Payne Paces ATQMRA Field

Walter Elliott
 June 2

 Wall Twp. Speedway:
 By Walter Elliott

 WALL TWP., N.J. -- Joey Payne, of Fair Lawn, N.J., won what he said was the
 seventh of his last nine Keenan Motors American Three Quarter Midget Racing
Association features
 here at Wall Township Speedway Saturday night.

 "Joey the Jet" got the drop on second row mate Chris Deritis at the start
 and went on to lead all  25 laps. The No. 26 Spitfire-Suzuki GSXR pilot
held a 1.445 sec. victory
 margin of Deritis and current Keenan Motors ATQMRA points leader Bob
Watkins, Jr.

 Payne thanked car owner Colin Martin and those who prepared the No. 26
while
 in WTS victory lane. The sprint, midget and supermodified star, however,
addeed that he is
 not going after the drivers point championship. Payne entered Wall at 19th
place - 88 points to
 Watkins' 328 - after five ATQMRA races run so far.

 "I'm running for win and not points," said Payne. "With my NorthEast Midget
 Assn. schedule, I try to make as many of the ATQMRA races as I can. Colin,
the crew and Spitfire
 prepare this car so well that all I do is to get in and drive."

 Although Payne's Spitfire basked in the spotlight, Deritis drove the No. 35
 Dart-GSXR to second place. Watkins - who kept his distance from a fourth
place battle among Ryan
 Tidman, Matt Janisch and John Blewett III - also had news from victory
lane.

 "It's nice to lead the points now, but I want to be leading at season's
 end," said Watkins after leaving his No. 91 Lindblad-GSXR to shake Payne
and Deritis' hands. "I'm
 going to win one of these races soon. I hope so because this is my last
full-time season."

 Blewett took a Deritis sister No. 66 DART-GSXR from 13th place on the last
 row to finish sixth. The defending Wall NASCAR Whelen All-American Series
Modified Champion and
 Modified Tour star said his other TQ start was in a wintertime Atlantic
City indoor Gamblers
 Classic.  "The No. 66 crew came over and asked if I can drive their car,"
said
 Blewett. "It's fun running a TQ. I'll drive one again if another
opportunity comes."  Blewett becomes the 34th different driver in ATQMRA
competition so far this season.

Robbie Pecorari, of Aston, Pa., drives the No. 66 whenever hos IRL Indy Pro
Series
 schedule allows.

 Neil Blatt had held fourth place before a technical problem encroached on
 lap 23. He took the checkered flag in 10th place before his No. 09  stalled
on the backstretch.
 Robin Johnston, who has his Peter Duchak Engines homebuilt-GSXR No. 13 for
sale, dropped out on lap
 13.

 ATQMRA and Wall officials agreed to run a 25-lap feature instead of two
 eight-lap heats and a 20- lap feature Saturday. Defending ATQMRA champion
Don Adams was named to Howard Boss No. 55 car but the current club treasurer
did not take its steering wheel.

 The ATQMRA is to return to Wall's banked paved one-third-mile oval July 7.
 The TQs are to meanwhile revisit Mountain Speedway, St. Johns, Pa., June 9
and 23.

 FEATURE FINISH (25 laps): JOEY PAYNE(Duchak Racing Engines, Jesus Racing
MInistries/Chattham and Main), FAIR LAWN, N.J.; Chris Deritis(Shadow Racing
Products), Bob
 Watkins, Jr., Ryan Tidman(M&R), Matt Janisch, John Blewett III, Bruce
Leote, Tim Behmer, Frank
 Fischer(Brice's NAPA), Neil Blatt, Art Lawshe, Jr.(Junk Yard Dog Award),
Howard Boss; (DNF) Robin Johnston; (DNS) Don Adams.

 TQ TIDBITS: Robbie Pecorari is riding the roillercoaster that the IRL Indy
 Pro Series can sometimes be. Pecorari had to park his Cabo Wabo Tequila
Infiniti-Dallara 16 laps into
 the Milwaukee Mile Road Runner 100 with handling problems 16 laps into the
race. He came from 22nd
 startng spot to finish 11th in the May 25 Freedom 100 at Indianapolis Motor
Speedway. Pecorari is
 to try to halt Alex Lloyd's five race win streak in the June 15-16 Liberty
Challenge double
 features on the IMS USGP F1 road course.