Buckwalter Deploys ARDC "Rocket" at Susky
By Mark Kielblock
Newberrytown, Pa. - Steve Buckwalter earned the nickname "The Royersford Rocket" enroute to claiming 13 career feature wins in ARDC competition prior to Saturday nights racing program at Susquehanna Speedway Park. Well, Buckwalter looked like he was driving a rocket in his Buckwalter Roofing no. 0 machine as he chalked up career win number 14 at Susky by over a straightaway over his nearest competitor in the 20-lap ARDC main.
Want more bad news for his ARDC competitors? Look no further than Buckwalter's statement in victory lane when asked about how he was able to pull off such a dominant win. "The motor in this car is probably down 30 horsepower to some of the others here," Buckwalter said. "We've just managed to get it really hooked up, and we just needed the kind of track we had tonight to take advantage of it." Heavy watering and a humid, overcast evening led to an extremely tacky surface that evidently suited Buckwalter's setup perfectly.
Scott Zipp and Bobby Goerner driving Fred Schell's no. 75 led the 26 car field to the green flag. Zipp was able to pull out to an early lead over Steve Lenig of Selinsgrove who jumped into the second spot. Buckwalter started in the tenth spot and was already on the move, cracking the top five by lap four. His amazing charge continued and he was up to second, sweeping by Steve Lenig on the inside on the following lap. He then attacked Zipp for the lead and was around him when the caution came out for Billy Pauch, Jr. who came to a stop on the frontstretch.
The restart order put Zipp back up front with Buckwalter second. It was a mere formality as Buckwalter charged around Zipp in turn 2 and into the lead. He immediately began to pull away from the field. The next big mover was Drew Heistand who was on his way up from 12th starting spot and swept into third spot on lap 6.
Buckwalter may have pulled a huge lead, but the battle throughout the top five going on behind him was fast and furious -- with the tacky Susky surface providing some great racing. First Drew Heistand got second from Zipp on lap 7. Then Frank Polimeda wrestled 2nd from Heistand on lap 10. Then Nick Wean, who started 11th, charged into third on lap 11. Then on lap 16 Polimeda and Wean put on the move of the night, splitting around a lapped car coming off of turn four. Wean eventually swept around Polimeda on the outside groove of turn one to complete the pass for second. "It was kind of unusual for this place to be able to go up there," Wean said with a grin in victory lane. "But the way the track was tonight I was able to get it done."
While disappointed over losing the spot to Wean, Polimeda was still impressed with the track surface. "I just want to thank everyone here for giving us a great track to race on." He said from victory lane.
Tracy Readinger just missed out on the top three celebration, but he had a phenomenal run as well charging from 15th spot to finish fourth, while Steve Lenig had a strong run to complete the top five.
Pit Notes: Two time and defending ARDC Champion Andy Martin was a scratch from the consi when what was thought to be just a broken spark plug turned out to be a more serious engine problem. Steve Craig saw a strong heat race run nullified when a broken mag rotor knocked him from the race lead. Mark Lawshe apparenty lost an engine on his TCR chassis no. 95 when he left the speedway trailing heavy smoke.
28 ARDC Midgets signed in for competition with heat race wins going to Steve Lenig, Steve Buckwalter and AJ Ernesto. The consolation went to Stephanie Stevens.
20 Lap ARDC Feature: 1) 0-Steve Buckwalter 2) 77-Nick Wean 3) 44-Frank Polimeda 4) 2-Tracy Readinger 5) 9-Steve Lenig 6) 27-Randy Monroe Jr. 7) 46-Brett Arndt 8) 11-Eric Heydenreich 9) 54-Ryan Smith 10) 83-Bruce Buckwalter 11)14 AJ Ernesto 12) 29-Zack Martini 13) 26-Stephanie Stevens 14) 20-Carey Becker 15) 51-PJ Gargiulo 16) 16-Dave Shirk 17) 55-Steve Craig 18) 34-Shane Penny 19) 25-Chris Zrinski 20) 75-Bobby Goerner 21) 64-Brett Conkling 22) 33-Lew Blair 23) 17-Donnie Hoffman 24) 12 Drew Heistand 25) 99-Scott Zipp 26) 49-Billy Pauch
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ARDC "Month of May" Begins at Susky on Saturday
By Mark Kielblock
After dipping their toes into the water with one race in April, the "Wild and Wingless" competitors of ARDC are ready to dive into the "Month of May".
