MIKE RICCI TAKES FULL ADVANTAGE OF ACCORD FRONT ROW SPOT
By BRETT DEYO
ACCORD, NY - Mike Ricci's bad luck run is over.
After three problem filled weeks, the defending track champion took full advantage of an outside pole starting position Friday night at Accord Speedway. Ricci led every lap of the STS Tire DIRT 358 Modified headliner en route to the $1,500 score, his first since the April 18 season opener.
"Track position made all the difference tonight," Ricci stated. "I had the best starting spot anybody could want here. With all the rain this week, the track ended up being pretty tough to race on; I know I wouldn't have wanted to come from the back, so I guess my luck might be changing."
Ricci jumped into the lead at the start of the 30-lap feature and immediately felt heavy pressure from Tom Hindley, before a hard charging Robbie Green moved into second with four laps in the books. On the rebound from his own early season struggles, Green kept the pressure on Ricci's Apple Greens Golf Course Teo-Pro Car for much of the event.
"I knew Robbie was back there," the 38-year old Ricci said. "He could stay with me for a few laps after a caution, but once I got my rhythm going again on the bottom I could pull back away from him."
A final caution for debris on lap 28 bunched the field one final time, but Ricci was not to be denied, powering away for a much needed triumph.
"We've been struggling. The car got wrecked pretty good two weeks in a row, then I ended up finishing eighth last time we ran. Tonight, we made a few changes to keep up with the track and it seemed to work out pretty good. It was a lot better than it had been."
Robbie Green settled for a solid second, bringing the No. 69 home a car length behind Ricci.
"The car was better on cold tires," he said. "It was just a little tight after we'd run some laps."
Tom Hindley of Fair Oaks, N.Y. finished a season best third, but it wasn't without obstacles. After second lap contact, the sway bar on his Teo-Pro car was left dangling on the ground, while an immense clump of clay entered the cockpit and got wedged underneath the gas pedal.
"I couldn't figure out what was wrong," Hindley said. "It seemed like it didn't have any power when I'd step down on it. Once I got into the tech area I looked around my feet, I saw all the clay under the pedal."
Andy Bachetti charged from 10th to fourth, taking over the point lead in the process. Jeremy Markle put together another consistent run for fifth.
A season high 29 358 Modifieds signed in for competition. Hindley, Markle and Mike Ricci won the heat races, while Allen Shiffler topped the 14-car consolation.
Jeff Hulseapple recorded his second consecutive DIRT Sportsman victory in a caution marred 25-lap feature. The 3-time track champion from Bloomingburg, N.Y. charged from 9th starting position to the lead in six laps, then marched on to the $600 victory, despite a left front flat tire on his S&J Towing No. 14H over the final circuits.
"I can't thank my crew enough," Hulseapple said. "I really wasn't sure if I was going to race much this year after being in the point battle last year, but they've been behind me and the car is fast. Last week, I had some good luck to win. I'm happy to be able to come back and win again tonight."
David Towns charged hard in the final laps, but the Rotterdam, N.Y. resident settled for the runner up position, roughly a half straightaway behind Hulseapple at the stripe.
Newcomer Tom Tomasko, a convert from the New Egypt (N.J.) Speedway, was a career best third and Kevin Duryea rebounded from a mid race flat tire for fourth. Early race leader Larry Badaracco was a solid fifth.
Badaracco, Hulseapple and Howard Jarvis earned heat race victories while Jimmy Winchell won the consolation.
Elwood Hewitt of Saugerties, N.Y. topped the 20-lap Pro Stock feature. Hewitt charged from 18th starting position to the lead in just 11 laps, taking advantage of several early race jingles in his ascent through the field. Once in front, he marched on to his first win of the 2003 season.
After a ninth lap spin, Ken Hartshorn charged hard to finish second, ahead of 19th starter Clarence Palmer in his 2003 debut. Jim Langenback and Mike Manetta completed the top five.
Richard Sennett made his first trip to victory lane of the season in the 15-lap Mini Sprint feature, making the move around an impressive Mark Rogers with 6 laps complete. The Parksville, N.Y. driver then powered away in his iSnack No. 9, leading the remainder of the distance.
Jeremy Quick's first run with a new powerplant under the hood of the No. 29 resulted in a second place finish, ahead of Ed Burgess, John Parete and rookie Clint Roehrs.
Former track champion Scott Kilmer of Millerton, N.Y. topped a wild 15-lap Pure Stock main. Kilmer appeared to be on track for a third place finish, until, with two laps remaining Joe Narok turned race long leader Jay Smalley
around in turn two. Narok received the black flag and Kilmer inherited the top spot.
He then fought off Mike Deyo for the victory. Joe Judge was a season high third, ahead of Chris Meola and William Landrum.
Heavy rain throughout the week and a downpour at 4 p.m. make track preparation a project for promoter Gary Palmer. Water oozed up through the surface in turn four and several choppy spots developed in turn one. However, the moist clay provided a good deal of bite and some exciting side by side racing prevailed for much of the night.
The recently expanded pit area was jammed to capacity with 29 358 Modifieds, 26 DIRT Sportsman, 28 Pro Stocks, 24 Mini Sprints and 27 Pure Stocks signed in for competition.
