" View From The Tower"
May 26, 2007
By: Gary Wilcox
Under clear, calm skis the Adirondack International Speedway (ASA) launched its second race program of the 2007 season, with fifty-nine race teams in the pit area and the evening's racing action sponsored by News Watch-50 WWTI / WBWT in Watertown, New York. From this reporters "View from the Tower", the racing was superb in all four divisions in competition.
In the American Speed Association's (ASA) sanctioned 50-lap Challenger Late Model main event, it was the duel between the Ford and the Chevrolet again this week, with the Chevy coming out on top. John Papin # 50 from Redwood, New York, started the event in position # 7, with last week's (ASA) Champ-101 winner, Lee Gill # 7 LaFargeville, New York, right across from Papin in position # 8. Once again this week, Jason Herrington, #37 from Troy, New York, was on the move, along with Tommy Cloce # 3 and "The Rooster" Billy Coyle # 94. Coyle and Cloce made contact on turn three and four and spun out. Herrington and Lee Gill had to make some aggressive moves towards the outside of turn four to avoid contact, and everyone was able to continue. This put "The Redwood Terror", John Papin, up front and Lee Gill not far behind him. It wasn't long before the #50 and the #7 were one and two and racing each other hard. At the checkered flag, Papin cruised to an easy Victory, with a three-car advantage over the Ford of Lee Gill. This marks John Papin's fifteenth (ASA) feature win at AIS. John now leads the all time feature win list in the (ASA) Challenger Late Model division at the Speedway. Jerry Dineen #11 (ASA) veteran had a good run early in the show. It was great for this reporter to see the "Little Falls Titan" up front once again at AIS.
I have some news to share with you from the (ASA) Late Model division. Chola Shay from Matamoras, PA, pronounced (Mat-A-Moras), was unable to compete this week after heavy damage to the 2-s was sustained last weekend in the (ASA) Champ-101. A new rear clip is being installed, and Chola and crew hope to be back at AIS on June the 2nd.
My good friend Bill Bertrand (pronounced Ber-Trand) (ASA) # 5 from Altona, NY, had the same problems as Chola Shay except on the other end of the race car. Bill told me that they had to replace the front clip on his racer. We all hope to see Bill and his race team back in competitation A.S.A.P. at AIS.
"Team Yellow" the (ASA) # 21 of Mark Scofield, from Carthage, New York, made their season debut at AIS on Saturday evening. As luck always seems to happen for this team, something internal in the power plant let go during hot laps; and Mark was on the trailer for the evening. I can remember the same thing happening to our family race team several years ago, and I was devastated. Man, to blow up during hot laps, that really bites!!! In any event, Mark, Vern, and the entire "Team Yellow" entourage will return to the Speedway; and I'm predicting some good luck for this very good (ASA) Late Model team in the future at AIS.
My prayers have finally been answered. Andre Roggie (ASA) #03 from Croghan, New York, has finally moved into an (ASA) Challenger Late Model race car. The #03 is a sharp looking buggy to say the least. I've been wanting to see this kid in a full-sized family car for years. Now it has happened. I think Andre had a good showing for his first race, even though he had some mechanical problems that side lined him early. Roggie holds the record in the 4-Cylinder division at AIS, with 33 Feature wins. My prediction is Andre Roggie and his # 03 race team will be starting the climb up the Feature win ladder very shortly in the (ASA) Challenger Late Model division.
I received an E-mail from a former (ASA) Late Model crew chief, Bill Hansen from Edwards, New York. Bill informs me that his two drivers, Fast Eddie Hayden and Derrick (The Kid) Martin, are on their way home from (as Bill puts it) their vacation in Afghanistan. Some vacation. Bill has purchased all of the Late Model equipment that Sheldon Meachum # 17 previously owned. Bill and his team will be fielding an (ASA) Challenger Late Model and a True Stock numbered # 00 . Hansen is a born team leader and was always good with the set-ups when he was a crew chief for Meachum & the # 17. In my opinion, that's the key at AIS. Good Luck to Bill Hansen, his drivers and teams at AIS in 2007.
