Tidaback’s Lifelong Dream Comes True in Atlantic City Victory
Atlantic City, NJ — 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 SuperBowl.”
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.
RESULTS
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 – Bobby 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.
Sources: Ernie Saxton/Gambler’s Classic PR.