By Blu Metz
(Borger's Speedway, Saylorsburg, Pa. August 8, 2015) Buddy Sload bested a strong field of 19 cars on hand at Borger's. Sload had a fast car all day and won the heat race and the feature to sweep the day making it two in a row. For the second consecutive race Sload was able to capitalize on the misfortune of 2014 Rookie of the Year Geoffrey Sutton to earn the victory. Heat races were won by Sload and Sutton. The next event for the ATQMRA is back at Borgers this coming Saturday August 15th.
The feature race saw a front row of Pole Sitter Geoffrey Sutton and Ryan Tidman lead a full field of 18 cars to Brian Zawaski's green flag. Sutton was able to gain the advantage from his inside start to get the lead exiting turn two. Sutton opened up a lead over second running Tidman when a caution flew for a tangle coming out of the second turn that ended the day for Mike Glaser and Matt Jansich. 2014 Borger's Speedway Champion Larry Hoagland was collected in the melee but was able to continue. On the ensuing restart Sutton was again able to motor ahead and started putting ground on second.
Racing continued until the white flag flew with Sutton out front. Sload worked his way from his fourth starting position to second as the laps wound down. Pat VanVarick advanced from his ninth starting position to third when the caution flag flew for a spinning Joey Bailey with less than half a lap remaining. This set up a green white checker showdown between the heat race winners Sutton and Sload.
On the restart Sutton went wide entering the first turn opening the door for Sload to take the lead. Sutton attempted to cross Sload over going down the straight away but ended up looping the car entering turn three.
The final restart saw Sload gain the slightest of margins over the hard charging VanVarick that allowed him to secure the victory. VanVarick rolled across the line second with Ryan Tidman on the podium in third. Matt Roselli and Don Zrinski rounded out the top five.
Jeff Kot made his first start since the opener at Mahoning Valley a good one to work his way up to sixth from his 11th starting position. Marc Rogers advanced 9 positions to finish seventh in the race followed by Mark Yoder and Geoffrey Sutton who was able to recover a top ten after having to restart last for the green white checker finish. Hoagland was able to earn a top ten after an early race tangle forced him to start from the rear.
The win allowed Sload to leap frog 2003 ATQMRA Rookie of the year Ryan Tidman by four markers to make Sload the point leader heading into the Satruday August 15 race back at Borger's.
ATQMRA News and Notes: Saturday marked the return of Joey Bailey to competition after his nasty flip at Borger's on July 11th. Bailey had a nice finish ahead of him in the waning laps but ended up facing the wrong way with a brake issue. Don Zrinski posted a strong fifth place finish in a season that marks his 32nd season of competition with the ATQMRA. His first year of competition with the ATQMRA came in 1983 in a home built car with a 2 stroke Suzuki at Pinebrook Speedway.
Heat Races were won by Geoffrey Sutton and Buddy Sload
Hoosier Tire Mid Atlantic Feature (30 Laps)
1. 16 Buddy Sload
2. 17 Pat Varick
3. 1B Ryan Tidman
4. 98 Matt Roselli
5. 75Z Don Zrinski
6. 95 Jeff Kot
7. 27T Marc Rogers
8. 75 Mark Yoder
9. 46 Geoff Sutton1
0. 54 Larry Hoagland
11. ZT Jordan Tittle
12. 02 Joey Bailey
13. 18 Patrick Force
14. 06 Chad Parks
15. 48 Matt Janisch
16. 46V Mike Glaser
17. 17V Shawn McCaughe
18. F8 Darren Schuler
19. 53 Bud Sload
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