Lou Cicconi Jr. has a few reasons to be excited about the
seventh annual Gambler’s Classic for TQ Midgets/600 cc Micro
Sprints at the Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall on Jan. 15-17.
In addition to fielding his own car for the prestigious
indoor race, Cicconi of Aston, Pa., will field a car for Bobby
Santos III, a third-generation driver from Franklin, Mass.
“His family is a friend of mind and I found out he was
looking for a ride for the Atlantic City race, so I asked him if
he wanted to drive one of my cars,” Cicconi said.
Santos has competed in events sanctioned by NASCAR, ARCA,
USAC, NEMA, PRA, RoC and QMA.
He most recently won a USAC-sanctioned race at Toyota
Speedway in Irwindale, Calif. This past season, Santos won
several NEMA-sanctioned events throughout the northeast.
Cicconi needs little introduction. His accomplishments read a
mile long with championships in various sanctioning bodies. He
captured the 2006 edition of the Gambler’s Classic after a
spirited duel with ISMA standout Joey Payne.
“I enjoy the Atlantic City race,” Cicconi said. “As far as I
am concerned, the competition is second only to the Rumble
Series race in Ft. Wayne, Ind.”
Speaking of the indoor Rumble Series race in Ft. Wayne,
Cicconi won the main event on December 28, beating out NASCAR
Sprint Car Series driver and car owner Tony Stewart.
“My car was excellent in that race,” Cicconi said about his
uniquely-designed Midget car, which was requested to be
purchased by Stewart.
In the Atlantic City race, Cicconi will pilot a potent,
brightly-colored No. 75 car, while Santos will drive a
similarly-designed No. 57.
“Ideally, it would be good if we could finish one-two, but
there is so much competition at Atlantic City,” Cicconi said.
“Plus, you never know what will happen in the race.”
Cicconi knows all about bad luck when it comes to the indoor
race.
In 2003, after a thrilling charge from the rear of the field
in the feature, his efforts ended by an unfortunate tangle. He
set a track record, won a preliminary feature but engine
problems sidelined him for the main event in 2004.
Joining the TQ Midgets are the Briggs and Stratton Slingshots
and Senior Champ Carts.
Time trials will be held on January 15 for all divisions.
While the grandstand will not be open to the public, fans with
tickets for Friday and/or Saturday (Jan. 16-17) can obtain a
restricted Thursday-only pit pass, which will allow them access
to catch all of the pole-night activities.
Friday's nights event will include qualifying races for all
three divisions and a 25 lap feature event for the TQ Midgets.
Saturday night's program is highlighted by feature events for
all three divisions including the 40 lap Gambler's Classic main
event for the TQ Midgets.
Also, lap sponsorship is now being taken for the feature
events. Those wishing to purchase lap sponsorship can do so by
contacting the Area Auto Racing News offices at
609-888-3618.
Tickets for Friday and Saturday night programs are on sale
through Ticketmaster by calling: 1-800-736-1420 or online at
www.ticketmaster.com.
They'll also be available the day of the event at the Boardwalk
Hall box office.
Gambler’s Classic information is available online at:
www.aarn.com. The Gambler’s Classic is run in conjunction with
the huge Motorsports 2009 Race Car & Trade Show taking place at
the Atlantic City Convention Center on January 16-17. The show
offers close to 300,000 square feet of just about everything
imaginable in motorsports along with many famous racers and
personalities signing autographs.
Source: Ernie
Saxton/Ernie Saxton Communications
Posted:
January 5, 2009
