THE HERO CARD STORE! PRESENTS--- 

A TRIP TO SEE RACING AT THE JERSEY SHORE

August 6, Long Beach, NY--- We made a trip down to Wall Township Speedway this past Saturday, fighting traffic all the way. On the race card were Legends, Modifieds, Street Stocks, Factory Stocks, TQ Midgets, and a 20-lap celebrity race. The first heats were scheduled to commence at 6:00pm. 

As soon as the front gates opened, there were long lines on their midway as fans lined up to get into a special hospitality tent setup for NEXTEL Cup owner Ray Evernham, and Cup drivers Bill Elliott, Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler, and Erin Crocker. Since the Cup series was at Pocono, it was a quick trip for them to Wall. 

The celebs held an autograph session, lasting from 6:15pm to 7:15pm. 

Evernham was promoting his Racing for a Reason charity. Racing for a Reason is a 510(c) organization the Evernham co-founded in 1997, devoted to helping those in need and helping fund the ongoing research to find a cure for cancer. The charity also supports the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, as well as many other charitable organizations. For more information, you can log on to their website, located at www.RacingForAResaon.org.

Promoter Jim Morton didn’t realize we were coming, and made a special effort when we got there to make certain we had an area for us to set up our computer. We want to give him a big thank you his hospitality and for going out of his way. I think we said the same words a couple of weeks ago, which is--- Class guy, that Jim Morton! 

We had an interesting conversation with Modified Affordable Division (MAD) driver Rob Williams during the afternoon. We were talking about him moving up from the Sportsman division after spending many years there, where he garnered about 25 wins.  

He was explaining that he had just purchased the new MAD car, and was out getting a feel for the car, as well as getting some lap time in it, before making his debut next week. 

Although the MAD cars look the same as Wall’s regular Modifieds, there is a big difference. The MAD cars utilize a crate motor, which costs around $3500 each. The tires used are thinner then the regular Modified Hoosiers and the cars can get about three races on those thinner tires. 

We also ran into our old friend Richard “Uncle” Petey, who normally runs his #43 Enduro car in the NEETS series, as well as occasional shows in the Grand Enduros at Riverhead. Going into this past weekend, Rich was sitting 4^th in points in the Factory Stock division, with only 12 points separating 2^nd through 4^th. First place is Vern McLaughlin, who is Petey’s car owner at Wall. 

We wanted to talk to former Riverhead multi Charger champion Ray Minieri, but as the temperature was rising, as well as the humidity, we just wanted to get back to the air conditioned trailer where we had our computer setup. Minieri was sitting 5^th in points in the Street Stock division, and has been in the top five for most of the 2007 season. 

THE LEGENDS FEATURE was the first feature out of the gate running a 25-lap race. Malcolm Campbell took the lead, followed by Mark Tischler and Don Neuls. A quick caution on lap 2 stopped the action. Campbell took the lead on the restart, with Tischler and Neuls fighting side by side for 2^nd. 

On lap 5, Neuls took over the 2^nd spot, and started putting tremendous pressure on Campbell. Neuls finally took the lead on lap 12, followed by Campbell and Bryan Gardella. 

After a lap 13 restart, Ryan Flores took over 2^nd, with Gardella 3^rd. Another spin brought out the caution on lap 15.From the restart, Flores was all over Neuls, with Gardella 3^rd.  Those top three broke away from the rest of the pack.  

Finally on lap 20, Flores got under Neuls at the entrance of the backstretch, and was able to  make it stick for the lead. Ryan Flores took the win, followed by Don Neuls and Bryan Gardella. Flores, when not running the 1/3 mile track at Wall, works for Jack Roush. 

The 8-lap heat winners for the Legends were Ronnie Poley, Mark Tischler, and Steve Stull, with 24 Legends cars qualifying.  

THE CUP MATCH RACE started with a quick warmup of four of the five celebs, with only Erin Crocker not running the Mods.  Then they went right to the 20-lap “Match” race. 

Elliott Sadler went right to the lead from the 2^nd spot,, with Ray Evernham coming right up from 4^th to 2^nd. Evernham got right on Sadler’s tail, and took the lead on lap four. Kasey Kahne and Bill Elliott at that point were a distant fourth. Sadler took back the lead on lap 7. The lea swapped again on lap 8. 

By lap 11, Ray Evernham started to brake away. But it became obvious that the leader was slowing up to allow the other cars to catch up to make the race appear more exciting for the fans. With two to go, Ray took the lead and wouldn’t give it back, with Kahne 2^nd, Sadler 3^rd, and Sadler 4^th.  

After the race, I commented to promoter Jim Morton that the fans were very happy with the race. He replied that the promoter wasn’t. 

When we asked why, he only commented, “Lousy turnout.” 

THE MODIFIED RACE didn’t require heat races with not a full field. Officials as a matter of policy handicapped the cars based on points. There were only 15 cars starting the feature. Ray Evernham got into a Modified to run the feature in the Statusgreen #66, normally driven by Jimmy Blewett. 

At the green, Michael Bohn took the lead, flowed by Jason Treat and Mike Carpenter. After contact, Carpenter went spinning into the infield off turn two, bringing out the yellow on lap five. The top cars were Bohn, Jason Treat, Chas Okerson, Shaun Carrig, Shaun Carrig, and co-point leaders Steven Reed and Kevin Flockhart in 5^th & 6^th. Evernham made a quick trip to the pits, and came back out. 

Michael Bohn took the lead at the restart, flowed by Chas Okerson and Shaun Carrig. Those three cars started to break away, as the entire field fell to single file. That green lasted only until lap 13, when the yellow flew for a spin. 

