MIKE RICCI WORKS HARD FOR ACCORD TRIUMPH
By BRETT DEYO
ACCORD, NY - Without a doubt, Mike Ricci earned his victory Saturday night at Accord Speedway.
The Rosendale, N.Y. talent overcame an 11th place starting position and mid-race penalty to win the 30-lap Middletown Motorsports 358 Modified feature. The $1,500 score marked his second consecutive win in the quarter mile oval's post season Fall Series.
"The tires and sail panels mean everything," Ricci said of the open competition rules. "It picks up the lap times by at least three quarters of a second. It's not just me though, the whole field is a lot faster than they would be on the Hoosiers."
Ricci's JPM-powered Teo-Pro car sported a pair of sail panels and a mixture of American Racer tires - New Egypt-stamped 33 compounds on the front and a unique Midwest style chain link pattern of rubber on the rear.
Kirk Horton dominated the early laps of the event, taking advantage of his outside pole starting position to grab the lead at the drop of the green. As Horton led, Ricci made a trademark run through the field. He broke into the runner up position in just nine laps.
Ricci hounded Horton for three circuits before the multi-time champion ducked under the Eldred, N.Y. veteran with 12 laps complete to take the top spot away. However, officials ruled that the pass occurred on the track's inside berm and Ricci was placed behind Horton when the next caution flew on lap 17.
The penalty didn't deter Ricci. On lap 20, he entered turn three high and ducked low in turn four, pulling off the cross-over move to take the lead over for good.
"Sometimes it's hard to stay off the berm," Ricci said afterward. "If a guy gets sideways or something, it's better to go down there to stay off him and avoid a caution. Maybe I had the left front on it when I passed the 7K (Horton). I don't really remember, but it didn't matter in the end anyway."
Did Ricci have any doubts about regaining the top spot?
"Not really," he bottom-lined. "The car was that good. It couldn't have been better."
Ricci picked up a $25 Hard Charger Bonus courtesy of Papula Racing and Peerless Boilers for advancing 10 positions in the feature.
Horton, an infrequent runner at the Ulster County facility in 2003, raced to a season best second place performance.
"Mike was fast," the 40-year old short track mainstay said. "I watched him in the heat race, and I saw his number on the lap counter. I knew he was coming."
The penalty did give Horton a second chance at the win.
"I had one more shot to hold him off, that's all," he continued. "I think I went to soft on the left rear (a 33 compound American Racer), I think I may have been better off with a harder compound."
Following a flip on September 6, Joe Winne, Jr. rebounded with a fine third place finish, just ahead of consistent Tom Hindley and Robbie Green.
24 cars entered the program.
For the first time in his career, second generation upstart Danny Creeden checked into DIRT Sportsman victory lane. The 21-year old go-kart graduate from Middletown, N.Y. survived a slew of restarts for the $600 victory in his first season of full-sized stock car competition.
Creeden jumped into the lead from his front row starting position and fought off the early advances of veteran Mike Van Pelt, before pulling away in the race's second half aboard his Precision Engine powered Teo-Pro car.
"The more green laps we ran, the better the car got," Creeden said. "On the last caution, Van Pelt told me to calm down and the race was mine. My father told me in go-karts to be smooth. I got out front and held my line."
Creeden is the son of longtime Orange County (N.Y.) Speedway ace Rusty Creeden.
Van Pelt settled for a solid second, just ahead of David Towns. The third place effort for Rotterdam, N.Y. driver was especially sweet following a flip in his heat race. Bill Papula turned in a strong run for fourth and Larry Badaracco rounded out the top five.
Misfortune for Jeremy Quick handed Stephen LaPine the win in the 20-lap Mini Sprint main. Quick, of Kerhonkson, N.Y., held a comfortable advantage until lap 13, when the 2003 track champion slowed with a broken throttle cable. At that point, LaPine inherited the top spot and motored away for the win over Mark Gerard, who earned a $75 bonus for the first 750cc powered car across the stripe. Rich Sennett, Bobby Lynt and a much improved Marshall Gogg were third through fifth, respectively.
Ralph Utter Jr. of West Milford, N.J. dominated the 20-lap 250cc Micro Sprint feature, leading from wire to wire. The Lake Moc-A-Tek (Pa.) Speedway regular started from the pole and was never seriously challenged en route to his first career Accord win. Frank Venezia, young Michael Storms, Rich McKay and James Tomlinson rounded out the top five.
Dickie Colesanti won a competitive 20-lap Pro Stock feature, fending off a determined Elwood Hewitt for the win. The Poughquag, N.Y. driver slipped by Larry Temple, Jr. on lap 12 to grab the lead, but Hewitt kept the pressure on for the remainder of the distance, looking high and low for room to make a move.
Temple, and un-retired Bill Liese and George Christiana filled out the front five.
Mike Deyo of New Windsor, N.Y. visited Pure Stock victory lane for the third time this season. Deyo started second and led the entire 16-lap distance, holding off a determined Charlie Houghtaling at the stripe. Emerson Cargain, Jr. authored a solid drive for third, just ahead of William Landrum and Matt DuBois.
