BACHETTI GETS A BOOST - WINS THIRD OF THE YEAR AT ACCORD
By BRETT DEYO
ACCORD, NY - Andy Bachetti got a much needed boost Friday night at Accord Speedway.
On the heels of a month long streak of bad luck, the Sheffield, Mass. star returned to victory lane in the 30-lap Albany Avenue Garage DIRT 358 Modified feature. The $1,500 score on double point night allowed Bachetti to close within 21 markers of point leader Rich Ricci, Jr. with three weeks remaining.
"The car was excellent," an enthused Bachetti exclaimed. "I couldn't have asked
for anything better - my guys worked hard all week and it paid off."
Bachetti started fourth in the Rene and Donnie Downes owned Bicknell, but charged into the runner up spot behind early pacesetter Donnie Wilson by the completion of the second go round. The three time Orange County Fair Speedway 358 Modified champion hounded Wilson continuously, looking high and low lap after lap for much of the race's first half.
A lap 11 restart gave Bachetti the break he needed. Utilizing the outside groove of the quarter mile oval, Bachetti whipped his A&C Performance powered No. 40 around Wilson for the top spot.
"I had to get by him on that restart," Bachetti admitted. "He was tough on the bottom, so I knew I had to take it in up high. The car had tremendous side bite and drive; once I went up there I knew I could shoot off the corner around him."
An overheating engine and a hard charging Robbie Green provided a pair of challenges in the final laps, however.
"I think the fan belt was slipping," Bachetti said. "When we were under green, it got up to 270 (degrees), but under caution at a low RPM, it cooled right down. Once it got hot, it started to lay down a little bit. I could have used all the power tonight."
Green, who worked his way from dead last after a first lap penalty, took over second on a 22nd lap restart and closed in on Bachetti. A lap 28 caution gave the Wallkill, N.Y. veteran a shot at the lead, but he wasn't able to pull off a late race maneuver.
"I think we were about the same speed," Green said. "If I hadn't gotten sent to the rear I might have had a better chance, but that's racing."
A bobble on the final restart ultimately proved to be his undoing.
"I took it in hard with two to go," he said. "Then I was too far back."
Tom Hindley of Fair Oaks, N.Y. authored an impressive drive from 13th starting spot to third, finishing just ahead of Rich Ricci, Jr. and Jimmy Johnson in another steady performance.
The late summer car count remained high, with 29 358 Mods in the pit area.
Kevin Duryea tiptoed to the outside groove in the final circuits and it paid off with a victory in the 25-lap DIRT Sportsman feature.
The Wallkill, N.Y. 24-year old took advantage of a late race restart to snatch the lead from a strong running Larry Badaracco, then motored away for his second victory of the ‘03 campaign in the K&M Sealcoating Troyer Four-Link.
Duryea, the division's point leader, pressured Badaracco on the bottom for several laps before trying the outside line with four laps remaining.
"The 17L (Badaracco) was holding tight to the inside," Duryea said. "Early in the race I passed some cars up high, so I told myself I had to try it up there. When we went green, I built some momentum and it carried me right around him."
The $600 triumph allowed Duryea to open up a 46 point edge on second place
David Towns in the title fight.
Badaracco, of Danbury, Conn., held on to finish a solid second, his best performance in over a decade. Jay Haviland was third, just ahead of Go Kart graduate Danny Creeden, who marched from 17th on the grid to finish fourth, his best effort in a full-sized stock car. 21st starter Keith Still rounded out the top five.
Jim Langenback returned to glory in the 20-lap Pro Stock feature. The Pittsfield, Mass. veteran took over the lead from a stout John Roese at the halfway point, then fought off the charges of Garden State frontrunner Al Cheney in the final circuits for his seventh win of the season. Cheney backed up his first win with a runner up effort, checking in just in front of Roese in the Ford-powered No. 28. Mike Manetta and George Christiana trailed.
Parkville, N.Y.'s Rich Sennett picked up the win in the 20-lap Mini Sprint feature, leading the final 14 circuits of the caution plagued affair. With his second victory of the season, Sennett moved into a tie for the point lead with Jeremy Quick, who finished third. Former track champion Peter Sindt was second, ahead of Quick, Rob Scaccio and a returning Bobby Lynt.
For the second consecutive week, Mike Deyo of New Windsor, N.Y. topped the Pure Stock field, winning the 15-lap feature. Deyo started eighth and quietly moved forward, slipping past Joe DiStefano on the eighth go round for the top spot. He then fought off Pat Zimmer in the final laps for the victory.
