jr., Joe Winne Jr., Ken Moulton Jr., Chris Ostrowsky, Jackie Brown Jr., Rich Salisbury, Willy Decker, Ryan Stortini, Dom Roselli, Rob Green, Mark Pullen, Marc Johnson, Barry Davis.
Did Not Qualify: Dave Rosa, John McGill, Charles Humes, Phil Recchio, Jason Tompkins, Bob Hayes Jr., Everett Haubrich, Jeremy Markle, Isaac Neiger, Larry Hendershot, Scott Ferrier, Chris Johnson, Kim LaVoie, Jeff Heotzler, Dan Creeden.
Segment One: HAMILTON, M. Ricci, R. Ricci, Winne, Ferrier, Salisbury, Heotzler, Hindley, Decker, Stortini, Ostrowsky, Sanders, Green, Moulton, Davis, Roselli, Pullen, Kawalchuk, Johnson, Hamm, Brown.
Segment Two: R. RICCI, Hamilton, Hindley, Kawalchuk, Ferrier, Winne, Sanders, Heotzler, Hamm, Ostrowsky, M. Ricci, Moulton, Roselli, Brown, Decker, Johnson, Pullen, Salisbury, Stortini, Green.
Segment Three: HINDLEY, M. Ricci, Kawalchuk, Ferrier, Hamm, Sanders, Moulton, Heotzler, Brown, R. Ricci, Ostrowsky, Hamilton, Winne.
Segment Four: M. RICCI, Hindley, Hamilton, Hamm, Heotzler, Sanders, Ferrier, Kawalchuk, R. Ricci, Brown, Moulton.
Sportsman Feature Finish: JAMIE YANNONE, Kevin Duryea, Mike Ruggiero, L.D. Smith, Dave Coene, Harry Baldwin, Danny Creeden, Jesse Marks, Don Johnson, Nicole Tracy, Chris Grispin, Paul Minton, Whitey Slavin, Larry Badaracco, Steve Krom, Howard Jarvis, Keith Van Oyan, Bill Van Inwegen, David Bush, Mike Senecal.
Did Not Qualify: Chuck Thomaschek, John Lieto, Mike Keeler, Shane Jablonka, Kenny Ferrier.
Pro Stock Feature Finish: DOUG TYLER JR., Ray See Jr., George Christiana, Mike Manetta, Scott Mill, Bill Deak Sr., Norbert Bracklow, Jim Hewitt, Dave Slate, Terry O'Brien, Jared Hayes, John Roese, Charlie Rose, Scott Liese, Rob Rowe, Tom Cole.
Did Not Start: Bill Liese, Cliff Fitzgerald.
Mini-Sprint Feature Finish: JAKE SCHLAGEL, Marc Geurard, John Guarino, James Tomlinson, Jeff Van Steenburg, Jeremy Quick, Clint Roehrs, Marshall Gogg, Mark Rogers, Duby Woodruff, Kevin Kondelka, Rob Scaccio, Rich Ford, John Matrafailo, Geoff Quackenbush, Brint Hockenberry, Todd Lapp, John Lieto, John Parete.
250cc Micro-Sprint Feature Finish: FRANK VENEZIA, Todd Wickham, Jay Sisco, M.C. Bodick, Erik Engstram.
Pure Stock Feature Finish: MIKE DUBOIS, Joe Giachinta, Ira Landrum, Kyle Wright, Joe DiStefano, John Woinoski, Mike Sabia, John Davis, Sharon Byrne, Steven Kanuk, Peter DiFiglio, Danny Tyler, Mike Horkan, Bill Deak Jr., Rich Roger, Jim O'Neil, Luke Horning, Joe Wilson, Jay Smalley.
Disqualified: Don Palmateer.
Did Not Qualify: Erik Holmgren, Rocky Warner, Ron Roger, D.J. Brooks, Kevin Krusewski.