TIDABACK'S LIFELONG DREAM COMES TRUE
IN ATLANTIC CITY VICTORY
Mike Tidaback could only sum up his "Gambler's Classic" presented by
SoBe Life Water victory with three words: "dream come true." Tidaback,
who first attended races at Boardwalk Hall at age five back in 1973,
etched his name in the prestigious list of race winners on Saturday
night, earning $5,000-plus as the victor of the 40-lap M&R Midget (TQ
Midget/600cc Micro-Sprint) headliner. In doing so, the ATQMRA regular
upheld the honor of the Three Quarter Midget contingent against a
talent-laden field of superstars.
"We're kind of waving the ATQMRA flag tonight," quipped the
Little Falls, N.J., driver after celebrating before a near capacity
crowd. Tidaback drove an 18-year-old Lindblad Chassis with a Rudy
Boetticher Sr.-built engine. "We're a small team with me and a couple
guys," Tidaback, 39, surmised, noting the importance of a victory at
Boardwalk Hall. "You run against a lot of the best Northeast guys here.
It's big for us. This is kind of our Super Bowl."
Tidaback started fifth in his No. 43 and used a spectacular
move in lapped traffic to take the lead from Hamilton, N.J.'s Tim Adams
at the halfway mark. Adams, who had surpassed Canadian James Michael
Friesen for the top spot on a lap-four restart, was momentarily boxed in
behind slower traffic through turns three and four. Jumping to the
outside, Tidaback pulled event at the center of turn
three, nosing ahead on the frontstretch. The cars momentarily tangled,
with Tidaback's car jumping sideways. Both drivers regained control
before entering turn one.
"I stuck it on the outside," he recalled. "We came off turn
four side-by-side and I think Timmy (Adams) gave me a wheel. I was
sideways at the start/finish line (to click off lap 20) taking that
pass."
Tidaback survived a final scrape with Adams on a restart with
three circuits remaining for his breakthrough Boardwalk Hall triumph,
besting his previous effort of seventh from 2007. Fairlawn, N.J.'s Joey
Payne, the '07 "Gambler's Classic" winner, fought hard for a
second-place finish. Payne started 13th, pitted to replace a flat tire
on a lap-four restart and edged out a spinning Adams for the runner-up
spot. Adams, who crashed across the finish line, was credited with
third, followed by Bill Davis Development driver Bobby Santos III in
Gary King's No. 1K 600cc Micro-Sprint. The Franklin, Mass., driver was
the first Micro-Sprint across the line. After winning the C- and B-Mains
just to qualify for the feature, Fort Lee, N.J.'s Frank Polimeda charged
to fifth.
Earlier in the night, Aston, Pa.'s Lou Cicconi Jr. earned
$500 as the winner of the 10-lap Behrent's Performance Warehouse
Dash-for-Cash. Cicconi's bid for A-Main glory was derailed by two
backstretch tangles, the second of which knocked him from the event on
lap seven.
Versatile Rich "Toby" Tobias Jr. of Annville, Pa., hopped
into a borrowed car and authored a stirring drive to victory in th
25-lap Slingshot main event. The creator of the Slingshot division
started 22nd, survived a lap-10 spin and charged into the top spot just
two circuits from the finish with a bold, turn-three pass of race-long
leader Bobby Butler. Tobias, who was driving a No. 64x typically wheeled
by his nephew, Paul Lotier Jr., donated his earnings to the National
Fragile X Research Foundation. Past race winner Ryan Smith was second,
followed by Butler, Bill Van Inwegen Jr. and Steven Intravaia.
Pleasant Valley, N.Y.'s Christopher Daley thwarted a late
charge in the form of North Carolina's Bob Baker to win the 25-lap Champ
Kart main. Baker was a close second.
After a successful event, plans are already in the works for
the 2009 running of the "Gambler's Classic" event by Len Sammons
Motorsports Productions.
M&R Midget Feature Finish: Mike Tidaback, Joey Payne, Tim Adams,
Bobby Santos III, Frank Polimeda, Jack Spence, Steve Smith, Rob Vivona,
Mike Lichty, Tim Proctor, Billy Pauch Sr., James Friesen, Chris DeRitis,
Jeff Heotzler, Jeff Kot, Johnny Payne, Danny Shirey, Greg Cable, Donald
Zrinski, Lou Cicconi Jr., Matt Janisch, Erick Rudolph, Mike Iles, Pat
Bealer, Stewart Friesen, Monnie Wonder.
M&R Midgets D-Main No. 1 Phil Dimario
M&R Midgets D-Main No. 2 Marco Michetti
M&R Midgets C-Main No. 1 Frank Polimeda
M&R Midgets C-Main No. 2 Jack Conover
M&R Midgets B-Main Frank Polimeda
George Stockinger Gambler Consolation Sponsored by Dr. Lowe $500
Joey Payne
C&B Race Products, RTS Chassis, Hyper Racing First 600 in Feature
$600 B. Santos III
First TQ In Feature - $200 Mike Tidaback
M&R Midgets Triple 20s Hard Luck Award Frank Polimeda
Cargo Trailer Sales Long Haul Bob Baker Lexington, N.C.
Nick Fornoro Staff Member Robert Smitty Smith
Slingshot Feature Finish: Rich Tobias, Ryan Smith, Bobby Butler,
Bill Van Inwegen Jr., Steven Intravaia, Matt Carman, Jamie Yannone,
Bill Van Inwegen Sr., Ron Smykla, Joel Smith, Ray Woodall Jr., Marc
Daniels, Gary Hieber, Mike Carman, David McCullough, Mark Hartman,
Michael Glass, Scott Goodrich, Vernon McLaughlin III, C.J. Faison,
Tiffany Wambold, Kyle Rohner, Jeff Hartman, Kevin Van Valkenburg, Rob
Marino.
Champ Kart Feature Finish: Chris Daley, Bob Baker, Nick Herriven,
Timmy Solomito, Shawn Solomito, Ron Midford Jr., Cale Reigle, Anthony
Colandro, Andrew Hutchinson, Andrew Swisher, George Bark, Mark Lawshe
Jr., Rich Kuiken Jr., Tom Kelly, Tom Ervin, Jon Meyer, Jon Stewart, Alan
Purser, Steven Hricko, Larry Stolzenberg, John Hillman, Nic Davidson,
Vinny Delaney, Matthew Remick, Coby Cressinger, Andy Burkholder, Merl
Brehm, Ken Andreas, Tammy Smith, David Pantanella.