ROBBIE GREEN WINS ONE FOR HIS DAD IN ACCORD 50-LAPPER
by Brett Deyo
ACCORD, NY-Robbie Green won one for his father Friday night.
Battling an ill-handling car, Green fought off a late race charge by Andy Bachetti to win the Bob Green Memorial at Accord Speedway. For the 40 year old Green, the emotionally charged triumph in the 50-lap race run in his dad's honor was worth much more than the $3,000 first-place money.
"I really, really wanted this one," the happy Green exclaimed. "I have to thank Gary (Palmer) for running this race. It was certainly an honor for our family. As soon as I heard about this, I said to myself 'I want to win that one.' This means a lot."
Green's fourth win of the season certainly did not come easy. "I definitely had my doubts," he quipped. "The car was tight from about the tenth lap on, and I had to really drive defensively, which I hate to do. I knew the top was coming in as the race went on, but my brother was on the radio telling me to stay low and hold my line."
Once Andy Bachetti broke into the runner up position on the 14th circuit, Green began to feel heavy pressure. The Sheffield, Mass. 25-year old looked high and low on the short track veteran, making Green work hard to keep the number one position.
"I have to give Andy a lot of credit," Green noted. "He ran a great race, and a clean race. It was a lot of fun to run with him. He was fast...I had to work for it."
Bachetti actually got around Green on the 36th circuit, but got trapped behind the lapped car of Mark Pullen, allowing Green to sweep around the outside and regain the lead.
"He had me," Green said of the pass. "But they gave the No. 30 the move over and he went for the bottom. That trapped him low, and I was able to get back by."
Green's most serious challenge, however, came in the final two laps. Running the extreme outside of the quarter mile, Bachetti built up momentum and made a last ditch effort to work by the Gross Graphics No. 69. However, the crafty twenty-plus year racing veteran quickly changed lanes and blocked Bachetti's run on the topside.
"Dave told me that he was flying on the top, so I had to move up in the fourth turn and block him. He gave a quite a run for it."
Bachetti was forced to settle for second aboard the Rene and Donnie Downes-owned Kool Temp Heating and Cooling No. 40. "This car was awesome tonight," Bachetti said. "It was really close to perfect. I have to give these guys on the crew credit, they give a good car."
J.R. Heffner of Averill Park, N.Y. had a strong run for third spot after starting tenth, while Rich Ricci, Jr. and Mike Ricci completed the front five after being involved in a 23rd lap incident.
Scott Ferrier, Jackie Brown, Jr., Barry Davis, a returning Jeff Heotzler and Donnie Wilson completed the second half of the top ten.
Joe Winne, Jr. grabbed the top spot on the initial green from the outside pole, and led the first eight circuits before Scott Ferrier spun in turn four, bringing out the caution. Green, who started fifth, swept around the outside of Winne on the restart to take over the top spot.
Five laps later, seventh-starter Bachetti powered his '99 Troyer Coil Car into the runner up spot, setting up the classic battle for the remainder of the distance.
The Ricci brothers got together in turn three with 23 laps in the books, bringing out the caution and putting Bachetti on Green's back bumper.
As Green and Bachetti paced the field, trouble erupted deep in the pack at the halfway point. Invaders Kirk Horton and Jeff Heotzler made contact off of the fourth turn and Horton hopped the wheel of Rick Mill's No. 77, sending him airborne and hard into the frontstretch boiler plate.
The Eldred, N.Y. driver was uninjured but his No. 7K sustained heavy damage.
After one more incident on the 28th circuit, the race went under green flag conditions for the remainder of the distance, as Green and Bachetti had the crowd on its feet after the thrilling battle for the victory.
Bachetti looked high and low, pulling even with Green on several occasions, but on this night, Green was a determined diver, and he held on for the extremely popular triumph.
25 cars attempted to qualify for the event, with heat race victories going to Joe Winne, Jr., Ed Haenelt and Jeremy Matthies. Heotzler won the consolation.
The evening was dedicated to the memory of Bob Green, who sustained career-ending and eventually life-ending injuries while competing at the speedway in 1982.
In DIRT Sportsman action, former track champion Jim Winchell of Stone Ridge, N.Y. drove to his first victory of the season. Winchell, who started sixth, took over the top spot with an inside pass of Ladd Yeommans with two circuits remaining in the 25-lap affair.
Winchell romped through traffic, then spent much of the event working on Yeommans for the top spot. Yeommans slipped up in the fourth turn on the 23rd go round and Winchell powered the C&J Self Storage No. 17 to a lead he wouldn't relinquish.
Jeff Hulseapple made a bold last lap move for second spot, while Yeommans held on for third over Kevin Duryea and Mike Van Pelt.
Ray See, Jr. drove to his first win of the season in the 20-lap Pro Stock feature. See, of Patterson, N.Y. inherited the lead on the fifteenth circuit when leader Elwood Hewitt retired to the infield with a fire under the hood of his No. 87. See then pulled away for the popular victory.