Racing resumes at the Action Track on Friday June 6 with the 3rd Annual Joe Winne Memorial 55-lap 358 Modified main. The $2,000 to win event is a Sunoco/A-Plus 358 Modified Qualifier for Super DIRT Week at the New York State Fairgrounds. The DIRT Sportsman, Pro Stocks, Mini Sprints and Pure Stocks will all be in competition.
Gates open at 4:30 p.m. with hot laps at 6 p.m. and racing at 7 p.m. For further info, contact the speedway office at (845) 626-3478 or check out the website: www.accordspeedway.com.
Accord Notes: Returning to the Sportsman division was Matamoras, Pa. veteran Bill Papula. The second grade teacher at Golden Hill Elementary in Florida, N.Y. recently signed Peerless Cast Iron Boilers as the primary sponsor of his No. 1 and will focus his efforts on Accord for much of the 2003 season. He finished seventh in his first run of 2003...
16-year old Nicole Tracy made her first Sportsman feature, crossing the line third in the consi. Tracy's father, Mike, a business owner from Danbury, Conn. lent a helping hand to neighbor Larry Badaracco, who destroyed his car in a hard May 16 crash. Tracy purchased the former Downes Racing '97 Troyer for Badaracco, who admittedly did not have the funds or will to build another car.
The veteran raced it to a fifth place finish...
Rich Ricci, Jr. had been invincible during the early portions of the year - until Friday night. He got collected in a lap 13 Tony Kawalchuk spin, snapping the tie rod on his No. 55. Ricci returned to the race several laps down and was scored 16th, relinquishing the point lead...
Caution flag fireworks erupted on lap 20 of the 358 Mod feature. After contact between Rick Mill and Scott Ferrier, the left front wheel of Ferrier's No. 20 separated from the car. Under the yellow, Ferrier chased Mill around the speedway on three wheels, making significant contact with Mill's No. 77. Ferrier lost all points and money for the evening while Mill soldiered on for seventh...
Allen Shiffler received a jolt in the No. 73 during the 358 Modified feature. The Greentown, Pa. 24-year old had a massive ball of clay break the screen out of his No. 73 while racing mid-field. "The clay must have been half the size of my screen," Shiffler said. "It came out from under the 9D (Barry Davis) and busted the screen right out of the car." Shiffler raced on for 10th...
Starter Jim Weed introduced a new policy at the Drivers Meeting - any driver that takes out the race leader will be black flagged instead of just filing in at the rear of the field. Weed stuck to his word and Joe Narok became the first black flag recipient in the Pure Stock feature...
358 Modified Feature Finish: Mike Ricci, Robbie Green, Tom Hindley, Andy Bachetti, Jeremy Markle, Tony Kawalchuk, Rick Mill, Jimmy Johnson, Barry Davis, Allen Shiffler, Kenny Baker, John Finley, Kirk Horton, Fred Newkirk, Jim Introne, Rich Ricci, Jr., Mark Pullen, John Sanders, Bruce Leote. DQ (No Points, Money): Scott Ferrier.
Did Not Qualify: Hank Goranson, Larry Hendershot, Rich Hansen, Mike Murphy, Ryan Stortini, Phil Recchio, Joe Winne, Jr., Kenny McGuire.
DIRT Sportsman Feature Finish: Jeff Hulseapple, David Towns, Tom Tomasko, Kevin Duryea, Larry Badaracco, Henry Sherman, Bill Papula, Keith Still, Chris Grispin, T.J. Pasko, Dave Coene, Poover Daley, Mike Van Pelt, Billy Van Inwegen, Jimmy Winchell, Jim House, Howard Jarvis, Nicole Tracy, Rich Oxford, George Johnson.
Did Not Qualify: Ed Randolph, Don Johnson, Paul Minton, Jimmy Lord, Ray See, Joe Warne.
Pro Stock Feature Finish: Elwood Hewitt, Ken Hartshorn, Clarence Palmer, Jim Langenback, Mike Manetta, Steve Murray, Tom Kuck, Don Palmateer, Henry Van Houten, John Roese, Scott Mill, Leonard Brice, John Odendahl, Noel Osborne, Rob Johnson, Butch Winnie, Dave Colwell, Gene Temple, Don Williams, Dickie Colesanti, George Christiana.
Did Not Qualify: Chris DeCiel, Bryan McElheny, Anthony Vitale, Chris Bottge, Rob Hoar, Terry O'Brien, Hank Morin.
Mini Sprint Feature Finish: Rich Sennett, Jeremy Quick, Ed Burgess, John Parete, Clint Roehrs, Brian Baxter, Steve Boyd, Marc DuPuis, Joe Sanfillippo, Randy Caruso, Kyle Lucas, Todd Bernier, John Lieto, Kevin Kondelka, Duane Koskey, Mark Rogers, Stephen LaPine, John Matrafailo, John Wullum, Jesse Baum.
Did Not Start: Geoff Quackenbush, Shea Montgomery, Peter Sindt, Rob Scaccio.
Pure Stock Feature Finish: Scott Kilmer, Mike Deyo, Joe Judge, Chris Meola, Will Landrum, Sharon Byrne, Mike Houghtaling, Bob Gibson, James Goetchius, Bert Long, Tony Polemeni, Paul Harding, Jay Smalley, Joe Narok, Pat Zimmer, Kevin Krusewski, Walter Lovelace, Peter Warren, Don Carlson, Jay Pepin, Mike DuBois, Jim Baxter, George Baxter, George Baxter, Matt DuBois, Greg Meola.
Did Not Qualify: Paul Jordan.