Joey Payne returned to top form in the beautifully prepared #23 Badger in the Phil and Laurie DiMario machine.
Heat race winners were Payne and Geo Sutton.
Racing was action packed from the drop of the green, with pole sitter Payne launching into the lead exiting turn 2 on lap 2 with Jeff Kot and Kyle Taraska side by side for second.
Blake Barney and Geo Sutton were in the mix early both showing they had a fast car.
A self spin, by the #99x would bring out the first caution, racking up the field with Payne and Taraska leading the field back to racing. Barney stone and Joey Bailey would occupy the first five positions.
Payne would take the lead again with Barney and Sutton would get past the Taraska machine. Sutton and Taraska would heat things up in a door to door battle before contact between the two would send the 1b spinning and both cars slowing on the back stretch bringing out the second caution.
On the restart Payne would continue to hold the point with Barney, Bailey and Tidman looking to take advantage of the reset.
Payne and Barney would run bumper to bumper with some exciting racing with Barney making a pass going into turn 1. Payne would make the same pass in turn 1 again on Barney to take the lead back. Barney wasn’t leaving Payne out of his sights, while the Bailey and Taraska battle heated up.
Sutton would bring out another caution after making contact with the inside tires.
The next restart would be single file, with Payne continuing to lead. As the laps continued to click by the top 5 cars were all within a car length of each other. Kot would make a pass on Tidman to renter the top 5. Tidman, in the Hentrich Laffler for the first time and Jay Hentrich was in his new #99 car that Tidman and Kot earned victories in at Wall Stadium.
The final caution of the night would comet on lap 24 with Barney clipping the inside tires running second.
With a green, white, checker finish ahead, Payne, Bailey, Taraska and Kot would all look to be the one in victory lane.
Payne would bring the field to the final restart and continue to lead.
Going into the final corner on the checker lap was action packed, Sutton would overdrive the corner and spin out the Kot machine, leaving Sutton and Kot out of contention.
Bailey would make a last ditch effort on Payne, but Payne was locked in on the checkers and secured the win.
Payne, Bailey, Taraska, Tidman and Barney would complete the top five.
Veteran racer Payne, has had a storied racing career in the North East and shows no sign of slowing down. The popular win for Phil and Laurie DiMario, long-time ATQMRA supporters, claimed their first race victory as owners, in the Phil’s Engines Badger.
Finish Line Bookkeeping Fast Time Award went to Payne 13.28.
Heat Race 1
Joey Payne
Heat Race 2
Geo Sutton
Feature
1. Joey Payne
2. Joey Bailey
3. Kyle Taraska
4. Ryan Tidman
5. Blake Barney
6. Jason Hentrich
7. Steve Craig
8. Jeff Kot
9. Geo Sutton
10. Jim Tomaino
11. Anthony Payne
12. Tyler Truex