Hoosier Tire Mid Atlantic ATQMRA Powered by VP
New London, CT. August 12, 2017
Flying Ryan Tidman won his third race in a row at the Waterford Speedbowl on Wings and Wheels night Saturday. Under threatening skies Tidman took the feature race win over Matt Janisch with Joey Bailer rounding out the podium. Geoffrey Sutton and invader Nick Ladyga rounded out the top five. Mark Yoder and Tidman were the heat race winners. Next up for the ATQMRA should be a fun racing weekend at Pocono International Speedway for the Tricky Challenge on a temporary fifth mile oval on Pocono's front straight away on Friday and Saturday the 18, and 19th. Teams can start pitting in on Thursday with practice and qualifying on Friday with feature races on Saturday following Verizon Indy Car Qualifying for the 22 entries and climbing. A beautiful unique acrylictrophy will be presented to each of the race winners in the Pocono victory Lane following the completion of the modern and Vintage races.
The feature race saw the front row of Joey Payne III and Ron Mullen bring the field to the green flag. It was fifth starting Matt Janisch who deftly worked his way to the point to lead the first lap. Geoffrey Sutton would soon follow into second after Janisch opened up a considerable lead. Joey Bailey would find himself in second by the half way point in the race with Tidman hot on his tail in third. The pair would close in on Janisch in the waning laps of the race as Janisch encountered lap traffic.
Tidman would overtake Bailey and set his sights on Janisch. Tidman moved around Janisch in the closing laps and walked away to win by 1.287 seconds. Tidman completed the 25 laps in 6:05 for an average speed of a tick over 92 MPH. Janisch faced disappointment again in the Mollot red Lindblad Badger 51 car after once again leading laps but failing to pick up the checkered flag.
Joey Bailey rolled across the line third in the non-stop 25 lapper. Last years Wings and Wheels Champion Geoffrey Sutton crossed the line fourth with New England's invader Nick Ladyga rounding out the top five after charging from his 10th starting position.
Jeff Kot in his Behrents performance Badger started last in the feature field after an overheating problem sidelined him in his heat race. Kot charged to a sixth-place finish without the benefit of a caution. Mark Yoder followed Kot across the line with the ACRO Rookie of the Race Ronnie Mullen in eighth followed closely by son Cole. Joey Payne III seems to have turned the corner on his luck finishing tenth in the traditional Payne racing numbered 67 Drinan. Eric Corum lead Dave Gorbatuk Buddy Sload and Shilo Boyce across the line.
The first heat race saw Mark Yoder launch in front of the field and get the victory over Joey Bailey and Geoffrey Sutton. The second heat race victory went to Tidman followed by Janisch with Nick Ladyga in third.
Flying Ryan Tidman in the Boyd Racing 1B was riding a hot streak of two wins in a row and four for the season heading into the first of two races at the Waterford Speedbowl. His pervious wins in 2017 were all wingless. The team was winless in winged competition with their Laffler Chassis. Tidman charged from his 9th starting position to the win in the 25-lap race that went caution free. This gives Tidman a full house of feature wins on the season after having won a pair earlier in the season and adding 3 of a kind leaving Waterford. Tidman is the odds on favorite heading into the big event at Pocono International Raceway this coming weekend.
The excitement for the return of Midget style racing at Pocono Raceway is building with the first running of the Tricky Challenge presented by The Classic Racing Times. 22 teams and growing are pre registered for the event. Teams can start pitting into the Speedway on both Thursday and Friday between 8 am and 4pm. Teams are encouraged to arrive early Friday to get credentials and move into their put spot that's on a large paved area adjacent to the location of the temporary fifth mile oval that will be set up following the Indy car on track sessions on both Friday and Saturday.
The mandatory Modern TQ midget Driver's Meeting will be held on Friday at 1 PM. It is very important for all teams to attend the meeting. Teams coming to Pocono need to go first to the Credentials office on Long Pond Road. Please arrive by 12 noon at the latest. Classic Racing Times will be set up to sing in teams in the last building before the tunnel turn. Signs will be in place to direct teams to the TQ Midget Pit area. Tickets for fans wishing to see the inaugural TQ Midget Tricky Challenge can purchase Pit/Paddock Passes at the Speedway on race day.
Additional news can be accessed on facebook.com/ATQMRA and twitter @ATQMRA.