GREEN MAKES SPONSOR PROUD WITH ACCORD VICTORY
By BRETT DEYO
ACCORD, NY - Robbie Green knows how to please his sponsors.
With primary supporter Bernie Smith of Reclamation, Inc. backing Friday night's activities at Accord Speedway, Green raced to a convincing victory in the rain shortened 23-lap DIRT 358 Modified feature. The Wallkill, N.Y. veteran picked up $1,600 for the win, which occurred on the final point night of the 2003 season.
"I wanted this one bad," a visibly enthused Green said from a soggy pit area after the event. "Bernie Smith has been a great help to me, and I've never been able to get one on his night. This is definitely a first for us."
Green's 1997 Teo-Pro car was equipped with Smith's Precision-built engine for the evening.
"We put his (Smith's) engine back in tonight," the 40-year old victor said. "We had it out for the past couple of weeks so Bob from Precision Engine could work on it. Early this year, it wasn't doing what we needed it to, but Bob told us it would be good. He was right."
Green started 11th in the 20-car field and took full advantage of a tacky, multi-groove track surface to advance towards the front.
Polesitter Will Robinson paced the field early on before a stout Fred Newkirk took command on a third lap restart. Meanwhile, Green cracked the top three by lap six and executed a brilliant inside move to snatch second spot from Donnie Wilson on the seventh go round.
Following a ninth lap restart, Green ducked under Newkirk in turn two and walked away from the field.
"It was a good track tonight," he said of the moist quarter mile oval. "Last year, we were real good either on a slick track or a heavy track, so I figured we might be pretty good. With the berm up high, I could get around the top with no problem. I forgot about all the adjustments and just drove."
By the time 12th starter Mike Ricci broke free from traffic on lap 14, Green had nearly a full straightaway advantage. In fact, he had already encountered the back of the field. That edge was erased on lap 20 when a spin by Jimmy Johnson brought out the caution.
The elder Ricci made two runs at the lead, but couldn't pull off a pass and sat in second spot when the skies opened up on lap 23. An abundance of rain fell quickly on the speedway, forcing the race to be called official seven laps short of the finish. That handed Green the win, his 90th in a small-block car.
Ricci was content with second, especially after he endured a hard hit on the frontstretch during a third lap caution.
"I don't know what happened," Ricci said. "I got up in the air and closed my eyes. I thought I was done for sure, but luckily it didn't bend anything."
Had the race continued, the Rosendale, N.Y. driver thought he might have been able to challenge Green.
"The car was good," the 38-year old said. "I wish it would have gone the distance, but the track was way too slick to even think about it."
Younger brother Rich Ricci, Jr. raced from 19th starting position to third, in the process locking up his seventh Accord 358 Modified point championship. His last title winning effort at the Ulster County, N.Y. facility occurred in the 2000 season.
Andy Bachetti rallied from the consolation for fourth, while Newkirk beat Donnie Wilson to the stripe for fifth.
27 358 Modifieds signed in for the final Friday night program of the year.
Kevin Duryea earned the DIRT Sportsman championship in grand style, pulling off a dramatic last lap move to win the 25-lap feature from dead last on the grid.
Showing the maturity and poise of a veteran, the 24-year old from Wallkill, N.Y. worked methodically through the field, avoiding several early incidents in his drive to the front. When race leader Bill Papula slowed on lap 16, Duryea sat in third position aboard his K&M Sealcoating No. 99K Troyer Four-Link.
He grabbed second from Jeff Hulseapple on lap 17 and hounded L.D. Smith, who was in search of his first career victory.
On the final lap, Smith and the lapped car of Chris Garrity made contact and slid up the track in turn three, allowing Duryea to slip past both on the bottom and collect the $700 top prize. It was especially sweet for the second year Accord regular, who was forced to qualify through the consolation following a lackluster heat race performance.
"I didn't see the two to go or white flag," Duryea admitted. "I went down into three and the 16 (Smith) went high, but I was watching the lapped car and he was pushing. I said ‘he's going to push into the leader' so I aimed for the bottom and gassed it. When I came out of four and the checkered was out."
Smith, of Wurtsboro, N.Y., settled for a heartbreaking second place finish, just ahead of Howard Jarvis. Jeff Hulseapple finished fourth despite a flat left front tire and David Towns rounded out the top five.
Lenny Brice of Ulster Park, N.Y. raced to his first ever win in the 20-lap Pro Stock feature. Brice, a local business owner who became involved with the speedway through sponsorship, emerged as a regular late in the 2002 season. He overcame early season handling problems to drive away from the field in the caution-plagued main.
