Staff Report | Wednesday, June 23rd, 2021
BETHEL, NY- Joey Payne Jr. and Joey Payne III will make their 2021 Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic ATQMRA powered by VP Racing Fuels debuts this weekend at Bethel Motor Speedway.
Joe Payne Sr. Memorial will have a special meaning to everyone in the ATQMRA this weekend, especially those within the Payne family.
Joey Payne will compete in the #55 Spitfire Chassis owned by Paul Dodorico. Dodorico will take a step out of the drivers seat and put on his owner’s hat as he looks at the big picture.
“I never knew the Payne family personally, but talked to them at the track multiple times and race against them well,” said Paul Dodorico. “It occurred to me Joey (Payne Jr.) would be at Bethel without a ride. I thought what greater way to honor his dad than by having him race; this is very exciting and looking forward to the Payne Memorial at Bethel.”
Joey Payne certainly shares Dodorico’s excitement.
“It means a lot to me to be able to compete in my father’s memorial race with an awesome car! Paul and I had a great phone conversation and we definitely have a real shot to win this weekend. I really appreciate him stepping out of his car and giving me an opportunity to win the most important race of my life.”
Joey Payne III will also make his first start of 2021 in his #67 Badger. Payne III, who races the #67 regularly in honor of his grandfather, will definitely have some extra motivation to compete and run well at Bethel.
“When I first got back into racing I chose the number 67 because it was always Grandpa’s number. He was not only my sidekick, but my crew chief and best friend. I couldn’t think of a better way to honor him (running #67). Losing him has been extremely difficult for me. To be able to race in his honor, with my car wearing his number in his memorial race- it doesn’t get any better than that!”
Many members of the Payne Family will be in attendance this weekend, including ATQMRA competitor Anthony Payne. Unfortunately, Anthony will be sidelined from his car due to a non-racing related injury.
The Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic ATQMRA powered by VP Racing Fuels Joe Payne Sr. Memorial will be ran at Bethel Motor Speedway, this Saturday June 26th for race six of the 2021 season.
Staff Report | Monday, June 21st, 2021
BETHEL, NY- The late-Joe Payne Sr. will be honored this weekend at Bethel Motor Speedway by the Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic ATQMRA powered by VP Racing Fuels.
From being a childhood fan of TQ Midget competition by attending races at Hinchcliffe Stadium and Pine Brook Speedway, Payne Sr. has great history with ATQMRA. In 1970, Payne Sr. earned a National Championship in 1985 with son Joey Jr. behind the wheel.
Payne Sr. also earned countless ATQMRA feature victories with already noted son Joey Jr., son Johnny, and with many members of the Coy family.
While Joe Payne’s long-history with the ATQMRA can be shown in trophies, his greatest accomplishments are still be carried out today by his family.
Whether it be Joey Jr. and John, or grandchildren Joey III, Anthony and Tiffany, the Payne family’s roots run deep in the ATQMRA. Everyone has played and continues to play a role to support the organization. Joey Payne’s last race he ever attended was at Bethel Motor Speedway to watch his grandsons compete in the fall of 2019.
“The ATQMRA always had a special place in my fathers heart as it is where he got his start in what became an incredible racing career.” -Joey Payne Jr.
Joe Payne Sr. has always been synonymous with the #67. To honor his legacy, the Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic ATQMRA powered by VP Racing Fuels Will be awarding the winner of Saturday’s feature with a $670 lion’s share of the purse. Furthermore, the ATQMRA will pay all competitors a minimum $167 to start.
The Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic powered by VP Racing Fuels Joe Payne Sr. Memorial will be ran on Saturday, June 26th at Bethel Motor Speedway for race six of the 2021 season.
NEMA Lite star Jake Trainor
Staff Report | Wednesday, June 17th, 2021
WATERFORD, CT- NEMA Lite star Jake Trainor will make his Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic ATQMRA powered by VP Racing Fuels debut at The New London-Waterford Speedbowl this weekend.
In a career spanning a decade, Trainor is excited to write a new chapter this weekend getting behind the wheel of an ATQMRA TQ Midget for the first time.
“I’m pumped to get behind the wheel of a TQ. Those things are a blast to drive whether it be by yourself or in a pack; this weekend will be a lot of fun,” stated Trainor.
Jake Will pilot the #25 Badger for Richie Morocco in his series debut.
