Hoosier Tire Mid Atlantic ATQMRA Powered by VP
Waterford Ct. October 21, 2017; The ATQMRA Points Paying race of the 2017 season at the Waterford Speedbowl was won by Buddy Sload in the Colin Martin 36 Spitfire. Flying Ryan Tidman finished third capping the 2017 Championship for himself and car owner's Lenny and Donna Boyd. Dave Gorbatuk earned enough points to best ACRO Rookie of the Race Cole Mullen for the 2017 ATQMRA ACRO Rookie of the Year Title in Hoosier Tire Mid Atlantic Competition at the Waterford Speed bowl Powered by VP. Next up for the ATQMRA is the fall General Membership Meeting on Sunday November 4th from 3 to 5pm followed by the season ending awards dinner. The final on track racing action for the TQs will be the Annual Turkey Derby at Wall Stadium on Saturday November 25th.
The front Row of Little Wall Quarter Midget racers Cole Mullen and Joey Bailey brought the field to the Green Flag. The initial lap wasn't completed before NEMA Midget Star Avery Stoehr went careening into the first turn wall on the initial Start in the beautifully prepared Phil DiMario 23 car. He was uninjured in the incident. A complete restart would see Joey Bailey launch into the lead with heat race winner Mark Yoder in second. Seventh starting Buddy Sload would methodically work his way into second position by lap fifteen. Bailey opened up a substantial lead by this time only to fade in the waning laps from a blistered right rear tire.
Sload would overtake Bailey to lead the 21st lap and not look back. The 25-lap race was run from green to checker with a fading Bailey hanging on to second at the finish. Bailey was looking for a comeback victory after a nasty flip at Wall a few weeks ago. Bailey's father Russ and the Boyd racing team successfully returned the Zuzzalo 02 to top form for the race on the organization's fastest track at the Waterford Speed Bowl nearly finding his way to Victory on a track where he has consistently led laps but hasn't been able to grab the brass ring.
Flying Ryan Tidman who secured the Championship in the previous round at Wall for himself and Team Owner's Lenny and Donna Boyd finished third after winning the previous show at Waterford. Tidman had a five-win season to capture another Championship with the Boyd Racing team.
Mark Yoder who won his heat in convincing fashion missed out on a podium finish losing the third position to Tidman on the last lap. Matt Janisch rolled across the line fifth after having a car that was consistently the class of the field in practice.
ACRO Rookie of the Race Cole Mullen rolled across the line an impressive sixth moving him ahead of his father in the season long Rookie Standings. Cole fell a few positions short of catching the ATQMRA ACRO Rookie of the Year Dave Gorbatuk who picked up enough points with his 12th place finish in the Metz Racing Driver Development BGF Chassis 2 to earn the 2017 title. The 2017 ACRO Rookie of the Year Championship chase was one of the tightest in recent memory with Gorbatuk and the father and son team of Ronnie and Cole Mullen all having a realistic shot at the title entering the final round.
Kot would roll across the line seventh in his Behrent's Peformance Yuhas 88. Geoffrey Sutton was 8th with Veteran Dave Williams 9th and Joey Payne III rounding out the top ten. Ronnie Mullen would be scored 11th with Dave Gorbatuk 12th. Steve Boland made his second start of the season with the ATQMRA in the Fred Delibero 01 after racing his father's 19 car at Riverhead earlier in the season. Avery Stoehr who is a star in the NEMA Midget organization and races regularly at Waterford in the Midgets made his first start in a TQ midget at the Wateroford SpeedBowl. His feature was over before it started when he crashed on the initial start of the race.
Feature Race 25 laps 1. 36 Buddy Sload 2. 02 Joey Bailey 3. 1B RyanTidman 4. 75 Mark Yoder 5. 51 Matt Janisch 73c Cole Mullen 7. 88 Jeff Kot 8. 461 Geoffrey Sutton 9. 11 Dave Williams 10. 67 Joey Payne III 11. 39 Ron Mullen 12. 2 Dave Gorbatuk 13. 01 Steve Boland 14. 23 Avery Stoehr
Heat 1 1. 36 Buddy Sload 2. 02 Joey Bailey 3. 88 Jeff Kot 4. 461 Geoffrey Sutton 5. 39 Ron Mullen 6. 67 Joey Payne
Heat 2 1. 75 Mark Yoder 2. 51 Matt Janisch 3. 1B Ryan Tidman 4. 73 Cole Mullen 5. 11 Dave Williams 6. 2 Dave Gorbatuk 7. 01 Steve Boland