Big Numbers Expected for $1,000 to win TQ Turkey Derby
(Sunday November 22, 2015) Wall Stadium Wall Township NJ.
Wall Stadium’s final pre-Turkey Derby practice session saw 16 TQ midgets take to the track in preparation for the $1,000 to win ATQMRA Turkey Derby scheduled for this coming Saturday November 28th. Pit gates open at 6:30 am practice starts at 8:30 with qualifying starting at 11:00am. A record number of TQ midgets are expected for the Annual Season ending Turkey Derby. Racers from all over the northeast will be taking part in the event with drivers coming from as far away as Wisconsin.
The final Turkey Derby test session was well attended by TQ midgets. A handful of drivers made their first laps in Wall’s inner oval. Liquid Lou Cicconi had a fleet of cars on hand including a newly designed TQ midget built by accomplished car builder BJ MacDonald styled after a highly successful Super Modified scaled to the specifications of the TQ midget world. The car will be driven in the Turkey Derby by Supermodified star Dave Shulick. Cicconi will be in the Ted Christopher TQ midget that TC used to win numerous indoor races over the years.
2015 ATQMRA Champion Buddy Sload was back behind the wheel of the familiar Colin Martin Owned Spitfire 16 that Sload used to win the 2015 club Championship. Sload had a virtual stranglehold on winning the races on Wall’s inner oval until he was unseated by championship Challenger Ryan Tidman in the last sanctioned event at Wall. Sload and Tidman who are the only drivers with wins on the Wall Flat track will certainly be favorites to wear the Laurels at the Turkey Derby.
A pair of Payne brothers took to the low banks of Wall with Joey the third and his younger brother taking their fist laps on the Wall inner oval. Joey III who won numerous go kart races on the inner oval was in the Bruce Leote 26 car. His younger brother Anthony was in the family owned Laffler 45 car to gain experience at Wall. Joey Payne Jr. was unable to be at Wall to see his boys take to the track because he was busy winning a Super Modified race at California’s Madera Speedway. The trio of Payne’s will be battling for the Turkey Derby Laurels next Saturday.
Sprint and Micro Sprint racer Brett Michalski had his indoor Micro sprint on hand as a tune up for the Turkey Derby turning his first laps outdoors in the Hyper Micro Sprint. Fellow Dirt Micro Sprint racer Rob Vivona will be racing the Mike Fillbrun Dirt Micro Sprint at the Turkey Derby.
The driver coming from likely the longest distance to compete in the Turkey Derby is Mike Occhipinti who will be returning to his home state of New Jersey from his current home in Wisconsin to wheel the Metz Racing 01 at the Derby. Occhipinti had a stellar season of Modified Racing running with the Top Speed Modifieds earning eighth in points with that group and earning the 2014 Springport Motor Speedway Modified Track Championship.
Matt Roselli ran laps to prepare for the Derby. Long time ATQMRA Supporter Tim Proctor is making a return to the ranks of the ATQMRA after a several year hiatus for the Turkey Derby. Hot Rod Jon Gambutti was behind the Wheel of the Alan Mollot 51 Lindblad Badger. Pat VanVarrick had his Hyper TQ and micro sprint on hand to try to improve on his runner-up finish in the last sanctioned race at Wall. Marc Rogers, Brianna Page, and Zane Zeiner all turned laps Saturday.
On Saturday, November 28, the pit area will again open at 6:30 a.m. with practice at 8:30 a.m. and grandstands opening at 9:30 a.m. Qualifying will start at 11:00 a.m. with main events set for 1:00 p.m. The Tour-Type Modifieds are set for a 150-lap, $5,000 to win feature race while the speedway’s Down Ford Modifieds will compete in a 100-lap feature race that also offers $5,000 to the winner. Dirt Modifieds will also be on the Saturday card in a 50-lap feature, as will the Elite Maintenance Limited Late Models and the open cockpit Three Quarter Midgets. The TQ Midgets will race on the inner oval.
The 2015 Turkey Derby will be paying $1,000 to the winner and $50 to take the green. The event will feature group qualifying with the groups set by practice times. The top 12 in time will be in the Redraw for the first 12 starting positions. The next dozen cars will have their starting positions set by their qualifying times. An 8 lap B-Main will be run for the remaining cars with the top two earning the final starting position in the feature.
Gates open at 6:30 am
TQ Practice is from 10:10 to 10:25 am
Qualifying starts at 11:00 am
TQ group qualifying will be the fourth class out
The 8 lap B-Main will be held in the normal TQ time trial position in the schedule. (This is a change from the posted schedule)
Everyone is reminded that no antifreeze is permitted in cars. A forty dollar entry fee for the ATQMRA Turkey Derby will be collected at ATQMRA President Buddy Sload’s 53 car Trailer.
A follow-up meeting to the October 21st Elections meeting is scheduled for Sunday December 6th at 10am. The meeting will be held at the Best Western Ft Washington, 285
Commerce Drive, Fort Washington. It is located right at the exit from the
turnpike. An agenda will be sent out by December 1st. The meeting will give all those with an interest in continuing the growth of the ATQMRA an opportunity to voice their opinions about the direction of the organization.
Sources: Blu Metz/ATQMRA PR