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Jeff Kot Earns Impact Racing Products ATQMRA Gambler’s Classic Top Honors

Jeff Kot was the highest finishing Registered ATQMRA member at the 2008 Gambler’s Classic in Atlantic City. The top finishing rookie competitor was Brent Marks in the Joe Csernak F8, and the Hard luck award goes to Frank Fischer in the Colin Martin 36. Winners will be presented their awards at the February 28th awards banquet.

Kot took the longest possible route to earn his way into Saturday’s A-Main. Kot posted the slowest time of all time trailers in the event. Kot raced through the Friday night eliminator to earn a qualifying position in the Saturday night Eliminator. From his last starting position in that eliminator Kot avoided the carnage and made his way into a qualifying position to start at the rear of the Saturday night heat races. He earned a qualifying position into the Gambler’s Classic the hard way. Kot kept his nose clean throughout the A-Main and finished in the tenth position earning the Impact Racing $100.00 Certificate and a refund of his membership registration fee for 2009.

Frank Fischer made his way into the Saturday night Gambler’s Classic in the Colin Martin Spitfire 36 but was involved in an early race tangle that ended his chances at victory. This earned him the ATQMRA Impact Racing Hard Luck Award of a $100.00 certificate.

The Joe Csernak F8 had the highest finishing Rookie Driver aboard in Brent Marks. The Csernak Racing machine had an impressive qualifying run of 7^th out of the 100 registered cars for the event. Marks qualified through his heat race to make the Gambler’s Classic in his first indoor event ever. His A-main efforts were ended by an early race tangle that relegated the team to a 24^th place finish.

Out of the 31 cars that earned an invite to the race in Rhode Island’s Dunkin Doughnut Center 15 invites were earned by ATQMRA regulars who qualified for an A-Main at Atlantic City on the weekend. A large additional number of entrants who qualified will be running their 600 micros with the ATQMRA during the 2009 outdoor season.

Pauch Scores Impressive Atlantic City Indoor Win

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- Billy Pauch has scored well over 600 feature wins in his career.

And Friday night at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall, Pauch of Frenchtown, N.J., added one to his stellar list as he claimed the TQ Midget/600 cc Micro Sprint feature, which served as a preliminary for Saturday night’s Gambler’s Classic.

It was Pauch’s second career win indoors at Atlantic City. He has a previous win in a 20-lap feature.

This time, though, Pauch beat one of the best on the indoor circuit as Lou Cicconi Jr., who became the first driver to break the eight-second bracket in Thursday’s qualifying, finished in the second spot.

“Lou is always tough at these indoor races,” Pauch said. “Boy, we sure did make a race out of it.”

Actually, Pauch was the talk of the night.

At the start of the first heat race, Pauch was involved in a first turn skirmish, which ended with his car upside down. The car was rolled on its wheels and Pauch proceeded to complete the main event, earning a feature-qualifying spot in the process.

Pauch started in the third position behind front-row starters Rudy Boetticher and Jeff Heotzler.

He ran in second until a lap three restart, which found Heotzler regaining the runner-up spot. It was short-lived, as Pauch got a great start on the lap five restart.

Boetticher got loose on the ninth round, which allowed Pauch to grab the top spot.

Despite having the lead, it was far from over as Cicconi, who started sixth in the 20-car field, moved into the runner-up spot on lap 12 and pressured Pauch immediately.

A caution on lap 13 tightened the field and despite frequent attempts to get the lead, Cicconi was unsuccessful.

Mike Lichty, in fact, got by Cicconi for the second position on lap 18, but those spots were reversed on lap 23.

Cicconi made every threat to get the lead over the final two laps, but Pauch didn’t waver in his victory.

Pauch can win the Behrent’s Bonus if he elects to start 12th in Saturday night’s feature field and claims in the 40-lap Gambler’s Classic.

The top 12 finishers will draw for their starting positions during Saturday’s Ms. Motorsports 2009 pageant, which is taking place at the AC Convention Center.

Cicconi, Heath Hehnly, Jon Holmquist, James Michael Friesen and Mike Tidaback won heat races.

