Waterford Speedbowl
- Saturday, August 15, 2009 |
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Waterford
Speedbowl's Wings & Wheels ISMA 50 top three are Mike Ordway Jr
second place, Lou Cicconi winner and Dan Lane third place
finisher. |
Jim Feeney
Photos |
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LOU CICCONI BEATS
THE CURFEW
to TAKE ISMA WIN at WATERFORD |
Waterford, CT – When the
ISMA Waterford 50 took the track around 11:30 Saturday night,
the competitors had to think about beating each other – and the
clock. A midnight curfew indicated that any yellow past midnight
would checker the race. It did just that. With the battle out
front between Mike Ordway Jr. and Lou Cicconi raging for most of
the race, it could still have a different outcome had the last 3
laps be run. Cicconi had gotten by Ordway Jr., running the
Holbrook 41, on lap 45. A yellow just into lap 48 brought the
race to an end with Cicconi taking his third ISMA event at the
3/8th’s mile Connecticut oval since the inaugural event in 2005.
Said the animated Aston, PA driver in victory lane, “Seriously I
don’t think I’ve ever run 50 laps here as fast as I could. I
know little Ordway did the same. I don’t know what the track
looked like behind us but we had to be checking out. It was a
really fast pace. I thought the only shot I had was through
traffic. We got lucky in terms of the way the traffic fell. Both
of us hit it just right. One time we passed the 55 or 56 and his
wing blew apart. It came right into my face. It was tough. I was
tight. If Mike didn’t blister the right front I wouldn’t have
passed him. My man Mikey drove a heck of a race. Awesome job.”
Ordway Jr., who had led every lap of the race except the last
three, was happy with his run. “It was pretty good out there. I
was a little tight from the beginning. We planned on it
loosening up, but it just got tighter and tighter. I think the
mod rubber did that. We blistered the right front. It started
overheating at halfway. I was blowing water out. I said I’m
waiting, I’m not going in. Then I lost the brakes about lap 30.
It was out of control. Then Louie showed a wheel a couple times
and we held him off. He gave me enough room. He ran me clean. So
we had fun.”
Another of the young supermodified lions, Danny Lane, ran a
strong race to hold off a bunch of guns behind him to finish
third. “I wish we had those three laps at the end. I think I had
something for at least the 41 and maybe the 10 if I could have
gotten a run. I’m psyched. I’m happy to take a podium finish. I
figured those guys behind me were right there. I didn’t think we
were setting a pace that could really leave those guys behind.
But, I thought my car was good enough to stay in front of them.
We did a lot of work to the car this week. We straightened some
things out that were wrong with it. I have to thank my aunt and
uncle for letting me drive this car. It’s an unbelievable
privilege. Plus all out sponsors, Essex Seafood, Dr. Mom Says
School is Cool, Northern Glass, Reader Electric, and Pro System
Brakes.”
Racing against time was probably the key element in the Wings
and Wheels 50 as Eddie Witkum Jr. and Ordway Jr. took off at the
green. Ordway Jr. put the 41 out front immediately and almost
immediately, Lou Cicconi brought the Wentworth 10 into second.
And, away they went.
Yellow flew on lap 7 for a wall banger by Jamie Timmons who was
flatbedded off the track.
Ordway and Cicconi left the pack behind on the green as Witkum
Danny Lane, Eric Lewis, Dave McKnight, Chris Perley, Rob Summers
and previous Speedbowl winner, Dave Shullick Jr. diced for
position behind. Shullick, whose 61 may have suffered some
internal problems at Delaware according to car owner Clyde
Booth, exited the track at the lap 10 mark.
By lap 15 Ordway and Cicconi hit the back of the pack and heavy
traffic. Ordway indicated traffic was not a big problem for the
lead duo. “We kind of caught the traffic at the right time. We
were both able to get by. I was just wicked tight.”
A series of miscues occurred just after midway. On lap 27 yellow
was called for the Witkum 38 who had slid off turn four into the
grass but then kept going which made the flag unnecessary. No
penalties were assessed and Witkum resumed his third place spot.
Just into lap 28, Witkum, unfortunately, came together with Jeff
Abold going into turn three. Witkum’s possible podium finish was
done. Abold returned at the rear. On the restart, Brandon
Bellinger flew the yellow once more and he too was done.
