RGeeProductions
04-30-2012, 01:43 AM
The National Parts Peddler Newspaper American Three Quarter Midget Racing Association (ATQMRA) began their 56th season of TQ Midget Car action at the 1/3-mile paved Mountain Speedway in St. Johns this past Sunday with defending club champion Ryan Tidman scoring a resounding win.
Tidman started seventh and by lap seven he was racing underneath early leader Austin Fehr for the top spot. Once in front it was no contest as the 24-year old from Levittown drove the Lenny and Donna Boyd 1B to victory.
“It was good. During practice we were trying out a new wing system and it was putting a little too much down force on the car and was making it tight and giving it a little bit of a push the whole time out there so we went back to the old wing and made some adjustments and that apparently worked because the car was going real good,” said Tidman.
Matt Janisch was on the pole for the 20-lap main with Fehr lined up on his outside. At the drop of the race commencing green Fehr got the jump picked up the early lead over Janisch, Buddy Sload, Matt Roselli and Tidman.
The race’s only caution waved with the first lap complete when AJ Fuge spun on the front straight.
With the race back underway Fehr again led the pack but hot on his tail were Janisch, Sload and Tidman who all ran under a blanket right in the tracks of the lead car.
Of that tight trio Tidman emerged as the runner-up by lap five and was now zeroing in on Fehr. After some very close dicing Tidman would make his race winning move going into turn one at the start of lap seven.
“It looked like he pushed up just a little bit and he gave me just enough room to get under him so I could show him my nose and that gave me a good shot into (turn) one,” said Tidman.
From there on he was able to build an insurmountable lead. By the time the checkered flag had waved his had built a commanding 4.631-second margin over runner-up Fehr.
“When I come home from school (York College of Pennsylvania) we work in the shop and put in a lot of hours just to be able to come out here and do this right. I can’t thank Lenny and Donna enough for all the opportunity that they give me,” said Tidman.
“This really feels good to come out as the defending champions and get that first win right out of the blocks and you’re not reaching for that first win. Hopefully we can just keep going on like this.”
While Tidman was running on cruise control, the battle for second came right down to the wire as Fehr and Robin Johnston had a dogfight to the finish.
“It was good racing with Robin (Johnston) and I knew he was coming. About halfway through I started losing the back end of the car and with the last five (laps) it was going away and I was just hoping to finish in a decent spot,” said Fehr.
Janisch and Frank Fischer rounded out the top five. Sload and Fehr annexed heat wins.
RESULTS 20 Laps: 1. Ryan Tidman, 2. Austin Fehr, 3. Robin Johnston, 4. Matt Janisch, 5. Frank Fischer, 6. Allison Cumens, 7. Buddy Sload, 8. AJ Fuge, 9. Matt Roselli, 10. Eugene Drew
NOTES:
Timex Morgan made the long haul from Rochester, NY to St. Johns for the ATQMRA opener but after about 25 practice laps he was forced to park his car due to a dropped valve. Morgan, who was accompanied by his Crew Chief and car builder Mark Lafler of Ransomville, NY, noted that they intend to run with the club in as many events as possible.
“We raced with them (ATQMRA) indoors and they are a real class act,” said Morgan. “We’ve run wingless and now we want to try this. They fit in more with our program. We plan to run all year and our goal is to bring two cars and use one as a backup.”
The 2003 utilizes a Suzuki motor built by Richie Woods.
Brothers Gary and Carl Mondschein had a pair of cars from the newly formed TQ Vintage Division on hand. The No. 18 Damasco Crosley/Trevis built in 1968. Also, the 1970 No. 4 Norm Smizer mount which was the last car to be constructed y Crosley. The cars paced the start of the TQ feature. The Mondschein’s were promoting the May 19 debut of the Vintage Division at Mountain. The Smizer car is slated to have retired open wheel great Jimmy McGuire behind the wheel.
Dino Oberto
Tidman started seventh and by lap seven he was racing underneath early leader Austin Fehr for the top spot. Once in front it was no contest as the 24-year old from Levittown drove the Lenny and Donna Boyd 1B to victory.
“It was good. During practice we were trying out a new wing system and it was putting a little too much down force on the car and was making it tight and giving it a little bit of a push the whole time out there so we went back to the old wing and made some adjustments and that apparently worked because the car was going real good,” said Tidman.
Matt Janisch was on the pole for the 20-lap main with Fehr lined up on his outside. At the drop of the race commencing green Fehr got the jump picked up the early lead over Janisch, Buddy Sload, Matt Roselli and Tidman.
The race’s only caution waved with the first lap complete when AJ Fuge spun on the front straight.
With the race back underway Fehr again led the pack but hot on his tail were Janisch, Sload and Tidman who all ran under a blanket right in the tracks of the lead car.
Of that tight trio Tidman emerged as the runner-up by lap five and was now zeroing in on Fehr. After some very close dicing Tidman would make his race winning move going into turn one at the start of lap seven.
“It looked like he pushed up just a little bit and he gave me just enough room to get under him so I could show him my nose and that gave me a good shot into (turn) one,” said Tidman.
From there on he was able to build an insurmountable lead. By the time the checkered flag had waved his had built a commanding 4.631-second margin over runner-up Fehr.
“When I come home from school (York College of Pennsylvania) we work in the shop and put in a lot of hours just to be able to come out here and do this right. I can’t thank Lenny and Donna enough for all the opportunity that they give me,” said Tidman.
“This really feels good to come out as the defending champions and get that first win right out of the blocks and you’re not reaching for that first win. Hopefully we can just keep going on like this.”
While Tidman was running on cruise control, the battle for second came right down to the wire as Fehr and Robin Johnston had a dogfight to the finish.
“It was good racing with Robin (Johnston) and I knew he was coming. About halfway through I started losing the back end of the car and with the last five (laps) it was going away and I was just hoping to finish in a decent spot,” said Fehr.
Janisch and Frank Fischer rounded out the top five. Sload and Fehr annexed heat wins.
RESULTS 20 Laps: 1. Ryan Tidman, 2. Austin Fehr, 3. Robin Johnston, 4. Matt Janisch, 5. Frank Fischer, 6. Allison Cumens, 7. Buddy Sload, 8. AJ Fuge, 9. Matt Roselli, 10. Eugene Drew
NOTES:
Timex Morgan made the long haul from Rochester, NY to St. Johns for the ATQMRA opener but after about 25 practice laps he was forced to park his car due to a dropped valve. Morgan, who was accompanied by his Crew Chief and car builder Mark Lafler of Ransomville, NY, noted that they intend to run with the club in as many events as possible.
“We raced with them (ATQMRA) indoors and they are a real class act,” said Morgan. “We’ve run wingless and now we want to try this. They fit in more with our program. We plan to run all year and our goal is to bring two cars and use one as a backup.”
The 2003 utilizes a Suzuki motor built by Richie Woods.
Brothers Gary and Carl Mondschein had a pair of cars from the newly formed TQ Vintage Division on hand. The No. 18 Damasco Crosley/Trevis built in 1968. Also, the 1970 No. 4 Norm Smizer mount which was the last car to be constructed y Crosley. The cars paced the start of the TQ feature. The Mondschein’s were promoting the May 19 debut of the Vintage Division at Mountain. The Smizer car is slated to have retired open wheel great Jimmy McGuire behind the wheel.
Dino Oberto