On the restart, it was Bohn to the lead, with Carrig 2^nd, and Okerson 3^rd. To this point, Ray Evernham not in contention, staying firmly in the rear, narrowly missing an incident when the two cars spun in front of him on lap 17. Officials weren’t happy with the two cars that spun, and they were both black-flagged. Although still in the rear, Evernham was now 9^th. 

The green only came out for one lap before another caution for a spin. Not wanting to interfere in any of the point battles, Evernham was simply waving all cars by for the restarts. The drivers were jumping the restarts. Officials decided to restart the cars all single file before the halfway point. 

Michael Bohn, Shaun Carrig, Chas Okerson, Steven Reed, and Kevin Flockhart were the top five. However, Flockhart spun on lap 25 to the infield, without bringing out the caution, which moved Tommy Farrell into 5^th. Bohn pulled away from the field by lap 30, and looked like a “lock” if he stayed out of trouble. Evernham was now in 7^th. 

THE TQ MIDGETS started with Mike Tidaback taking the lead of the 25-lap feature, but he got shuffled back by lap nine. That gave the lead to Chris DeRitis, with Tim Buckwalter 2^nd and Tidaback 3^rd. That lasted until lap DeRitis, when several cars got together, bringing out the yellow. 

When the green flew, DeRitis took the lead, with Buckwalter 2^nd and Tidaback 3^rd. That lasted until lap 18, when Tidaback and Buckwalter got together on the frontstretch, with Buckwalter coming to a stop in turn one. The top cars were now DeRitis, Tidaback, and Don Adams. DeRitis took the win. 

The 8-lap heat race winners were Mike Tidaback and Tim Buckwalter. 19 cars tried to qualify through the heats, although 18 cars started. 

THE STREET STOCKS were next up for their 25-lap feature. We were watching Ray Minieri, who started 13^th.  Frank Thissen took the lead, but faltered coming around on the frontstretch on lap 2. That gave the lead to Harry Schafer, followed by Elliott Wohl, who utilitzed the outside line to go to run side by side for the lead for two laps.  

Wohl took the lead over Shafer, who then fell back. This was an action-packed feature with cars all over the track. By lap 13, it was Wohl, Rich Mongeau, Shannon Mongeau, and Schafer. The racing was hot and heavy until lap 16 when three cars went three wide on the frontstretch. Not a good move, as one ended up stuffed in the turn one wall, bringing out a caution. Ray Minieri was now up to 6^th.  

On the restart, Rich Mongeau was glued to the rear of Elliott Wohl. Another caution came on lap 18, as Minieri brought out a yellow with a flat. He wneto to the pits, changed the tire, and came out without losing a lap. However, he only had 7 laps to come up to the front from the rear. 

Wohl continued at the front. Lap 20 saw Bob Boardwick slam the backstretch wall after contact with Harry Schafer, bringing out another caution. At the front after these 2 cautions, it was still Wohl, Rich Mongeau, Shannon Mongeau, Schafer, and Ron Frees. 

On the green, Frees we4mt around Schaefer for 4^th, setting his sights on Shannon Mongeau. Frees did it on the inside on lap 22. Rich Mongeau was running out of time, and was banging the back of Elliott Wohl, but couldn’t get around. Wohl took the win. 

The 10-lap heat race winners were Harry Schafer and Ed McCarthy, with 21 cars taking the green. 

THE 20-LAP FACTORY STOCK RACE concluded the night’s racing action. Bob Breitigan took the lead, with Scott Dugan 2^nd, Joe Cooley 3^rd, Gary Pein 4^th, and Andy Shelmet 5^th. Gary Pein took over the 2^nd spot on lap 6, with Richard Petey 3^rd.  Jason Lane tapped the turn four wall bringing out a caution on lap 8. The top cars were now Breitigan, Pein, Petey, Dugan, and Cooley. 

Breitigan took the lead, with Pein 2^nd, and Petey 3^rd. However, Pein and Breitigan touched on the backstretch, allowing Petey to take the lead. Breitigan caught up to Petey and was all over Petey’s bumper, but eventually fell back. Gary Pein took over the 2^nd spot, with Vern McLaughlin running in 3^rd.  At the finish, it was Petey, Pein, and McLaughlin the top three; both had almost a quarter lap lead on the rest of the field. However, post-race tech showed Petey to have illegal tires, and the win was given to Gary Pein. 

The winners of the 8-car heat races were Ron Lane Sr. and Rob Breitigan. 24 cars attempted to qualify. 

TRAFFIC SIGNALS--- One of the best signals given to a driver was during a restart, when the starter looked at a driver. The starter then patted his butt a few times. Translation? Driver, go to the rear!

 *****

Those are out thoughts this time.  What’s yours?   Questions, comments, and complaints will reach us at liracenews@hotmail.com. Until next time, Happy Motoring!

     Mike Fields has written for the Area Auto Racing News, Raceway Media Magazine, as well as being a contributing author for the book Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul.  He has also been a co-host of a weekly motorsports radio program, and a track announcer. Fields currently writes a weekly internet column, and is an occasional contributing columnist for the Riverhead Racer, the track program for Long Island's Riverhead Raceway.

     While not at his full-time job (babysitting his very rambunctious 5-year-old grandson), he is the owner of LMF Associates, in the nutrition and weight loss industry. He may be contacted by e-mail at info@LongIslandMotorsports.com, or by phone at (516) 376-4028.

Modified graphic by Tom Coufalik of www.pcracers.net.

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