News Director 
Story By: GARY PADOS / ACCORD SPEEDWAY – On a close to the cuff muggy evening, Accord Speedway Promoters Gary and Donna Palmer completed their eleventh Friday night show of the season.
The seven division event found two new winners emerging during the evening while some familiar names were at the top of their game to come home with a victory in their respective divisions. The racing has proved to be spectacular throughout the season and the trip to the WRWD Radio Victory Lane is always a sweet end to a great evening. Other than the muggy day, the weather cooperated fully and the enthusiastic crowd came out to the speedway to enjoy an evening of speed. The evening was sponsored by Pine Bush Equipment who have two locations in New York and one location in Connecticut. They brought along two showpieces of equipment for the fans to see up close and staff members from Pine Bush were on hand to answer many questions asked of them. Their website is: www.pbeinc.com
When all was said and done, “The DC Express” Danny Creeden was in top form as he got out front early and then held off the challenges of a solid core of driving talent to speed to his first win of the season at Accord in the Insinger Fuel Modifieds. “The Jersey Force” Anthony Recchio proved once again there is still plenty of wins left in his 2001 Bicknell race car as he led start to finish to pick up his second win of the season in the Arkel Motors Sportsman main event. Emerson Cargain worked all of the angles from the bottom to the top of the speedway and rolled on to his fifth win of the season in the Upstate Auto Pure Stock feature attraction. “The Travelin Man” Mick D’Agostino worked hard to find his way around the much improved Dan Malley but he did and continued with his winning ways by capturing his fifth win of the season in the WRWD Radio NEWS Sprint Car feature. “The Angle” Cole Stangle had the hot ticket and he sped to his third win win of the season in the WRWD Radio Rookie Sportsman feature. The Emmanuel’s Marketplace Fireball 4-Cylinder feature was captured by Jeff DeGroat as he went wire to wire for his third win of the season. The Emmanuel’s Marketplace Four Cylinder Enduro run was captured by Gene Helms in what was determined to be his first ever win at the speedway.
“The Lightning Bolt” Rich Ricci III and Richard Smith brought the field down for the start of the thirty lap Insinger Fuels 30-lap headliner for the Modifieds. Ricci was quick at the start led heading into the first turn. Ricci would lead the first five laps before being overtaken by Creeden on a restart. Creeden would quickly build onto the lead and threatened to run away and hide. Another caution slowed the pace but on the restart Creeden would continue from where he left off but now had “Iron” MIke Ricci, Andy Bachetti and Anthony Perrego on the move to challenge.
Good solid battles were the hot topic for the fans as Mike Ricci and Andy Bachetti put on a great duel until Ricci won the upper-hand. With two laps remaining, Perrego, who was a bear at all points of the race track, expired a motor leaving the event to just a two lap shootout. Creeden would lead the final two laps to capture his first Accord win of the season. MIke Ricci was a strong second with Andy Bachetti nailing down a third place finish. Jerry Higbie came on late and scored a fourth place while Rich Ricci II completed the top five with one of his best ever performances at the speedway. Rich Ricci Jr finished sixth while the returning Kevin Ward, Jesse Marks, Joe Judge and Steve Davis completed the top ten.
The Arkel Motors Sportsman event found outside pole sitter Anthony Recchio sprinting into the lead at the drop of the green flag and then just glued his race car to the top-side of the speedway. Recchio had no problem building up a huge lead as his father’s former mount was up to the task on this evening. A late caution brought the field together, erasing Recchio’s lead but Recchio would not be denied as he raced to his second win of the season. Kyle Rohner raced from eighth starting place to finish second with Alex VanPelt in third, Leo Fotopoulos fourth and Tyler Johnston fifth. An interesting side bar here is the top six finishers all transitioned from the Slingshot ranks. The second five had Cole Henstchel, Jamie Yannone, Dan Morgiewicz, Matt Shultz and Mike Senecal completing the top ten.
Cole Stangle would lead from the first lap on and even though Travis Green mounted a solid effort to catch him, Stangle prevailed and earned his third win of the 2018 racing season. Green was second with Michael Corbin third and the remainder of the top five being Brian Durbin and newcomer Zack Murray. The birthday girl Erin Paulison headed up the second five with Billy Fiske, Robbie Colbyrn, Kyle Swart and John Brown completing the top ten.
In the Upstate Auto Pure Stock event, Ray Tarantino led the first lap before giving way to John Hechinger. Hechinger would remain at the point until lap seven when Emerson Cargain whistled on by him. Cargain seized the moment as he led the rest of the way but could not shake off the efforts by Hechinger, Steve Williams and Travis Brockner. Cargain truly earned his fifth win of the season with Hechinger, Williams, Brockner and Bob Sleight Jr following. Making up the rest of the finishers were Ray Tarantino, Livy Johnson, Steve Kanuk and Richie Scott.