In a career that started in Quarter Midgets at “Lil T” at Thompson Speedway, Trainor’s resume behind the wheel speaks for itself. Coming fresh off a win in NEMA’s Boston Louie Seymour Memorial at Seekonk in the “Lite” division, Jake is looking to carry the momentum into a new challenge at Waterford.
Trainor claims his biggest career win came in 2018, earning his first feature victory in NEMA Lites. The victory just so happened to occur at The New London-Waterford Speedbowl. What a story it would be for Trainor to compete for a victory in his first ATQMRA start at one of his favorite tracks.
The Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic ATQMRA powered by VP Racing Fuels will host its fifth event of the 2021 season at The New London-Waterford Speedbowl on Saturday, June 19th, 2021. For ticketing information, visit Speedbowlct.com.
Staff Report | Thursday May 13th, 2021
WALL TOWNSHIP, NJ- A strong field of RYNO Rookie Contenders are set and ready to take on the 1/5th mile Wall Stadium inner oval this weekend for the ATQMRA’s second event of the 2021 season.
After making his Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic ATQMRA debut at the postponed Turkey Derby XLVII this past March, Tyler Wagner showed a lot of promise in the early practice laps at Mahoning Valley Speedway this past weekend. Wagner will be absent from Wall Stadium this weekend due to a conflicting schedule, but will be back behind the wheel of Dave Gorbatuk’s #32 car on May 22nd.
Former Oswego Supermodified driver Ken Moody Jr. and his #01 Rez Beverage Team made their long anticipated debut at Mahoning Valley this weekend. Racing along side Moody Jr. was Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s Chris Pelcher in his long awaited return behind the wheel after taking a hiatus from Northeast Motorsports competition. After getting solid laps around the 1/4 mile circle of Mahoning, they will look to adapt and gain experience this weekend at Wall Stadium.
WKA National Karting champion Tyler Ferris set the second fastest time in Turkey Derby time trials last month, and has a wealth of experience at Wall Stadium compared to his RYNO Classifieds Rookie Contenders. Ferris will look to keep his momentum building after a strong top-10 run this past March.
Ferris’ biggest threat at Wall Stadium in terms of rookie’s with experience is Brick, New Jersey’s Brianna Page. The #76 A&A Truck Parts team was fastest for day one of Turkey Derby testing, and backed this up with a solid top-10 finish. Page will look to string together some solid finishes as the series races at Wall Stadium for three of the next four weekends.
Robert Willis of Toms River, NJ, will make his ATQMRA points race debut this weekend at Wall Stadium as well. Willis, racing the #27 Supreme Manufacturing TQ Midget, ran all the laps and gained as much experience as possible in his Turkey Derby debut last March. Willis went on to finish 13th.
The Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic powered by VP Racing Fuels will storm the Jersey Shore at Wall Stadium Speedway this weekend for “Retro Night.” Ticketing information for the event can be found at wallspeedwayracing.com
Staff Report | Wednesday, May 5th, 2021
LEHIGHTON, PA- The Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic ATQMRA powered by ATQMRA powered by VP Racing Fuels will honor three-time Club Champion Jack Bertling.
Jack Bertling, Multi Time ATQMRA Champion
Bertling, a kind-hearted individual off the track, was a fierce competitor on the track. While making a name for himself at Pine Brook Speedway, Bertling has a diverse resume in TQ Midget Racing. His resume includes the mentioned ATQMRA championships in 1973, 1976, 1977, an Atlantic City Indoor win in 1969, and many additional ATQMRA feature victories throughout his career as well.
This will be the second annual event in which “Black Jack” will be honored by the ATQMRA at Mahoning Valley Speedway.
“It is a great honor to recognize Jack Bertling and his family as we continue a new tradition with this now annual event. We cannot thank Tiffany, Keith, and the entire team at Mahoning Valley Speedway for hosting us!”
The Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic ATQMRA powered by VP Racing Fuels will maintain the tradition of Mahoning Valley Speedway hosting the season opening event for the organization.
Jeff Kot and the Behrents Performance Warehouse team will look to defend their title in this prestigious race, after leading wire to wire to win the inaugural event last summer.
For ticketing and event information, visit mahoningvalley-speedway.com. Be sure to follow the ATQMRA on various social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram to receive the latest up-to-date news and notes from the series.