Buckwalter Best in ATQMRA Wall Run

Don Adams Ryan Tidman and Tim Buckwalter in the Keenan Motors Wall Township Victory lane

By Walter Elliott

  WALL TWP., N.J. -- Young Tim Buckwalter made his first taste of Wall
 Township Speedway satisifying by winning the Keenan Motors American Three
Quarter Midget
 Racing Association feature here Saturday night.

Buckwalter, aboard Colin Martin's Spitfire-Suzuki GSXR No. 36 came from
 seventh starting spot to challenge initial laeder Matt Janisch within the
first three laps.
Janisch,  who split the eight-lap heats with Ryan Tidman, faded from the
laed on lap 10 and finished fifth.

Although Buckwalter would never be headed the remaining 15 laps, reigning
ATQMRA drivers  champion Don Adams pressed from his ninth grid spot to
challenge the  Keystine micro sprint standout. Adams and Buckwalter found
that lapped traffic would
alternatingly  helped or hindered  their midrace progress. The leaders
sought a way past some of the backmarkers who attempted
three-wide passing among themselves at one point.

Tidman, who won the last Keenan ATQMRA round at Mountain Speedway near
Hazleton, Pa., took second from Adams but ran out of laps to catch
Buckwalter. Buckwalter, who won his first career ATQMRA race at Mountain
June 9, put a 2.755 sec. victory margin on Tidman. He was averaging 95.352
mph during the 25 laps.


 "Now that I'm here, it's fun to run at Wall," said Buckwalter. "You have
to watch where you're  going with the banking, or you can easily find the
wall."  Adams and current drivers points leader Bob Watkins, Jr. rounded out
the
top four of 15 finishers.

The runners included ninth placed finisher Jeremy Frankoski, of Newark
Valley, N.Y. Frankoski, a former Finger Lakes region microd, Slingshot and
micro sprint driver, was aboard the Riosque Racing No. 35. The Payne
brothers joined ARDC midget regular Mark Lawshe, Sr., as nonfinishers. Joey
Payne pulled his No. 26 Spitfire GSXR with a rare failure on lap six.
Brother Johnny parked his Twin Eagle No. 66P due to overheating woes. The
No. 66P's retirement left the No. 66D of Chris DeRitis to continue for a
seventh place finish. The Dart-GSXR car still bears Robbie Pecorari's name
although the Aston, Pa., driver was running the IRL Indy Pro Series Corning
Twin 100s at Watkins Glen this weekend.  Pecorari finished 22 after a spin
Saturday but passed 11 rivals to finish 11th Sunday afternoon.

 Neither Mike Tidaback nor Ron Dennis took the feature's green flag. While
the experienced Tidaback suffered a rear end gear problem during warmups,
Dennis his the backstretch guardrail hard during Janish's heat. Dennis, of
Bayside, Queens, N.Y., said he was being treated overnight at a local
hospital for a broken  foot and a bruised shoulder. The construction project
manager had previously raced asphalt modifieds at Flemington before driving
the ex-Dave Wessel No. 27 Shadow Sidewinder-GSXR at Mountain late June. The
Keenan ATQMRA tour returns to Mountain, St. John's, Pa., Saturday.


The TQs are to be part of Wall's Evernham Motorsports Racing for a Reason
Charity Race Night  Aug. 4.

Heat Winners (8 laps): Ryan Tidman, Matt Janisch.

FEATURE (25 laps): TIM BUCKWALTER(Duchak Racing Engines), DOUGLASSVILLE,
Pa.; Ryan Tidman, Don
Adams, Bob Watkins, Jr.(M&R), Matt Janisch, Robin Johnston, Chris DeRitis,
Frank Fischer, Jeremy Frankoski, Tim Proctor(Shadow Racing Products, NAPA),
Neal Blatt, Zack Martini, John Borakos, Howard Boss; (DNF) Mark Lawshe, Sr.,
Joey Payne, Johnny Payne; (DNS) Ron Dennis, Mike Tidaback.
NEXT KEENAN ATQMRA RACE:
NEXT ATQMRA @ WALL:


WALL WRITINGS: "We're about to have the third generation of Paynes start
with us next race," said ATQMRA President Blu Metz. Metz and Johnny Payne
said Joey Payne, Jr., is to start in the No. 66P at Mountain Speedway.
Payne, a Fair Lawn (N.J.) High School student, is to start his first career
race. . . Don Adams started his second race of the season in a Risque Racing
No. 96. The car is actually Adams' No. 52 Lindblad-Badger/GSXR repainted a
Day-Glo orange.
 The ATQMRA's appearance coincided with that of one of its ancestors, thanks
to Garden State Vintage Stock Car Club member Robert Hall. Hall, of Mt.
Holley, said he spent four years restoring the 1945 No. 1 Crosley TQ. The
No. 1, which would actually be called a Tom Thumb car, is powered by an
inline four Crosley engine that used to be the TQs early main powerplant.
The No.1 was parked before the GSVSCC Racing Through Time museum on the
midway as part of that group's display. --30--

WE/we I got a call from Ron Dennis, of Bayside, Queens, N.Y., about the same
time ATQMRA President Blu Metz sent this e-mail.   Dennis confirmed that he
has a broken bone in his left foot and a bruised left shoulder. He has been
released from a hospital near Wall Twp. Speedway and hopes to appear in a
show of support at the ATQMRA's next race
 Saturday at Mountain Speedway of St. Johns, Pa.
     Cards and wishes may go to:
      Ron Dennis
      75-34 Springfield Blvd.,
      Bayside, NY 11365
         Thanks,
         Walter Elliott,