Nick Herriven, Andrew Berkholder, Norm Hynes and Tyler Robertson won heat races for the Champ Karts.

Gary Hieber, Ricky Yetter and Billy Weaver won heat races for the Briggs and Stratton Slingshots.

Action kicks up Saturday at 6:30 p.m. with Fanfest. The TQ/600 cc Micro Sprint Eliminator is scheduled at 7:30, followed by four transfer races, Slingshot feature, Champ Kart feature and the 40-lap Gambler’s Classic.

During the day on Saturday the huge Motorsports 2009 Race Car & Trade Show continues at the nearby Atlantic City Convention Center. The shows opens at 10 a.m and continues until 7 p.m. Just about everything imaginable in motorsports can be found at the show which includes FREE autograph sessions for top name racers and personalities in the sport. The popular U.S. Tobacco Ms. Motorsports Pageant and Kid’s Big Wheel Competition takes place during the day. Information can be had at 609.449.3920.

RESULTS

TQ Midget/600 cc Micro Sprint Feature Finish, 25 Laps: 1. Billy Pauch; 2. Lou Cicconi Jr.; 3. Mike Lichty; 4. Jeff Heotzler; 5. Stewart Friesen; 6. Mike Tidaback; 7. Matt Janisch; 8. Joseph Lord Jr.; 9. Heath Hehnly; 10. Tim Proctor; 11. Ryan Smith; 12. Chris Arnold; 13. James Michael Friesen; 14. Greg Cable; 15. Amanda Quinones; 16. Rudy Boetticher; 17. Timex Morgan; 18. Alex Bright; 19. John Payne; 20. Jon Holmquist.

Congratulations to Many time ATQMRA and indoor champion Mike Tidaback on his First Gambler's Classic Victory 2008

Walter Elliott

Jan. 21

Wall Recap: Tidaback, Others Star in A.C. Weekend

By Walter Elliott

    ATLANTIC CITY -- Former Wall Township Speedway three-quarter midget champion Mike

Tidaback, of Little Falls, N.J., were among those Jersey Shore speedway drivers who starred

here in Boardwak Hall Friday and Saturday.

    Tidaback came from fifth starting spot to narrowly win the Fourth Annual Atlantic City Indoor

Racing Gamblers Classic headliner Saturday night. The FedEx No. 43 Lindblad Badger-Suzuki

GSXR driver grabbed second from Can-Am Midget Racing Club star and poleman James Friesen

by lap five. Tidaback used lapped traffic in turn three on the one-10th-mile indoor concrete oval

to oust Adams by lap 20.

    Tidaback endured five cautions the remaining 20 laps to win his first ACIR M&R Midget main.

Adams, of Hamilton, in a last-lap lead pass bid, spun to third. International Super Modified

Association racer Joey Payne, Sr., of Fair Lawn, snared second from Adams.

    Tidaback, who started his racing career in micro stocks at Pine Brook Speedway in the early

1980s, also captured $5,000 winners and Gamblers Classic bonus. The 2006 American Micro

Stock Racing Association Co-Champion and Wall TQ track titlist has won at least one feature in

the last 16 years, including indoor victories in the Niagara Falls (N.Y.) Convention Center

and New Haven, Conn.'s Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

   Tidaback, who has also raced INEX Legends Cars at Wall last year and previously 270cc micro

sprints at Delaware's Airport Speedway, thanked his crew - including engine builder/competitor

Rudy Boetticher, of Totowa - for his triumph. He also called father Bob Tidaback, Sr., while in

victory lane.

   "We're a small team with me, Dad, and a couple of guys," said Tidaback, who is a local Fed Ex

delivery driver between races. "Dad's recovering from gall bladder surgery since September. This

is like our Super Bowl but with 100 of the bust guys from the Northeast going for 26 feature

spots."

    Tidaback's emotional victory and record-setting, however, almost did not happen. He was

running fifth to Adams in the first of the Roaring 20s qualifiers Friday night when another driver

dropped out in the late laps. Tidaback finished fourth, making the ACIR feature for the first time

in his four years of entering.