Zimmer's second place run was nixed in post race tech inspection when he was stripped of points and money for disc brakes on the rear of his No. 15. Joe DiStefano, a solid Sharon Byrne and Todd Houghtaling completed the front five.
Nearly 75 cars jammed the frontstretch at intermission for the popular Autograph and Camera Night.
Notable: Making his return after a two month absence was J.R. Heffner. The Averill Park, N.Y. talent had to curtail his own efforts to one night a week (Lebanon Valley) earlier this season but teamed up with car owners Dave and Gina Goodermote to for Friday action.
The Goodermotes, owners of an excavating business in Stephentown, N.Y. recently parted with Ronnie Johnson, who had piloted their car at Albany-Saratoga. Heffner filled the seat of the 2002 Teo-Pro mount and the team plans to remain at Accord for the remainder of the season.
The husband and wife combination also have a 2001 Teo-Pro car in their stable, which is driven in the 358 Modified division by Eddie Marshall at Lebanon Valley. Heffner's return was a rough one; he flattened a tire in the heat race, started last and battled to a ninth place finish after a pair of early incidents...
Rich Ricci, Jr. was happy to finish fourth after a first lap, three wide scramble sent him hard into the turn two boiler plate. The top five effort even surprised his father Rich, Sr., who knew the car had significant suspension damage. "I was surprised he pulled away," the patriarch of the Ricci family said. "The front end was quivering - it mixed it up somewhere, maybe a shock. He nursed it back to the front, but he couldn't make much headway."...
Kevin Duryea's victory almost didn't happen. On lap 20, contact from behind sent him spinning in turn four. Luckily, the caution was already out for a turn one incident, negating the spin...
The first top five for Sportsman rookie Danny Creeden came in unlikely fashion. The Middletown, N.Y. native qualified through the consolation, was involved in a pair of incidents, but soldiered on with his Teo-Pro car for fourth...
358 Modified Feature Finish: ANDY BACHETTI, Robbie Green, Tom Hindley, Rich Ricci, Jr., Jimmy Johnson, Mike Ricci, Barry Davis, Hank Goranson, J.R. Heffner, Jeremy Markle, Donnie Wilson, Mark Pullen, Allen Shiffler, Bruce Leote, Scott Ferrier, Phil Recchio, Joe Winne, Jr., Don Elliott, Mike Murphy, Tony Kawalchuk.
Did Not Qualify: Ryan Stortini, Fred Newkirk, Will Robinson, Ken Baker, Larry Hendershot, Bob Cancellieri, Ken McGuire, Bob Gaetenello, John Sanders.
DIRT Sportsman Feature Finish: KEVIN DURYEA, Larry Badaracco, Jay Haviland, Danny Creeden, Keith Still, David Towns, Jimmy Fugel, Mike Van Pelt, Howard Jarvis, Henry Sherman, Dave Coene, T.J. Pasko, Paul Minton, Ladd Yeommans, Harry Baldwin, Chris Garrity, Billy Papula, Chris Grispin, Jeff Hulseapple, Poover Daley, L.D. Smith.
Did Not Qualify: Nicole Tracy, Bill Van Inwegen, Don Johnson, Ray See, Jim House, Dave Harris.
Pro Stock Feature Finish: JIM LANGENBACK, Al Cheney, John Roese, Mike Manetta, George Christiana, Norbert Bracklow, Noel Osborne, Tom Kuck, Larry Temple, Jr., Dick Colesanti, Butch Winnie, Chris Bottge, Ron Rion, Scott Mill, Terry O'Brien, Lenny Brice, Josh Henke, Steve Plumstead, Steve Murray, Jerry Craig.
Did Not Qualify: John Rood, Lenny Helmich, Larry Ball.
Mini Sprint Feature Finish: RICH SENNETT, Peter Sindt, Jeremy Quick, Rob Scaccio, Bobby Lynt, Don Harvey, Ed Burgess, Todd Lapp, Marshall Gogg, Kyle Lucas, John Matrafailo, Gary Reyer, Jesse Baum, Brian Baxter, Geoff Quackenbush, Duane Koskey, Mark Rogers, Kevin Kondelka, Stephen LaPine, Randy Caruso, Clint Roehrs.
Pure Stock Feature Finish: MIKE DEYO, Pat Zimmer (DQ), Joe DiStefano, Sharon Byrne, Todd Houghtaling, Scott Kilmer, Jay Smalley, Bill Deak, Jr., Mike DuBois, Joe Judge, Matt DuBois, Tony Polemeni, Greg Meola, William Landrum, Jim Finnegan, Paul Jordan, Kevin Krusewski.