01/02/2005
2005
BEATERS W/ HEATERS FEATURES EXCITEMENT
Gray skies greeted over 150 race teams as they arrived
for the first NEETS race of 2005, but it certainly didn’t
reflect their spirits as all were set about doing final
preparations for their racing efforts. Many brightly decorated
cars filled the Mountain Speedway pit area, with only a few
empty pit spots left by race time. 94 4-cylinders and 61
6/8-cylinder cars were being readied to do battle to see who
would become the first race winners of the NEETS Holiday
Series for 2005.
The first race of the day was the 4-cylinder Beaters
with Heaters division. The race took the green at 2 PM, with a
traditional NEETS start of the cars lined up 3 wide. The usual
beginning of race mayhem found the red flag out by lap 8 to
remove a disabled car that had its driver’s side facing
oncoming traffic – a dangerous place to be. After a quick
cleanup, racing mayhem resumed, with Tommy “Wild Child”
Walkowiak’s #00 grabbing a solid lead by lap 15. It was a
lead he would hold for many laps, and through many red flags,
as the track officials practiced their usual safety standards
of stopping the action whenever there was a dangerous
situation on track. On lap 62, Tommy lost the lead briefly to
Luke Colleran, but got it back a lap later, only to sideswipe
another car, causing Tommy to get a flat, just as another red
flag flew for a wreck elsewhere on the track. When the green
flew again, Tommy ducked into the pits to change the flat,
losing 3 laps in the process, and the lead then went to Pat
Verwys’ “Killer V” #18, who was being chased now by Bob
Haeger #111, Bobby Pease #97, Robin Vollmoeller #2x, and Dale
Garrison #70. After stopping for a red flag on lap 113, Verwys
seemed to have trouble getting up to speed on the restart, and
was passed by Bobby Pease, but Verwys held on in 2nd,
and as Pease suffered a tire going down. Verwys again grabbed
the lead and held on for the win over a charging Robin
Vollmoeller, who didn’t have enough laps left to catch the
swift Verwys car. Finishing 3rd was Dale Garrison,
and 4th, 1 lap down, Bobby Pease, riding out his
ever flattening tire, and 5th, Jon Haegele, also 1
lap down. The dominant leader of the race in the early goings
of the race, Tommy Walkowiak, eventually scored a 10th
place finish, 4 laps down.
After the 4-cylinder race, Santa Claus visited the
grandstand area, bringing additional gifts for all the
children in attendance. While Santa didn’t arrive by sleigh,
I think I did spot a few of his reindeer grazing on the
hillside behind the main grandstand, but most people missed
that as they watched each of the smiling children approach
Santa to get their gifts. What a great day for these young race fans.
Next out was the 6/8-cylinder Beaters with Heaters
gang. Again in a
3 wide start, the 61-car field was led by Howie Bott’s #75,
who held on until lap 15, when Steve Haegele’s #61 took the
lead. The red flag flew on lap 19 to assist an injured driver
who had pulled off the track, but quickly resumed with Tommy
Walkowiak now in 2nd and chasing Haegele, getting
by him on lap 36 as Haegele’s #61 car slowed for unknown
reasons. On lap 51, Tom “Slick Pick” Pickerell’s #4 took
the lead from Walkowiak, and 7 laps later, while running a
strong 2nd, Walkowiak’s right front wheel broke
off the car, causing a red flag as Tommy pulled toward the pit
exit just as the wheel caught up and bounced off the right
rear of the car as Tommy entered the pits.
Green was out quickly now, since the loose wheel had
conveniently left the track, but the red flew again to clear
cars from two multi-car wrecks. Mark Paine, #72, got the lead
at the start, but Pickerell quickly gained it back and held it
for many more laps. On lap 82, the red flag flew again for the
open hood of Chris Chirico’s #87, as he tried valiantly to
get around the track with the hood fully up, but officials
felt it too dangerous to let him continue. He fixed the
problem and quickly returned to the track. Very light rain,
which had been on everyone’s mind all day, started to fall
around lap 90, but didn’t affect the racing as it wasn’t
falling hard enough to wet the track. The red flew again on
lap 95, but this time for the Fire Trucks to leave the track
to answer a local fire call. Green flew quickly, and things
changed quickly, as Pickerell suddenly went from a ½ lap lead
to 2nd, a ½ lap behind new leader, past champion
Ray Fitzgerald in the #16X. Fitzgerald held on through the
last exciting laps to take the win in a race he sat out last
year, a very satisfying victory for the Constant Performance
team, as his teammate, Bob Baker #09, scored a 5th
place finish. Rounding out the top 5 were 2nd Rick
Haegele, #161,3rd Glenn Osborn, # 15, and 4th,
Tom Pickerell, #4.
After the race, competitors, their crews, and guests
were invited to an after race party at the Crossroads Inn,
where complimentary food and drinks were served to all in
attendance. Though
attendance was light due to the ever-looming Monday grind, a
good time was enjoyed by all.
Pit notes: A few regular drivers were in
attendance, but without their rides, for various
reasons…Rich Johnson, who was crewing winner Ray
Fitzgerald’s car, among others… Eugene Malverty, lending
moral support to some drivers…
Doug and Kim Watson, whose son is recuperating from his
accident injuries, “Just needed a day away to enjoy some
racing” Kim said…Many cars decorated for Christmas, one
with an actual live, though undecorated, tree. Others stayed
with more traditional appearance, but even one had a shopping
cart strapped to the roof with beer cases in it! A large crowd
was on hand, biggest in some time, especially considering the
cold chill that hung around throughout the day; a tip of the
hat to all who endured the weather, you are very hardy race
fans, especially to this writer, who endured in the heated
announcer’s tower, most of the day…and a tip of the hat,
also, to the Butler Township Fire Company for getting a
replacement ambulance to the track quickly when their 1st
ambulance had to leave during the 4 cylinder race…Onward to
the next NEETS Holiday Series race, April 2nd’s
“April Fool’s Spring Spectacular”. Full details can be
found at www.neetstour.net.
Sources: Walter Johnston/LongIslandJam.com
Posted: January 3, 2005