Racing resumes at the Action Track on Saturday, September 27 with a full program of 358 Modifieds, Sportsman, Pro Stocks, Pure Stocks, 250cc Micro Sprints and Mini Sprints sponsored by Crackers Motorsports and Fabrications by Tauschman. The ACOT Old Timers will also be in attendance. Gates open at 1 p.m. with hot laps at 4 p.m. and racing at 5 p.m.
For further information, contact the speedway office at (845) 626-3478 or check out the official website: www.accordspeedway.com.
Notable: Likable Motorsports personality John McGill made his first Accord start since 1996 in a 1997 Troyer Chassis assembled by the late Charlie DeAngelis. The 41-year old McGill, of Wallkill, N.Y. brought his No. 62 to the track under DIRT specs, including the DIRT Hoosier tires. Despite an 18th starting position, a pair of spins (on lap 8 and 9) and the obvious rubber disadvantage, he raced on to a ninth place finish.
"I'm staying," he said following the top ten run. "I like it here a lot."...
The car count for the second Saturday show of the year was certainly impressive. A total of 134 competitors in six divisions signed into pit area, headed by 34 Pure Stocks...
Small-block first timers included tenth finishing Tommy Greiner and short track ace Ed Strada Jr., who was forced into the frontstretch wall following a jingle with fellow Pennsylvania driver Joey Grammes on lap 23...
Newcomer Scott Frack couldn't have encountered more bad luck. First, a broken push rod had the team scrambling to get his No. 39X into the 358 Modified feature field. Then a collapsed front end brought his night to an early conclusion on lap 17...
Fall Series opener Sportsman winner Tommy Perrego quickly experienced the agony of defeat when contact with invader Jim Secor sent Perrego spinning in turn two on a pair of separate occasions. He returned the favor during a 23rd lap caution, climbing over the right side of Secor's No. 734 before going off on the hook...
358 Modified Feature Finish: MIKE RICCI, Kirk Horton, Joe Winne, Jr., Tom Hindley, Robbie Green, Jeremy Markle, Joey Grammes, Phil Recchio, John McGill, Tommy Greiner, Larry Hendershot, Ed Strada Jr., Ric Hill, Marc Johnson, Jimmy Halpin, Ryan Stortini, John Sanders, Scott Frack, Jimmy Johnson, Chic Chandler.
Did Not Qualify: Bob Gaetenello, Jason Tompkins, Bruce Leote, Fred Newkirk.
Sportsman Feature Finish: DAN CREEDEN, Mike Van Pelt, David Towns, Bill Papula, Larry Badaracco, Harry Baldwin, Dave Coene, Jeff Hulseapple, Howard Jarvis, Jesse Marks, Jim Secor, L.D. Smith, Ricky Rutt, Don Johnson, Rich Coons, Dave Harris, Chuck Thomaschek, Tommy Laner, Kenny Moulton Jr.
Disqualified: Tom Perrego
Did Not Qualify: Randy Banks Jr., Danny Hedges, Paul Minton, Charles Hendrickson.
Mini Sprint Feature Finish: STEPHEN LAPINE, Mark Gerard, Rich Sennett, Bobby Lynt, Marshall Gogg, Duane Koskey, Tony Montesi, Jon Moore, Joe Pravia, Tom Richard, Wally Kuryn, Todd Lapp, Jeremy Quick, Randy Caruso, Gary Reyer, Geoff Quackenbush, Ross Lablanc, Peter Sindt, James Tomlinson.
Did Not Start: Kevin Kondelka, Charlie Castle.
Pro Stock Feature Finish: DICKIE COLESANTI, Elwood Hewitt, Larry Temple Jr., Bill Liese, George Christiana, Norbert Bracklow, Lenny Brice, Jerry Craig, Steve Murray, Bill Deak Sr., Scott Liese, Rob Rowe, Ray Williams, Terry O'Brien, Mike Manetta, Bryan McElheny, Floyd Schmidt.
Did Not Start: Jim Hewitt.
250cc Micro Sprint Feature Finish: RALPH UTTER, JR., Frank Venezia, Michael Storms, Rich McKay, James Tomlinson, Michelle, Conway, Bill Boyle, Charlie Redlich, Chris Weiss, Doug Wessel.
Did Not Start: Doc Young.
Pure Stock Feature Finish: MIKE DEYO, Charlie Houghtaling, Emerson Cargain Jr., William Landrum, Mike DuBois, Don Carlson, Bob Palmer, Chris Meola, Greg Kurzman, Greg Meola, Joe Judge, Bill Deak, Jr., Scott Hornbeck, Kevin Krusewski, Bob Gibson, Henry Van Houten, Pat Zimmer, Buck Barrett, Joe DiStefano, Bill Judge, Jay Pepin.
Did Not Qualify: James Goetchius, Fred Davis, Herb Dewitt, George Decker, Ron Predmore, Mike Eichstedt, Jesse Baum, Herb DeGraw, Jim Finnegan, Peter Warren.