|
July 6, 2010 - Stafford Speedway, Stafford Springs, CT
ISMA Super Series Winner Mike Ordway, Sr is joined by
2nd place Mike Lichty and 3rd place finisher Russ Wood at Stafford
Motor Speedway's 2010 Carquest Xtreme Tuesday Event - Photo By Jim
Feeney
MIKE ORDWAY TAKES XTREMELY
HOT TUESDAY SHOW AT STAFFORD
Stafford Springs CT: It’s been a
while since 50-year old Mike Ordway Sr. has stood in an ISMA victory
lane. He’d spent several years out of competition, but Tuesday night
he showed neither the heat nor his absence from regular
supermodified competition had slowed him down. He put the Vic Miller
number 1 into second just past the lap 10 mark and slowly reeled in
race leader Bob Magner who possessed a healthy lead. Twelve laps
later Ordway Sr. took the lead and was only challenged slightly
after a series of late race yellows bunched the field behind him. It
was his first ISMA win since July 23, 2004. The win was Ordway Sr.’s
career 31st in ISMA. He stands fourth on the All-Time win
list behind Perley, Wood and Warren.
“Car was really good tonight,”
said the veteran Fremont, NH driver. " I owe it all to the crew for
putting it back together after Waterford where it was wrecked. They
worked on it for three straight weeks and to have it run like this
is unbelievable. That’s why Chris won so many races.
“All and all we had a good
night. I was surprised the track stayed tight. Usually when it’s hot
like this the track gets really loose. It’s great driving for Vic
Miller. He only lives down the street from me and we have a lot of
fun. I kept watching the board to see who was where. I didn’t see
anyone come up until that last restart. I just pushed a little
harder to pull away from them. Thanks to everyone who worked on the
car, to Carquest and to the fans tonight. It was a hot one!”
Canadian Mike Lichty was right
behind the Miller 1 on the last restart on lap 41, but Ordway was
able to dodge a potential bullet when he pulled away from the
current ISMA point leader. “We all got tied up there early when
Louie broke and Ordway got sideways. I thought that was going to be
one of my only chances to get him because he was really strong.
Then Bob Magner broke late in the race in front of me, I thought I
had another chance. But, hats off to everybody on the crew and hats
off to the Vic Miller team and Russ Wood for coming in third. It’s a
good points race and we’re still leading. We came here for a win but
we’ll take second.”
Third place runner Russ Wood had
a battle going with Chris Perley in the late stages of the
50-lapper, but was able fend off the 11’s attempts to steal third
from him.
Said Wood, “We were running
against the best of the best for those top spots. We were okay. We
weren’t the best car out there. We obviously didn’t have anything
for the leaders. But, we’ve been in the top three every time we’ve
been here so we’ll take the third. Thanks to Carquest for having us
here.
The Carquest Xtreme Tuesday ISMA
50 got off to a bad start, literally, with the caution coming out
for a complete restart and unfortunately, two cars coming together
at the tail. Hooked were Craig Rayvals in the 04 and Belfiore 98
driven by Tom Tombarello.
One lap was in before misfortune
claimed Rob Summers, a winner of the event in 2007, who was also
hooked and out of the race.
Bob Magner, in the Holbrook 41,
headed away from the rest of the field when the race got underway
with Dan Lane, Eddie Witkum Jr and Jeff Locke trailing. Magner was
able to distance himself from that trio but things slowed on lap 7
for the Lehnert 92 who appeared to be overheating.
Lou Cicconi moved in on Magner
after this lap 7 restart and after another yellow on lap 10 for the
Dave Duggan 51, he was closing in. Then suddenly Cicconi was out of
the picture as he slowed the 10 and pitted.
Back underway, Mike Ordway took
up the runner-up spot with Lichty, Lane, Wood, Perley and Jeff Locke
behind with just over 10 laps in.
Magner held off Ordway until lap
22 but relinquished the lead in turn two as Lichty was right there
to apply pressure. The transponder computer showed the 84 the
fastest car on the track at that juncture but both Magner and Lichty
couldn’t track down Ordway who was now flowing in and out of traffic
throwing up roadblocks to the guys behind.
Yellow flew on lap 38 to help
the cause of those trying to catch the leader when the Duggan car
once again spun. In the interim the 5 of Vern Romanoski met with bad
luck when his green 5 blew just as he was heading pitside.
After the restart it was
Ordway, Magner, Lichty, Wood, Lane, Perley and Locke the top seven
who had separated themselves from the rest of the remaining cars.
The Budnick 88, driven by Joey
Scanlon was the first to fly the yellow in the last ten laps but
misfortune also claimed the 41 of Magner at the same time. He would
end up pitside out of second with less than ten to go. Magner
described his recurring problem. “We have a valve that switches
(fuel tanks) back and forth from the side to the rear. I try to burn
them off equally by switching them, but the lever broke again. The
lever got us.”