For IndyCar racers the month of May means weeks of practice, qualifying and then racing the 500 at the famed Brickyard. For the ARDC it means a return to it's home track at Susquehanna Speedway Park this Saturday night, May 3.
Then it's off to three different venues in four nights; starting off with a "Thunder on the Hill" show at Grandview Speedway on May 21, sharing the bill with the Keystone Cup Speedweek Series 410 Sprints. From there the mighty midgets head off to new venues for ARDC in '08; Penn Can Speedway on Friday night, May 24th and Five Mile Point Speedway. The icing on the cake for ARDC drivers running this special week will be increased purses in the Penn Can and Five Mile Point shows as these shows will carry sponsorship from Burke Trucking.
This Saturday's race at Susky will see drivers going to the post with a multitude of goals. Some looking to maintain momentum from a good performance in the April 12 opener, others looking to get their season on track. Standout 2007 rookies Randy Monroe, Jr and Brett Arndt got their sophomore seasons off to a strong start by finishing 1-2 on opening night.
2006 Rookie of the Year, PJ Gargiulo made an early statement charging out of 10th starting spot to finish 3rd in his new ride purchased from Gene Franckowiak in the off season. Gargiulo has high hopes of grabbing his first feature win in the former no.77 that found victory lane four times in the 2007 season driven by Dave Ely.
Andy Martin coming off of two straight Championship seasons showed continued consistency scoring a fifth in the opener. Eric Heydenreich, who was runner up to Martin in '08 is one of the drivers looking to jump start his season after taking the checkered in 14th spot on April 12.
Ryan Smith, ARDC 2007 Rookie of the Year is running a limited schedule for the early part of the 2008 season. His Burke Trucking Team was unsure at the time of this report if they were going to make their debut at Susky this weekend.
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Burke Trucking Announces Event Sponsorship; ARDC Goes "National" with Sprint Car and Midget Magazine
By Mark Kielblock
Felton, DE - Shawn Burke of Burke Trucking is well known as the car owner of the number 54 midget driven by 2007 ARDC Rookie of the Year Ryan Smith. Burke Trucking is now stepping into a new role -- that of event sponsor -- for two new venues on the ARDC trail for 2008, Penn Can Speedway on May 23 and Five Mile Point Speedway on May 24.
With an eye toward making driver purse winnings even more lucrative, Burke Trucking will add to the winner's share and make it an impressive $1000 to win the feature events at these two tracks. Burke Trucking will also add money to the second and third place finishers take as well. Completing the sponsorship package will be special fan giveaways at Penn Can and Five Mile Point each night. Burke Trucking specializes in long and short hauling of refrigerated cargo and bulk end dump trucking.
Continuing to build on momentum created in the past couple of seasons, the ARDC received national press coverage with a feature story on two-time ARDC Champion Andy Martin in the May 2008 issue of Sprint Car & Midget Magazine. The article, penned by veteran motor sport journalist Patrick Sullivan, chronicles the Martin families' earliest interest in racing and the whole of Andy's career from micro sprints through his two championships with ARDC. Also featured is the brilliant photography of Jack Kromer and Randy Hertzog, including a two-page spread of Martin's Overhead Doors of Lancaster number 21 broadsliding through a turn. The May issue is available on newsstands and at various speedways around the country now. For more info on the magazine or ARDC visit: www.sprintcarandmidget.co and www.ardcmidgets.com
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Points as of 4-19
1 . Randy Monroe, Jr. 137
2. P.J.Gargiulo 130
2. Brett Arndt 130
4. Frank Polimeda 125
5. Andy Martin 114
6. Dave Shirk 110
7. Billy Pauch, Jr. 108
8. Tracy Readinger 102
9. Nick Wean 93
10.A.J.Ernesto 92
Randy Monroe Jr. "Railroads" ARDC Competition at Susky
By Mark Kielblock
Newberrytown, Pa. - H&B Railroad has long been a sponsor of ARDC driver Randy Monroe Jr. That seemed appropriate in the ARDC opener Saturday night at Susquehanna Speedway Park as Monroe ran through the field like a runaway freight train to take the victory in the 20-lap main event. Brett Arndt of Topton, Pa. and Bobby Goerner of Myersville brought the 25 car field to the green flag. By lap 4 Monroe charged out of his fourth starting spot and was in the lead. Other big movers through the field were Andy Martin from 7th to 4th in five laps and PJ Gargiulo who made the most progress jumping from 10th to 5th by lap four.