The clock was really ticking now as Ordway and Cicconi resumed
their battled out front. Danny Lane now held third as Dave
McKnight, Robbie Summers, Ordway Sr., Lewis, Ben Seitz and Chris
Perley were all hot on his tail.
Ordway Sr., driving the Vic Miler 71, slowed suddenly on lap 31
but was able to make it into the infield without a race stop.
Robbie Summers followed Ordway’s move one lap later and in he
went.
With one eye on the clock and one on the counter, only ten laps
remained as midnight approached. As long as the race stayed
green, it could continue past the bewitching hour. Ordway Jr.,
with a blistered tire, could no longer hold off Cicconi,
however. As the duo prepared to sandwich Dave Sanborn, Ordway
Jr. lost his race-long lead to “Liquid” Lou.
On lap 48, Justin Belfiore’s 98 sat up in between 1 and 2. The
yellow flew and then the checkered flew with 47 the last
complete lap scored. Trailing the top three of Cicconi, Ordway
Jr. and Lane, were Dave McKnight and Russ Wood. Wood had
actually been making a pass for fourth at the time, but to no
avail.
Said Wood of his race, “We started 17th. We stunk all day. The
guys worked on car and it was really pretty good in the feature.
I was right there. I had just taken fourth by passing Dave
McKnight when they threw the yellow and then the checkered. The
leaders were there. I think we had a shot at them. My car was
good most of this weekend. We’ve got to be happy with it.”
McKnight, who wasn’t sure which top five he got until the score
sheet was passed, indicated, “It was a good night for us. We
struggle at this racetrack. My hats off to Brad, Reg, Mickey,
everybody involved today with Patco. To come home and finally
finish a race here means a big confidence builder for us. We’re
going to build on this and go to the next race. I think we’re
getting back on track. We had a good solid run. We were in the
hunt there. It could have went either way if we had finished the
race. Anyway, great run. Really happy with the finish. Hats off
to Louie, He did a good job to win tonight. We’ll see what
happens when we get to Oswego for the wing show.”
Ben Seitz, Mike Lichty, Chris Perley, Eric Lewis and Jeff Locke,
finished up the top ten.
Notes… Lee winner Mark Sammut blew an engine in the first heat
and the crew had it changed for the feature for Sammut to keep a
hold on his second place point standing.
SUMMARY
ISMA Event # 10
Waterford Speedbowl, Aug. 15, 2009
Heat 1: Eddie Witkum Jr., Eric
Lewis, Jamie Timmons, Jeff Holbrook, Artie Rousseau, Jerry
Dinnen, Dave Sanborn, Mark Sammut, Mike Lichty
Heat 2: Justin Belfiore, Dave
McKnight Jr., Danny Lane, Chris Perley, Ben Seitz, Russ Wood,
Jeff Locke, Mike Keeler, Vern Romanoski (overheating)
Heat 3: Mike Ordway Jr., Lou
Cicconi, Rob Summers, Dave Shullick Jr., Mike Ordway Sr., Jeff
Abold, Brandon Bellinger, Bobby Haynes Jr.
ISMA Wings and
Wheels 50: 1. Lou
Cicconi (10), 2. Mike Ordway Jr. (41),
3. Danny Lane (9), 4. Dave McKnight Jr. (94), 5. Russ Wood (29),
6. Ben Seitz (88), 7. Mike Lichty (84), 8. Chris Perley (11),
9. Eric Lewis (28), 10. Jeff Locke (37), 11. Jeff Holbrook (35),
12. Jeff Abold (05), 13. Mark Sammut (78), 14. Justin Belfiore
(98),
15. Bobby Haynes Jr. (44), 16. Dave Sanborn (24), 17. Artie
Rousseau (616),
18. Mike Keeler (55), 19. Rob Summers (97), 20. Mike Ordway Sr.
(71),
21. Eddie Witkum Jr. (38), 22. Brandon Bellinger (02), 23. Vern
Romanoski (5),
24. Jerry Dinnen (56), 25. Dave Shullick Jr. (61), 26. Jamie
Timmons (27) |
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