Dan Malley would jump into the lead at the start in the WRWD Radio NEWS Sprint feature. The first year sprint driver looked strong as he held off another first year driver Mick D’Agostino. D’Agostino, who coming into the evening, had secured four wins at the speedway, would challenge through the first half of the race found an opening and base-lined his way underneath Malley. The pair of racers went at it tooth and nail for a couple of laps before D’Agostino took over for good. D’Agostino would race to his fifth win of the season with Malley a strong second. Jordan Lawrence, Mike Traver, Mark Connelly and Gary Huston completed the field.
In the Fireballers feature, Jeff DeGroat grabbed the lead at the start and would go to lead every lap for the win, his third of the season. It wasn’t easy as Jerry Kingeter would put up a strong challenge all of the way to come up a few feet short but good for second place. Richard Smith was third followed by Ed King and Nicole Nelson. The rest of the top ten were Willie DeGraw, Dave Donovan, Anthony Tarantino, Ken Barringer and James Conklin.
The Emmanuel’s Marketplace Enduro event was a thrill a second event. Dave Donovan took the early lead and threatened to run away from the field but he hit slower traffic and Jerry Kingeter reeled him in quickly. As Kingeter was passing Donovan for the lead in turn two, Donovan squeezed Kingeter into the unforgiving Boilerplate fencing and it sent Kingeter upside down. Kingeter was not hurt in the incident. On the restart, Richard Smith inherited the lead and he too would run down the slower cars and when he did Gene Helms came onto the scene giving all he had and Smith and he traded the lead back and forth. With a few laps remaining, Smith expired a motor and Gene Helms would race to the win by a whisker with a very determined Johnny Bankich chasing him down. Jeff DeGroat was third followed by Brandon Conklin and Travis Conklin.
GEMSTONES:
The hotly contested racing action was completed at 10:49 PM.
Heat wins went to Jesse Marks, Rich Ricci III and Danny Creeden in the Modified division. Three heats were needed for the Sportsman with wins going to Mike Senecal, Danny Morgiewicz and Harry Baldwin. The Rookie Sportsman heats were claimed by Michael Corbin and Brian Durbin. Mike Traver captured the sprint car heat win. The Pure Stock heat wins went to Emerson Cargain and Ray Tarantino. Fireball heat winners included Jeff DeGroat and Willie DeGraw.
New additions to the speedway included Kevin Ward in the Modifieds. Kevin Borden was on hand making his initial start of the season at Accord. Ray Tarantino was back at the controls of his regular mount this week. Zach Murray was a new addition to the Rookie Sportsman. Dave Donova was new addition to the ever increasing Fireballer ranks.
Many thanks to Lebanon Valley Modified talent Kolby Schroeder for assisting with the Victory Lane interviews. Kolby also interviewed at intermission with announcer Steve Pados.
Grandma Anne’s Pies were distributed to all feature winners. as well as part of the 50/50 raffle. 101 Cars signed in for the night of racing.
RESULTS:
Insinger Fuels Modifieds: Danny Creeden, Mike Ricci, Andy Bachetti, Jerry Higbie, Rich Ricci III, Rich Ricci Jr, Kevin Ward, Jesse Marks, Joe Judge, Steve Davis, Nick Johnson, Alyssa Cody, Anthony Perrego, Tyler Boniface, Jimmy Wells, Eddie Burgess, Mark Pullen, Richard Smith (DQ)
Arkel Motors Sportsman: Anthony Recchio, Kyle Rohner, Alex VanPelt, Leo Fotopoulos, Tyler Johnston, Cole Hentschel, Jamie Yannone, Danny Morgiewicz, Matt Shultz, Mike Senecal, Kevin Stevens, Chris VanDuser, RJ Smith, Harry Baldwin, Charles Loiodice, Nick Plumstead, Mikw Murphy, Kevin Borden
WRWD Radio NEWS Sprint Cars: Mick D’Agostino, Dan Malley, Jordan Lawrence, Mike Traver, Mark Connolly, Gary Huston
WRWD Radio Rookie Sportsman: Cole Stangle, Travis Green, Michael Corbin, Brian Durbin, Zach Murray, Erin Paulison, Billy Fiske, Robbie Colbyrn, Kyle Swart, John Brown, Jared Miller, Joe Coppola, Samantha Muller
Emmanuel’s Marketplace Fireball 4-Cylinders: Jeff DeGroat, Jerry Kingeter, Richard Smith,Ed King, Nicole Nelson, Willie DeGraw, Dave Donovan, Anthony Tarantino, Ken Barringer, James Conklin, George Barringer, Brandon Conklin, Dave Bendell
Upstate Auto Pure Stock: Emerson Cargain, John Hechinger, Livy Johnson, Steve Williams, Travis Brockner, Bob Sleight Jr, Ray Tarantino, Livy Johnson, Steve Kanuk, Rich Scott, James Goetchius
Emmanuel’s Marketplace Four Cylinder Enduro: Gene Helms, Johnny Bankich, Jeff DeGroat, Brandon Conklin, Travis Conklin
