01/10/2004

JOEY PAYNE DOMINATES ATLANTIC CITY INDOOR RACE

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ - The megawatt smile on Joey Payne's face told the story of his victory in last Saturday night's 50-lap Atlantic City Indoor Race "Gambler's Classic" A-Main at Boardwalk Hall.

"This feels so good," Payne said after pocketing the Three-Quarter Midget event's $2,000 top prize. "I grew up watching the [winter series] TQ races here [in the '70s and early '80s], so winning at this place is really special."

Payne, a 37-year-old NEMA Midget and ISMA Supermodified specialist from Fairlawn, N.J., dominated the weekend's finale. He burst by Kevin Bastian of Emmaus, Pa., to take the lead on lap three and never looked back.

Nine caution flags and one red slowed Payne's pace once he gained command, but he easily outdistanced TQ regular Tim Adams of Hamilton Twp., N.J., by over a straightaway margin.

"That was the most hooked-up car I've ever had indoors," Payne said of his Shadow chassis machine, which is owned by Connecticut's Andy and Brit Anderson.
Payne, the 2003 NEMA Series champion, announced himself as an Indoor Race favorite during Saturday afternoon's time trials when he negotiated the tight concrete oval in a blistering 9.645 seconds. That was good only for second-fast time thanks to his good buddy, Lou Cicconi Jr. of Aston, Pa., who nipped him for the day's fast time award by .002 of a second.

But Payne could lay claim to having the fastest TQ Midget in the A-Main field after Cicconi's potent No. 75 was sidelined by engine problems during the Gambler's Dash, 
forcing Cicconi to start at the rear of the feature in another car.

Stewart Friesen of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., was involved in several scrapes but survived to finish third in a TQ Midget owned by Buffalo's Harry Macy. The 20-year-old was the runner-up in last year's A.C. Indoor Race A-Main.

Completing the top five was asphalt Modified star Ted Christopher of Plainville, Conn., who pitted to change a flat left-front tire on lap 32, and Russ Bailey of Helmetta, N.J.
Just eight of 24 starters were running at the end of the rough-and-tumble event - and just five cars were on the lead lap.

Sixty-eight cars participated in Saturday's time trials. Cicconi was already locked into the A-Main by virtue of his victory in the previous night's preliminary feature, but he took part in qualifying and grabbed the $200 fastest-lap award with a 9.643-second clocking.
Heat winners were Fred Rahmer of Salfordville, Pa., Kevin Nouse of Manchester, Pa., Lance Dewease of Fayetteville, Pa., and Bastian.

Other qualifying-event victors included Charles Chance of Millville, N.J. (D-Main), Heath Hehnly of Reinholds, Pa. (C-Main), Stewart Friesen (First B-Main), Jamies Michael Friesen of St. Catharines, Ont. (Second B-Main) and Rahmer (Gambler's Dash).

Jeff Trombley, a DIRT Modified regular from Altamont, N.Y., captured the evening's 20-lap Briggs & Stratton Slingshot division feature. He led the entire distance.

A-Main Finish (50 laps): 1. Joey Payne, 2. Tim Adams, 3. Stewart Friesen, 4. Ted Christopher, 5. Russ Bailey, 6. Ryan Bartlett, 7. James Michael Friesen, 8. Bruce Leote, 9. Wayne Turnbull, 10. Anthony Sesely, 11. Fred Rahmer, 12. Dan Biggs, 13. Billy Pauch, 14. Jon Gambuti, 15. Mike Dicely, 16. Jack Spence, 17. Lou Cicconi Jr., 18. Nathan Hauck, 19. Frank Polimeda, 20. Danny Sammons, 21. Bobby Watkins Jr., 22. Bill Thomas, 23. Lance Dewease, 24. Kevin Bastian.

First B-Main Finish (15 laps): Stewart Friesen, Wayne Turnbull, Ryan Bartlett, Bobby Santos III, Craig Mackereth, John Payne, Chris Arnold, Chris Zrinski, Randy Oswald, Blane Heimbach, Monnie Wonder, Kevin Nouse, Curtis Friesen, Harry Weed, Don Zrinski, Glen Halbing.

Second B-Main Finish (15 laps): James Michael Friesen, Bruce Leote, Danny Sammons, Heath Hehnly, Adam Cantor, Pete Pernesiglio, Bill Unglert, Steve Stull, Willie Harrington, Gary Betsy, Colin Turnbull, Ted Durfee, Charles Chance, Jeremy Lynch, Jeff Heotzler, Larney Johnson.

C-Main Finish (15 laps): Heath Hehnly, Randy Oswald, Steve Stull, John Payne, Charles Chance, Bobby Santos III, Willie Harrington, Chris Zrinski, Ted Durfee, Mike Dicely, Becca Anderson, Ken Zrinski, Greg Cable, George Chevalier, Dan McMahon (DNS) Kevin Battele.

D-Main Finish (15 laps): Charles Chance, Bobby Santos III, Ted Durfee, Greg Cable, Robin Johnston, Mike Stull, Mike Blair, Pete Pazer, Bob Berry Jr., Gary Conkling, John Greenhalgh, Rudy Boetticher, Art Lawshe, Jack Arute, Scott Martel, Bob Maxwell Jr.

Slingshot Feature Finish (20 laps): 1. Jeff Trombley, 2. Dave Pecko, 3. Bill Weaver, 4. Andrew Damiani, 5. Randy Smith, 6. Curtis Truex, 7. Jay Hartman, 8. Travis Nolan, 9. Rich Raidline, 10. Billy Pauch, 11. Bob Devault Jr., 12. Keith Tucker, 13. Mark Kislowski, 14. Ed Windt, 15. Lindsey Rutherford, 16. Jon Wesp, 17. Jesse Hartman, 18. Russ Kisselburg, 19. Pep Corradi, 20. Lenny Boyd, 21. Ron Neil Jr., 22. Jeff Hartman, 23. Tim Howell, 24. Stan Friedman, 25. Steve Hicks.

Sources:  AARN/RacerHub.com
Posted:  January 12, 2004