Getting by another set of 51 and
88 spins, the race resumed progressing now to the finish. Ordway was
able to pull away from Lichty who was being threatened by Wood and
Perley as Locke ran a distant fifth. And, that’s the way they
crossed under the checkered eight circuits later.
Perley indicated that he’d
struggled to the top five. “I waited for the tires to come in and
they didn’t. I searched around for a grove and couldn’t find one
that hit me in the face. The right rear never came on. We don’t know
why. It durometered good after the heat. But it was good to see Mike
back in victory lane and a Miller car in victory lane. We had both
cars in the top five and in once piece. So the team can go to
Airborne and see what they can do out there. I’d also like to thank
Carquest for having us back
Fifth place Jeff Locke, in only
his second ISMA season, was pleased with fifth. “It was a good run.
I’d like to thank Carquest for without them we wouldn’t be here.
Everything went well. We just got tight at the end. We lucked into a
fifth place finish. But, we’ll take it and go up to New York next
week and get some momentum going. We are definitely getting better.
I’d like to thank my father. Obviously I wouldn’t be here without
him. And, Richard Witkum, my crew chief. He’s just unbelievable.
We’ve been getting better with both of us working together. Thanks
also to my wife and my kids for putting up with me.”
Ben Seitz, Mark Sammut, Eric
Lewis, Bobby Bond and Joey Scanlon rounded out the top ten.
Notes: Mike Ordway Sr. was in
victory lane at All-Star Speedway two years ago in the Vic Miller
car but this show was a non-ISMA show…Thermometers showed the temps
at Stafford hitting 103 or more with track and pit temperatures even
higher…Next ISMA show is the inaugural Airborne trek on July 17.
Summary ISMA Event #3. July 6,
2010
Heat 1: Jeff Locke, Lou Cicconi,
Russ Wood, Eric Lewis, Joey Scanlon, Dave Duggan, Craig Rayvals, Tom
Tombarello (filled in for Justin Belfiore nursing injuries from a
Lee USA 350 crash)
Heat 2: Bob Magner, Mike Ordway
Sr., Eddie Witkum, Ben Seitz, Vern Romanoski, Bob Bond, Otto
Sitterly, Jamie Timmons.
Heat 3: Chris Perley, Danny
Lane, Rob Summers, Mike Lichty, Mark Sammut, Brandon Bellinger,
Larry Lehnert (2 Emhoff dns)
ISMA 50: 1. Mike Ordway Sr.,
(1), 2. Mike Lichty (84), 3. Russ Wood (29), 4. Chris Perley (11),
5. Jeff Locke (37), 6. Ben Seitz (17), 7. Mark Sammut (78), 8. Eric
Lewis (28), 9. Bob Bond (25), 10. Joey Scanlon (88), 11. Danny Lane
(97), 12. Bobby Magner (41), 13. Dave Duggan (51), 14. Vern
Romanoski (5), 15. Otto Sitterly (7), 16. Eddie Witkum Jr. (9), 17.
Brandon Bellinger (02), 18. Lou Cicconi (10), 19. Larry Lehnert
(92), 20. Jamie Timmons (27), 21. Rob Summers (35), 22. Craig
Rayvals (04), 23. Tommy Tombarello (98).
Mike Ordway Sr.
and the Vic Miller owned #1 supermodified in Victory Lane at Stafford
Motor Speedway's Carquest Xtreme Tuesday ISMA Event on July 6th. -
Jim Feeney Photo
The extended Ordway family and crew in Victory Lane
at Stafford Motor Speedway - Jim Feeney Photo
More Stafford feature photos - scroll down:
Russ Wood 29 is challenged in the
feature by Mike Lichty 84. They both moved up through the field to
get podium finishes. Lichty second and Wood third.
- Jim Feeney Photo
A familiar battle between two of ISMA’s
all time best, Chris Perley 11 tries to steal the podium finish from
Russ Wood 29. Wood made the podium and Perley was fourth.
- Jim Feeney Photo
Chris Perley 11 and
Jeff Locke 37 battle here, early in the feature. Perley went
on to a fourth place finish, with Locke right behind in fifth.
- Jim Feeney Photo
On lap 22 Mike Ordway Sr puts a low move
going into the first turn on Bob Magner 41. Ordway came out of two
with the lead.
- Jim Feeney Photo
Mark Sammut 78 and Bob Bond 25 fight for
top ten finishes near the end on the 50 lapper. Sammut wound up
seventh and Bond ninth. - Jim Feeney Photo
Jeff Locke 37 is hounded, late in the race, for a top five
spot by Ben Seitz 17. Locke would hang on to the spot. - Jim Feeney
Photo
Mike Ordway Sr raises a fist as he
crosses under the double-checkered flags of starter Don Horvath. -
Jim Feeney Photo
More feature photos and candids from Stafford
(by Jim Feeney) - scroll down:
#####
More 2010 Race Results and
Photos |