Steve Murray fought off the late race challenges of track champion Jim Langenback for second position. George Christiana and John Roese rounded out the top five.
The Pure Stock and Mini Sprint divisions saw their features fall to Mother Nature. Stephen Lapine and Geoff Quackenbush topped the heats for the Mini Sprints, while Pat Zimmer and newcomer Jim Finnegan won the Pure Stock qualifiers. Both events will be run prior to the September 6 program.
Jeff Richardson outdueled fan favorite Burt Irwin, Jr. to score the win in the 15-lap Vintage Dirt Modified feature.
Sponsor Reclamation, Inc. gave away seven children's bikes at intermission and
put up an extra $100 to each of the feature winners.
Racing resumes at the Action Track on Saturday, September 6 with the Fall Series opener. The 358 Modifieds will have an open tire rule with a pair of even sail panels. The DIRT Sportsman, Pro Stocks, Pure Stocks, 250cc Micro Sprints and Mini Sprints will all be in competition. Gates open at 1 p.m. with racing at 3 p.m. For more information, contact the track office at (845) 626-3478 or check out the website: www.accordspeedway.com.
Notable: Rich Ricci, Jr. considered a snapped right rear axle in his heat race a stroke of good fortune. Had it broken on the first lap of the feature, his shot at the track championship could have taken a severe hit. In actuality, his third place finish was worth over $7,000 - a hefty $5,000 from the track for the point title, $2,000 from DIRT and $750 for the position itself...
Just how much has Sportsman rookie Danny Creeden progressed this season? Two months ago, he struggled to qualify. On Friday night, he raced from sixth to win his heat race, then climbed into the top five in the feature only to sustain a right rear flat on lap 16. Creeden is the son of longtime Orange County (N.Y.) Fair Speedway Modified racer Rusty Creeden...
Three of the top five point contenders in the 358 Modified division were forced to run the consolation, leaving usual frontrunners Tom Hindley, Barry Davis and Donnie Elliott on the outside looking in for the feature...
Don Johnson and John Hager competed in both the Vintage Modified and DIRT Sportsman divisions. Incidentally, they used two different cars...
Former OCFS GM Jay Castimore and his wife Marilyn worked the sponsor tent for the evening...
Jeremy Markle saw a fine season end on a trying note. The Port Jervis, N.Y. driver was swept into several incidents before track officials sent him to the pit area for good on lap 22. The reason: his rear bumper was completely gone...
Missing was Sportsman top gun Mike Van Pelt, who took a Labor Day weekend family vacation in South Carolina...
358 Modified Feature Finish: Robbie Green, Mike Ricci, Rich Ricci, Jr., Andy Bachetti, Fred Newkirk, Donnie Wilson, J.R. Heffner, Tony Kawalchuk, Scott Ferrier, Allen Shiffler, Joe Winne, Jr., Ken McGuire, Mike Murphy, Hank Goranson, Mark Pullen, Jeremy Markle, Jimmy Johnson, Will Robinson, Kenny Baker, Ryan Stortini.
Did Not Qualify: Tom Hindley, Barry Davis, Donnie Elliott, Bruce Leote, Floyd Billington, Bob Cancellieri, John Sanders.
DIRT Sportsman Feature Finish: Kevin Duryea, L.D. Smith, Howard Jarvis, Jeff Hulseapple, David Towns, Tommy Laner, Harry Baldwin, Larry Badaracco, Dave Coene, Keith Still, Bill Van Inwegen, Don Johnson, T.J. Pasko, Chris Garrity, Paul Minton, Nicole Tracy, Danny Creeden, Bill Papula, Ray See, Jr., Henry Sherman, Jay Haviland.
Did Not Qualify: John Hager, Charles Hendrickson, Chuck Thomaschek.
Pro Stock Feature Finish: Lenny Brice, Steve Murray, Jimmy Langenback, George Christiana, John Roese, Noel Osborne, Chrissy Rider, Bill Deak, Butch Winnie, Rob Hoar, Mike Manetta, Ray Williams, Al Cheney, Lenny Helmich, Josh Henke, Larry Ball.
Did Not Start: Terry O'Brien.
Mini Sprint Feature Postponed By Rain Until September 6
Heat Winners: Stephen LaPine and Geoff Quackenbush.
Pure Stock Feature Postponed By Rain Until September 6
Heat Winners: Jim Finnegan and Pat Zimmer.