Once Monroe got into the lead, he began to stretch it out over second place runner Brett Arndt to a full straightaway at one point. ARDC champ Martin continued his strong run in the opener by sliding into third spot on lap 7. PJ Gargiulo then pulled the move of the night, executing a rarely seen outside pass of Andy Martin to move into third on lap 12. Veteran Frank Polimeda also began to make his presence felt up front, moving into fourth on the same lap.
From there the race began to settle down with the top five consisting of Monroe, Arndt, Gargiulo, Polimeda and Martin. On lap 17 Gargiulo was able to get close enough to Arndt to try a risky outside pass in turn two, but the attempt failed as Gargiulo ended up in the dust of the extreme outside groove. Gargiulo lost so much momentum that it nearly cost him his third spot.
One more bit of drama was provided by a turn two spin by Stephanie Stevens, bringing out the caution on the white flag lap. This wiped out Monroe's huge advantage and gave Arndt and Gagiulo one last shot to steal the win from Monroe. It was not to be as Monroe powered away from the duo, while Gargiulo made one last unsuccessful attempt to pass Arndt. As they came under the checkered it was Monroe taking the third win of his career over Arndt, with Gargiulo, Polimeda and Martin rounding out the top five. Billy Pauch, Jr. authored another impressive ARDC performance running from eighteenth to sixth as a teammate to Monroe in the H&B Railroad/WO Grubb Crane Rental number 49.
25 ARDC Midgets signed in for competition with Frank Polimeda, PJ Gargiulo and Dave Shirk taking heat race wins.
Pit Notes: ARDC Membership payed respect to fallen NEMA Midget driver Shane Hammond by observing a moment of silence before their driver's meeting. Hammond lost his life in a crash at Thompson Speedway. Seen roaming the ARDC pits were drivers Zack Martini and Randy Reid whose cars were not ready for the opener. Other teams expected to join ARDC competition in coming weeks are Jimmy Commock, Jack Spence and Justin Groz.
Susquehanna Speedway
Saturday
ARDC Midget Feature (25 laps): 1. Randy Monroe; 2. Brett Arndt; 3.PJ Gargiulo; 4. Frank Polimeda; 5. Andy Martin; 6. Billy Pauch Jr.; 7. Dave Shirk; 8. Tracy Readinger; 9. Nick Wean; 10. A.J. Ernesto; 11. Chris Zrinski; 12. Shane Penny; 13. Steve Craig; 14. Eric Heydenreich; 15. Stephanie Stevens; 16. Drew Heistand; 17. Steve Lenig; 18.Lew Blair; 19. Scott Zipp; 20. Carey Becker; 21. Donnie Hoffman; 22. Bruce Buckwallter; 23. Chris Rupp; 24. Bob Goerner; 25. Steve Buckwalter.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Arndt (1-2); Monroe (3-20).
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ARDC Teams Poised for April 12 Susquehanna Opener
By Mark Kielblock
Felton, DE - After a long and busy off season, Midget racing teams from the American Racing Drivers stand ready to kick off a 24 race schedule on Sat. April 12 at Susquehanna Speedway Park. The ARDC Midgets will share the bill with the Late Models, Street Stocks and Xtreme Stock Cars that evening. This event is the first of eight shows that ARDC will run at the Newberrytown oval which has served as the Club's home track in recent seasons.
