RICH RICCI, JR. USES HIGH SIDE TO PERFECTION AT ACCORD
By BRETT DEYO
ACCORD, NY - Rich Ricci, Jr. loves the outside groove at Accord Speedway.
Using the extreme high side of the quarter mile oval, Ricci powered from deep in the field to win Friday night's Apple Greens Golf Course 30-lap DIRT 358 Modified feature. For the New Paltz, N.Y. talent, the $1,500 win marked his fourth trip to victory lane of the 2003 season.
"The track was awesome all night long," an ecstatic Ricci exclaimed. "I loved it - you could run high, low, anywhere you needed to. My car was perfect on top and it could pull off the bottom, too."
Ricci started tenth aboard his Precision-powered Dirt Wheels No. 55R, but a fierce battle for the lead between Tony Kawalchuk and Scott Ferrier took center stage early in the going. Kawalchuk led until Ferrier made an inside move stick on lap 5. Two laps later, Donnie Elliott took over the runner up spot and moved up to challenge the leader.
Meanwhile, Ricci was on the move.
By the ninth circuit, he took over third. Then, in a brilliant outside charge, he whipped around both Elliott and Ferrier on lap 10, using the cushion to his advantage in turn one.
"I saw the 20 (Ferrier) keeping Elliott right down on the bottom," Ricci, 37, recalled. "I said ‘I got ‘em' and drove right around both of them. I had it right to the tin."
As the laps wound down, Mike Ricci made significant tracks through the field. Rebounding from a lap 2 incident and a mid race penalty for jumping a restart, the defending champion moved his Teo-Pro mount past Ferrier for second on lap 25.
A final caution on lap 29 set up a dash to the checkered. Mike Ricci made a determined outside run, but couldn't make the move around his younger sibling.
"I saw Mike moving up on the lap counter and I was counting the laps," the six-time champion said. "I knew he'd be coming - he wasn't even in the top five at halfway."
The elder Ricci was content with second after making significant changes prior to the feature.
"Tommy Ryan (longtime Ricci crew member) changed all the shocks after the heat race," Ricci quipped. "We went back to the Shadow shocks for the feature and it was a lot better. The car was terrible in the heat race."
Scott Ferrier held on for third, his best finish of the season. Donnie Elliott was fourth, and Joe Winne, Jr. rebounded from a pair of incidents for fifth.
A season high 28 358 Modifieds signed in for competition.
In a battle of the DIRT Sportsman titans, David Towns nipped Kevin Duryea in the 25-lap main. Towns, a former CVRA regular from Rotterdam, N.Y. blasted through the field, sliding his Troyer Four Link/Coil Over combination past Harry Baldwin in lapped traffic on lap 14.
The final laps were not easy, though.
Point leader Kevin Duryea cleanly picked his way to the front from his 10th starting position, taking over second on lap 17. Duryea reeled in Towns and applied heavy pressure, sticking the nose of his K&M Sealcoating No. 99K to the inside on several occasions. A pair of late race cautions foiled Duryea's effort and handed Towns his third win of the season.
"I needed green flag laps," Duryea stated. "I was good on the long green runs, but he was better on restarts. That last caution killed me."
Baldwin was a solid third, just ahead of Jeff Hulseapple and Mike Van Pelt.
Jimmy Langenback continued his dominance of the Pro Stock division, topping a competitive 20-lap main. The crafty veteran made a patient ascent through the field, passing race long leader Dave Colwell with five circuits remaining in the 20-lap contest. Colwell, in the race of his career, finished second, ahead of Mike Manetta, Noel Osborne and Norbert Bracklow.
In an extra distance 20-lap Mini Sprint feature, John Matrafailo emerged victorious. The former full-sized Sprint Car racer from Milford, Pa. swapped the lead on several occasions with Peter Sindt, before finally assuming command on a 14th lap restart. Sindt bobbled for an instant and Matrafailo jumped on the opportunity, powering the Sunset Strip No. 8 to the inside in the first turn.
