Saturday May 20, 2017 Bethel NY; Flying Ryan Tidman of Levittown, Pa is on a hot Streak with the ATQMRA earning his second win in a row after Matt Janisch spun in the waning laps to lose in a heartbreaker. Heat Races were won by Tidman and Buddy Sload. The ACRO Rookie of the race was 11th finishing Ronnie Mullen. Next up for the ATQMRA is the return to Riverhead Long Island for the Pete Petraitis Memorial Tribute to the Bad Guys on June 3rd for an indoor rules wingless race.
The feature race saw the front row of Matt Janisch and Mark Yoder take the green flag with Janisch launching into the lead with Joey Bailey following him into second. Tidman worked from his sixth starting position to work his way into second on lap 12. Tidman was able to close in on Janisch who knows the way to Victory lane in his own number 48 Yuhas Chassis mount. Janisch was hoping to give car owner Alan Mollot an early birthday Present by taking his famous 51 Lindblad Badger to Victory Lane. It was not to be. Heading into the final lap the leaders encountered lap traffic and as Janisch went low he appeared to pinch it a little too tight and spun entering the first turn.
The spin put Tidman on the pole for the green white checkered finish where he went on to victory over a closing Joey Bailey. Buddy Sload rounded out the podium with Matt Roselli finishing fourth and Jeff Kot in his Behrents Performance 95 running the fastest lap of the feature finishing fifth.
Tim Procter made his return to competition a good night with a solid sixth place. Procter missed the early part of the season for the birth of his Daughter Gwen who was on hand to cheer her daddy on. 2016 Rookie of the year Mark Yoder was seventh with Geoffrey Sutton eighth. Janisch was relegated to a ninth place finish with Joey Payne III picking up a top ten.
The ACRO Rookie of the Race was Ronnie the Rocket Mullen who finished eleventh in his BGF Chassis Mount.
The feature race was a very competitive race. The top nine cars remained on the same straight away after 24 laps of caution free racing before the caution fell. The wingless racing appears to tighten up the field.
The first heat race was won by Buddy Sload in the Colin Martin Spitfire 36. The start of the heat race was the end of the day for the ATQMRA's top Rookie Dave Gorbatuk when he was sent into a series of flips down the front straight away ending his night early. Dave was shaken but otherwise unhurt following the incident.
The second heat was won by Tidman in the Boyd Racing 1B. The second heat was also marred by a crash that took out Geoffrey Sutton's 461 BGF Chassis car. The car broke loose exiting the fourth turn and put him hard into the wall. Sutton rebounded hopping into the team's F8 car and walked away with a strong finish in the feature.
Next up for the ATQMRA is the rebirth of the Pete Petraitis Memorial "Tribute to the Bad Guys" on Saturday June 3rd at Long Island's Riverhead Speedway. The ATQMRA is selling Boosters for the race for $20 with the proceeds being awarded to the car winning the race as well as the 3rd 18th and 21st finishing cars to commemorate the traditional car numbers of the Bad Guys. Since the race isn't 40 laps long Pete's personal number 40 will be awarded to the feature race winner.
Feature 25 Laps 1. 1B Ryan Tidman 2. 02 Joey Bailey 3. 36 Buddy Sload 4. 98 Matt Roselli 5. 95 Jeff Kot 6. 98t Tim Proctor 7. 75 Mark Yoder 8. F8 Geoffrey Sutton 9. 51 Matt Janisch 10. 67 Joey Payne III 11. 39 Ronnie Mullen 12. 73c Cole Mullen 13. DNS Dave Gorbatuk 14. DNS 461 JT Davis
Heat Race 1 1. 36 Buddy Sload 2. 02 Joey Bailey 3. 98T Tim Procter 4. 75 Mark Yoder 5. 67 Joey Payne III 6. 39 Ronnie Mullen 7. Dave Gorbatuk
Heat Race 2 1. 1B Ryan Tidman 2. 51 Matt Janisch 3. 98 Matt Roselli 4. 95 Jeff Kot 5. 73c Cole Mullen 6. 461 Geoffrey Sutton 7. F8 JT Davis