ARDC teams kept the club in the headlines throughout the off-season by participating in the Chili Bowl in Tulsa, Motorsport 2008 in Atlantic City, the Eastern Motorsport Press Association Convention, the Reading Reunion and the Dirt Track Heroes Car Show in Phillipsburg, NJ among others.
One of the ARDC drivers that took part in the Dirt Track Heroes show was Phillpsburg resident Stephanie Stevens. The off-season exposure at the show was a real eye-opener for Stevens. "The Phillipsburg Mall show under the direction of Bob Miller and the sponsorship of IRCO Credit Union, was the best car show experience I've ever had," Stevens enthused.
"The response from the local community was amazing, there was close to 13,000 people on the first day," Stevens explained. "It was great exposure for not just our team, but for ARDC as a whole. There are more people from the Northwestern NJ/Lehigh Valley, PA area that follow ARDC than what I was aware of. New and long-time fans are excited for this season and they had nothing but good things to say about ARDC."
Stevens had a successful rookie season in 2007 showing talent and versatility. Her best feature finish was fourth. A top-five against the talented field of ARDC chauffeurs is accomplishment enough for a rookie. Stevens wasn't just a one-hit wonder though, she scored fourth places finishes four times at four different venues; Winchester, VA. Susquehanna, Big Diamond and Dixieland Speedway in North Carolina.
She eyes the '08 season with much optimism. "We are ready - and very excited - to soon be racing the entire ARDC schedule again," Steven shared. She then outlined the 'support system' that puts her on the track. "My awesome circle of friends and family - especially my Dad, Uncle Gary, and I, worked hard putting together a new Spike chassis that continues to be powered by our Bob Wirth Chevy," Stevens said.
I'd like to thank PowerMist Racing Fuels, MacMillan Oil Co., Ayers Enterprises, Broadway Automotive, DJ Safety, and my fans for their continued support," Steven continued. "With everyone's hard work, financial and emotional support, and top notch products, we know we have the tools to win our first feature event and more! I really can't thank everyone enough."
After winning two straight ARDC titles, Andy Martin faces an uphill battle to defend his Championship. The Overhead Doors of Lancaster number 21 ride should be as strong as ever, but team sources report that Martin will be missing ARDC's two race North Carolina swing because he's involved in the wedding of a close friend. Spotting his rivals two races worth of points makes his task daunting at best. The Martin Team also reports that while Andy will again use the Overhead Doors 21 as his main ride, he will pilot the team back up no. 71 more often in '08.
2007 ARDC Rookie of the Year Ryan Smith's '08 plans were detailed in a team press release: "Ryan Smith and Shawn Burke are teaming up again with the #54 Burke Trucking ARDC midget after a banner season earning the “2007 ARDC Rookie Of The Year” honors. After a difficult but educational trip to the Chile Bowl in Tulsa, OK – the team has regrouped for 2008 with a fresh engine and rebuilt Spike Chassis. The schedule has not been set for 2008 while still considering a limited/combination of ARDC and USAC schedules. Ryan Smith Racing will be busy in 2008. Along with the midget – Ryan will be returning to USAC to compete in the National Silver Crown Series on asphalt in his #55 S&S Speedways champ car, formerly the PRA Big Car Series. The Silver Crown Series combines the best of the best talent from USAC and NASCAR in the 750HP machines. And finally – Ryan will be competing in the #2 Tresch Motorsports PMP 600cc Micro Sprint on dirt at national events."
Steve Craig of Levittown, Pa. reports that he will be taking a realistic approach to the 2008 season. "I'll be at the opener at Susky, then taking it one race at a time after that," Craig said.
Craig will be going to the post in the same DS Craig Trucking Stealth/Gaerte that he ran in '07. One thing that Craig hopes will be different, is his luck in the Susky opener. Last year Craig suffered a flip that took him out of action for several weeks. The only positive that came out of that wild ride was a back page Lew Brubaker-snapped color photo that appeared in Sprint Car & Midget magazine.
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