Defending champion Mike Dutka, back in his car from last season, had a strong run for second, ahead of Larry Temple, Jr., Mike Manetta and Noel Osborne.
John Matrafailo of Milford, Pa. led from green to checkered in the 15-lap Mini Sprint feature for his second victory of the season. Matrafailo's most serious challenge came late in the event from young gun Steven Lapine, but the veteran held on aboard the D&D Napa No. 8 for the win.
Lapine, of Mahopac, N.Y., had a solid run for second, ahead of John Parete, Jeremy Quick and a returning Dave Tonic.
For the third time this season, Mike Deyo of Cornwall, N.Y. won the 15-lap Pure Stock feature. Deyo, who started sixth, took over the lead on a fourth lap restart, then pulled away.
Several late race cautions bunched the field, but Deyo hung on for the win over Chris Meola, who earned a career-best second place finish. Dave Gerard, Jay Smalley and Scott Hornbeck rounded out the top five.
Big A Notes: A standing room only crowd was on hand for the event, despite threatening, dark skies...Robbie Green gave much of the credit for his victory to brother Dave, who worked the radio. "He did a great job on the radio. I think that's what saved us tonight." Green's night was nearly ruined in his heat race when he got tangled in a first lap tangle that crushed the left-side of his Olsen-Pro car. He held on for second, however...Mike Ricci lost the brakes on his No. 76 and got into younger brother Rich Ricci, Jr. on the 23rd lap, causing Rich to spin. The elder Ricci made several trips to the pits and rebounded for fifth, one spot behind his brother...Jeff Heotzler made his first Accord start in seventeen years aboard the Harry Behrent No. 3. Once the King of the quarter mile, Heotzler struggled to find a set up and finished ninth...Andy Bachetti's second place run was miraculous, considering the Sheffield, Mass. driver lost the power steering on the second lap. "His arms were like rubber when he came in," car owner Donnie Downes joked...Sportsman racer Harry Baldwin flipped in his heat race, then rebounded to win the consolation...Racing resumes on Friday, August 2nd with a full regular show, plus a 50-lap, $1,000 to win Sportsman feature.
358 Modified Feature Finish: Robbie Green, Andy Bachetti, J.R. Heffner, Rich Ricci, Jr., Mike Ricci, Scott Ferrier, Jackie Brown, Jr., Barry Davis, Jeff Heotzler, Donnie Wilson, Rick Mill, Ed Strada, Jr., Phil Recchio, Jeremy Matthies, Joe Winne, Jr., Fred Newkirk, Kenny Baker, Mark Pullen, Ed Haenelt, Jeremy Markle, Kirk Horton, Keith Shoemaker. Did Not Qualify: Jim Halpin, Rich Hansen, BK Rizzo.
DIRT Sportsman Feature Finish: Jim Winchell, Jeff Hulseapple, Ladd Yeommans, Kevin Duryea, Mike Van Pelt, Pete Gardner, Rich Oxford, Bill Deckelman, KC McCoy, Tony Kawalchuk, Larry Badaracco, Harry Baldwin, Lem Atkins, Henry Sherman, Tom Byrne, Kenny Moulton, Jr., Joe Worner, Poover Daley, Chuck Thomaschek, Steve Williams. Did Not Qualify: Joe Higgins, Howard Jarvis, Wayne Hommel.
Pro Stock Feature Finish: Ray See, Jr., Mike Dutka, Larry Temple, Jr., Mike Manetta, Noel Osborne, Rob Johnson, John Odendahl, George Christiana, Butch Winnie, John Roese, Scott Liese, Henry Van Houten, George Van Arsdall, Rob Hoar, Steve Murray, Elwood Hewitt, Hank Morin, Rich Suitter, Gene Temple, Jim Clark. Did Not Qualify: John Rood, Leonard Brice, Don Palmateer, Jim Potter, Joe Scott, Jr.
Mini Sprint Feature Finish: John Matrafailo, Steven Lapine, John Parete, Mike Dutka, Dave Tonic, Peter Sindt, John Wullum, Joe Sanfilippo, P.J. Peworchik, Jesse Baum, Louis DuPuis, Mark Rogers, Rodney White, Gary Reyer, Bob Lynt, Rich Sennett.
Pure Stock Feature Finish: Mike Deyo, Chris Meola, Dave Gerard, Jay Smalley, Scott Hornbeck, Lee Gallant, Joe Narok, Sharon Byrne, Morgan Bernas, Dan Bertholf, Joe Judge, Paul Jordan, Peter Warren, William Landrum, Mike DuBois, Bert Long, Dan Rose, Kevin Krusweski, Doug Chase, John Hughes, George Decker, Rickie Odendahl, Mike Horkan, Andy Briggs.