Staff Report | Monday, October 26th, 2020
Photo Credits: EJ O’Rourke Photography, The New London Waterford Speedbowl
WATERFORD, CT- Joey Bailey and the #1B Boyd Racing Team earned their second Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic ATQMRA powered by VP Racing Fuels victory of the season this weekend in an eventful feature at The New London-Waterford Speedbowl.
During an afternoon of predicted sunshine, teams fought many elements throughout the early day practice sessions including a persistent mist leading to damp conditions. A nearly two hour rain delay also occurred between the ATQMRA heats and feature.
When the heat races kicked off, it was the #36 Spitfire Chassis of Buddy Sload and the #22 Chick-fil-A, Personal Comfort TQ Midget of Kyle Taraska earning the victories.
Sload established himself as the early favorite of the day. After weeks of work an a successful open practice session that select teams took advantage of on Friday, the #36 team was consistently two to three tenths faster than the field for much of the day.
The surprise of the day was certainly Taraska, who established himself as the second fastest car of the day by the time the features rolled off.
Taraska led the field down to the green from the pole with Avery Stoehr in Phil DiMario’s #23 to his outside.
Sload wasted no time starting from the fifth position to muscle his way up to second by lap two. The stage was set for the two former teammates of Taraska and Sload to put on a high speed battle for the trophy.
Catastrophe struck on lap 9 when Taraska, from the lead, misjudged lapping the #98 car on Tim Proctor, sending the #22 machine into a spin in turn 4. The fast approaching Sload had no where to go and made heavy contact with Taraska, sending his #36 machine hard into the outside retaining wall. Sload thankfully walked away under his own power. However, the car was heavily damaged from the incident.
On the restart, it was the former Waterford winner Geoffrey Sutton in Alan Mollot’s championship winning #51S leading the field to the green. It didn’t take long for the #1B of Joey Bailey to slice and dice his way to the lead diving to the inside of Sutton for the lead in turn one after restarting third.
The torched was passed to Bailey and Sutton to put on a duel for the lead. Outside pole sitter Stoehr continued to keep the top two honest. After an impressive run, it was on the 17th lap of the race, the motor on the #23 machine let go, erupting a huge plume of smoke to bring out the second caution.
The #95 Behrents Performance Machine of Jeff Kot moved into third to give the leaders Bailey and Sutton a run for their money.
Through the next restart the battle raged on with Bailey leading Sutton in lockstep formation running nearly identical laps.
The final caution of the evening came out when Jeffrey Champagne, making his ATQMRA debut made heavy contact with the outside retaining wall setting up a green-white-checkered-finish.
On the jumbled restart, “The Jersey Jet” Joey Payne made contact with Kot’s bumper, causing him to miss a shift in the closing stages. Payne, making his first start of 2020 was working on a solid top-5 run for the Michael Murray #12 Dent Zones TQ Midget, subbing for his son Anthony Payne. Kot would run out of fuel on the final lap.
When one door closes, another door opens. As Bailey and Sutton pulled away, girl power invaded the top-5.
2009 ATQMRA Champion Alison Sload moved up to third in her return to TQs. Meanwhile, in her first career start at The Speedbowl, Brianna Page followed Alison Sload through into fourth.
While the the battle to round out the podium continued, the battle for the lead remained hot. Sutton kept Bailey honest, but it was Joey Bailey who held on earning his second win of the 2020 season.
Geoffrey Sutton would ultimately finish second.
With Alison Sload finishing third and Brianna Page finishing fourth, history was made. For the first time in ATQMRA history, two female racers finished in the top-5 in the same feature event.
Jeff Kot and the Behrents Performance Machine rounded out the top-5, coasting across the line.
After experiencing a mechanical failure with his #51 Badger in the opening round of practice, Ryan Tidman was elected to run Bill Force Jr.’s #6 TQ Midget, by Force himself. Tidman finished in sixth.
Joey Payne finished in seventh after a great run.
Jeff Champagne placed in eighth after his single car incident. Avery Stoehr and Tim Proctor rounded out the top-10 respectively.
Both disappointed, Kyle Taraska finishing 11th and Buddy Sload finishing 12th.
Paul Dodorico rounded out the field.
Joey Bailey is now a two time winner at The New London Waterford Speedbowl, winning back to back ATQMRA events at the facility.
Bailey and the rest of the Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic ATQMRA powered by VP Racing Fuels will now set their sights on the November 7th Bethel Motor Speedway event.
Race Results:
Heat 1:
1. #36 Buddy Sload
2. #23 Avery Stoehr
3. #1B Joey Bailey
4. #51S Geoffrey Sutton
5. #16 Alison Sload
6. #76 Brianna Page
7. #55 Paul Dodorico
Heat 2:
1. #22 Kyle Taraska
2. #12 Joey Payne
3. #95 Jeff Kot
4. #69 Jeffrey Champagne
5. #6 Bill Force
6. #98 Tim Proctor DNS
Feature:
1. #1B Joey Bailey
2. #51S Geoffrey Sutton
3. #16 Alison Sload
4. #76 Brianna Page
5. #95 Jeff Kot
6. #6 Ryan Tidman*
7. #12 Joey Payne
8. #69 Jeff Champagne DNF
9. #23 Avery Stoehr DNF
10. #98 Tim Proctor DNF
11. #22 Kyle Taraska DNF
12. #36 Buddy Sload DNF
13. #55 Paul Dodorico DNF
*Ryan Tidman subbed for Bill Force Jr.