Looking to the D & D Powersports High output 4-cylinders 15-lapper, it was Tommy Dubach #04 from Lowville, New York, and his black beauty Neon in Victory circle. There were strong runs this week from Rudy Widrick # 94 and Tim Ingersol #1. Newcomer Josh Tracey # 45 appeared to have something break on his # 45 race car that powered him in front of the # 4 of Al Brigham and directly into the fourth turn wall. As they say in the business, Josh hit the wall a ton. Heavy damage was sustained to the # 45, and we can only hope that it looked worse than it really was. The main thing was that Josh walked away from the car and was checked over by the Carthage Rescue Squad and was ok.
In the True Stock division sponsored by Got Good Cheese.com, or better known as the Lowville Milk Producers Co-op, it was AIS's 2005 True Stock Champ Chris Typhair # 29 from Philadelphia, New York, in Victory lane. Typhair started in position # 2 in the fifteen-lap main and received some strong challenges for the lead from Mike Ramos # 09, JR Mooney # 83, Bobby Newman # 77, Dave Arbes # 11 and Duane Williamson # 38. Chris knows the short way around AIS and managed to keep his Buick Regal on the bottom of the race track and cruised to his fourteenth feature win in the True Stock division at AIS. Typhair is now just two feature wins behind series feature winning leader, George "Chuck" Meyer, who leads the division with sixteen wins. In my opinion, Chris and his # 29 race team will surpass the record this season at AIS in the True Stock division.
AIS's Westward Painting Co. Light Truck division was 21 race teams strong again this week. Three or four abreast is the norm for this division, and the front running trucks are circling the 4.83 mile racing surface at better than 80-MPH. Pound for pound, the Light Trucks put on a very impressive show every week at AIS. This week's Light Truck feature winner was Todd McIntyre # 62 from Port Lyden, New York. This marks Todd's third feature win at AIS in the McIntyre Logging # 62. Todd's last win was on July 28, 2006; so it's been a bit of a dry spell for McIntyre. That shows you just how tuff it is to win a Feature event at AIS. Todd is currently in a three-way tie for fifth place in feature wins in the Light Truck division at the Speedway.
Unfortunate things always seem to happen without a chance of changing them. It was no different on Saturday evening at AIS. During the Light Truck hot lap session, Derek Smith # 53 from New Bremen, New York, slowed on the back stretch and appeared to be heading into the pits. John Sullivan Jr. # 5 came off off turn two with his foot stuffed right on the floor of his Light Truck. At this point it's a little un- clear what happened. Either Sullivan did not see Smith slowing or John was unable to move up the raceway to clear the # 53 Light Truck. Contact was made to the back of the Derek Smith ride, causing Sullivan to flip his truck up on its side. Extensive damage was sustained to both Light Trucks, and their evening was cut short, with their Trucks on the Trailer. Fortunately both drivers were ok.
I'd like to welcome to AIS all of the new Light Truck teams that are in competition this season. Gentlemen, you're in for the thrill of a life time racing in the Westward Painting Co. Light Truck division at AIS. Good luck!!
In closing this week's "View From The Tower", I want to welcome two new additions to the AIS staff for 2007. Elwyn Bodley, from Calcium, New York, and his companion Barb Yerdon have become AIS's newest scorers in the Tower. Elwyn brings a lot to the table, with many years of experience in Speedway operations. Bodley has completely updated the transponders and linked the entire program into AIS's computer, including the score board. With this system working the appropriate way, AIS and its score keepers can keep a better handle on proper scoring, lap times, and speeds in the booth. We can only hope that with this system in place all divisions at AIS will be under the scoring of transponders in the future. In my opinion, this system is 100% fool proof. A big welcome goes out to Elwyn and Barb, and your expertise and knowledge is much appreciated by everyone at the Speedway. To everyone else, thank you for taking the time to read this week's "View From The Tower". You can always e-mail me at gears@twcny.rr.com. Until next time, please be good to one another; and I'll be looking for you at the Adirondack International Speedway.