     Although the M&R division were open to TQ midgets and 600cc micro sprints from the

Northeast and Canada, six of the top 10 feature finishers are American Three Quarter Midget

Racing Association Wall Township Speedway runners. Indeed, drivers with Wall ties were

entered among some 200 TQ/600cc micro, champ kart and Slingshot drivers.

    Reigning World Karting Association class champ Chris Daley, of Pleasant Valley, N.Y., won the

the 25-lap champ kart feature Saturday. Wall Sunday Series racers George Bark, Jr., of W.

Milford, and Mark Lawshe, Jr., of Westampton, finished 10th and 11th.

    Modified micro stock king Tom Ervin, of Ewing, finished 14th in his champ kart debut. WSS

Senior Champ Kart titlist Jon Stewart, of Ringoes, was placed 16th after crashing out while

bidding for the lead. Wall Sportsman Champion Kevin Eyres, of Colts Neck, was entered.

   The Wall Sunday Series features Legends, Bandolero, kart and kart-based racing on the inner

fifth-mile oval on selected Sunday afternoons. "Big Wall," the historic banked paved one-third-

mile oval, is for Wall's NASCAR Whelen All-American Series modifieds, RMP Modified Affordable

Division, sportsmen, street stock, factory stock, Legends and the ATQMRA on most April

through October Saturday nights.

    Wall factory stock champion Vernon McLaughlin, Jr., of White House Station, and car

owner Tom Cannola, of Pt. Monmouth, tried to be a Slingshot feature factor. McLaughlin, in his

first run aboard the Tobias-Briggs and Startton Vanguard No. 21, started 16th but was placed

19th after a collision early in the 20-lap race. Cannola usually fields cars at Cuddybackvile,

N.Y.'s Oakland Valley speedway, one of several area dirt tracks that the half-sized modified

stock cars compete on.

      Second-generation driver and Slingshot maven Rich Tobias, Jr., of Annville, Pa., won the

division's feature.

      A Wall Township Speedway display was found in the nearby VP Racing Fuels Motorsports

2008 public and racing trade show in the nearby new Atlantic City Convention Center. Five of

Wall's regular divison cars were on display plus a tentative 2008 schedule was distributed

between noon Friday and 5 p.m. Sunday. WTS won the show's "Best Appearing

Speedway Display" last year.

      Len Sammons Productions have moved their annual Motorsports show to the new ACCC

last year. The Trenton-based promoter and "Area Auto Racing News" publisher also revived

racing at Boardwalk Hall - the original ACCC - in 2005 after a 24-year absence.

M&R MIDGETS ROARING 20 RACE No. 1: Tim Adams, Mike Iles, Erick Rudolph, Mike Tidaback, Cody Darrah, Kyle Newcomb, Rob Vivona, Chris DeRitis, Billy Pauch, Sr., Tim Proctor, Frank Polimeda, Billy Pauch, Jr., Bill Unglert, Brett Conkling, Jonny Mannis, Frank Fischer, Mike Fedorcak, Ken Hirt, Ryan Smith, BJ Mac Donald.

M&R MIDGETS ROARING 20 RACE No. 2: Danny Shirey, James Michael Friesen, Johnny Payne, Jack Spence, Donald Zrinski, Jeff Kot, Bruce Leote, Jesse Council, Ginny Quinones, Stewart Friesen, Daniel Clover, Ted Christopher, Jack Conover, Jeff Heotzler, Jr., Neal Blatt, Billy Murphy, Jeff Heotzler, Bob Watkins, Jr., Joey Mongeau, Glenn Heverin.

M&R MIDGETS ROARING 20 RACE No. 3: Lou Cicconi, Jr., Steve Smith, Pat Bealer, Bobby Santos, Greg Cable, Mike Lichty, Shane Braxton, Rudy Boetticher, Joey Payne, Monnie Wonder, Ken Schrader, Matt Janisch, Willy Decker, Tim Behmer Jr., Mark Yoder, Mike Osite, David Williams, Richie Coy, Matt Seavey, Jimmy Broderick.