Jeremy Quick was second, with Rob Scaccio, Sindt and Duane Koskey in tow.
Joe Narok of Highland, N.Y. again topped the 15-lap Pure Stock feature. Joe Distefano was a solid second, besting Pat Zimmer, newcomer Emerson Cargain, Jr. and Mike Deyo.
Jimmy Halpin, an Accord 358 Modified competitor, won the 15-lap Vintage Modified main aboard the No. 50 Pinto.
Notes: One of the strangest occurrences of the night took place under caution during the 358 Modified feature. After a lap 17 incident slowed the action, luckless Donnie Wilson attempted to fall into line when Jim Introne's No. 9X veered right into Wilson's car. Heavy contact ensued and the Ramsey, N.J. driver executed a full flip in the air before landing on his wheels at the entrance to turn 3.
After the race, Wilson remained baffled by the incident. "I was pointing the black 9 (Introne) to go by me and maybe he thought I was pointing at him. The next thing I knew, he turned right and I was in the air. When it came back down, it ran so I drove away." A separate spin later in the feature finally forced him to the infield...
Rear end problems claimed both Barry Davis and Tony Kawalchuk, who ran amongst the leaders early in the going...
Tom Hindley topped a wild consolation, then charged from 16th to the top five only to lose fourth place on the final lap to a flat tire. Hindley was remarkably upbeat following the tough break. "It wasn't going half bad," he smiled. "There's always next week."...
For the first time, promoter Gary Palmer graded the track on his own, and the result was a smooth, fast surface. Palmer spent three hours working on the fourth turn alone...
358 Modified Feature Finish: Rich Ricci, Jr., Mike Ricci, Scott Ferrier, Donnie Elliott, Joe Winne, Jr., Andy Bachetti, Mark Pullen, Jimmy Johnson, Mike Murphy, Jeremy Markle, Allen Shiffler, Tom Hindley, Larry Hendershot, Donnie Wilson, Tony Kawalchuk, Jim Introne, Robbie Green, John Sanders, Barry Davis, Bruce Leote.
Did Not Qualify: Hank Goranson, Fred Newkirk, Phil Recchio, Ryan Stortini, Ken McGuire, Will Robsinon, Bob Cancellieri, Kenny Baker.
DIRT Sportsman Feature Finish: David Towns, Kevin Duryea, Harry Baldwin, Jeff Hulseapple, Mike Van Pelt, Howard Jarvis, Keith Still, Henry Sherman, Dave Coene, Poover Daley, Jay Haviland, Chris Grispin, Larry Badaracco, Kenny Moulton, Bill Van Inwegen, T.J. Pasko, Paul Minton, Nicole Tracy, Tommy Laner, Ladd Yeommans.
Did Not Qualify: Ray See, Jr., Bill Papula.
Pro Stock Feature Finish: Jim Langenback, Dave Colwell, Mike Manetta, Noel Osborne, Norbert Bracklow, Rob Johnson, Jerry Craig, Butch Winnie, Rob Hoar, Rich Colesanti, Chris Bottge, Pedro Portalatin, Don Williams, Terry O'Brien, Scott Liese, George Christiana, John Roese, Tom Kuck, Steve Murray.
Mini Sprint Feature Finish: John Matrafailo, Jeremy Quick, Rob Scaccio, Peter Sindt, Duane Koskey, John Lieto, John Parete, Todd Lapp, Stephen LaPine, Clint Roehrs, Marshall Gogg, Mark Rogers, Kevin Kondelka, Jesse Baum, Rich Sennett, Gary Reyer, Ed Burgess.
Did Not Start: Randy Caruso.
Pure Stock Feature Finish: Joe Narok, Joe DiStefano, Pat Zimmer, Emerson Cargain, Mike Deyo, Will Landrum, Scott Kilmer, Chris Meola, Greg Meola, Phil Goetschius, Mike DuBois, Dan Rose, Joe Judge, Sharon Byrne, Peter Warren, Jay Smalley, Kevin Krusewski.