By: Steve Pados, Accord Speedway Media
The stage is set for the 71 year old ARDC Midget racing organization to make their lone New York State appearance on Friday evening July 16th when the touring group embarks on the pristine high banks of the race to the walls Accord Speedway. The long awaited return of the wingless creations will find them taking part in a six division show at the speedway with the five regular divisions who perfrom weekly at the facility and in conjunction with the ACOT (Atlantic Coast Old Timers) organization who will be displaying their vast array of race cars from years past from the storied pages from the history of auto racing. The unique format of this special event bridges the gap between the great history of Midget racing from the forties and fifties in which a driver could race between six and seven nights a week at the various hot spots on the Eastern Seaboard, to the hybrid race cars of today that will compete at the speedway on Friday. The ACOT Group will be located behind the grandstand area for the fans to receive an up close and personal view of the great race cars from many past eras of the sport that helped forge the the exciting history and competition that Midget racing provides. The ARDC Group will have some of the current day stars of their group in the same area for the fans to compare the race cars and their many differences and to chat with the driving stars past and present who will be on hand for the prestigious event. A souvenir program has been produced for this special event and will carry profiles of some of the ARDC stars who will be competing on Friday along with a special tribute to the Grand Marshal for 2010 event “Hot Rod” Johnny Heydenreich.
Heydenreich, a former Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania native, left his native Keystone State to pursue racing challenges in the Midwest and settled in Indianapolis, Indiana, a noted hot-bed for the racing industry. Johhny has forged a great career in racing and remains in tip-top condition today and still continues to pound the clay cushion at many of the speedways in the Eastern and Midwestern portions of the country. Johnny will be in competition for this event and has brought in with him his race car from the recent Chili Bowl event in January.
The car Johnny will be competing in is a GRP Chassis race car out of the Russ Gamester shops and will have an Aries powerplant tucked between the rails. Sponsorship for the team comes from Superior Tank, Seals-It, GRP and Burkey Motorsports. Johnny is staying with his family in Bloomsburg and is readying the car for competition at his cousin Eric’s race shop. Eric is currently riding in fourth place in points with the ARDC group and is coming off a recent win at the Lincoln Speedway in June.
Johhny comes into the event with 36 ARDC wins to his credit, the last win coming in 2004 when he made a last minute stop to the Grandview Speedway during a USAC road trip and came away with the victory. Johhny also competed in 2008 at the Whip City Speedway in Massachusetts and drove the Viet owned race car to victory in a special appearance there. Johnny is a veteran of the USAC Silver Crown wars and in his most recent performance registered a solid seventh place performance at the Inidiana State Fairgrounds in May.
Johnny’s crowning achievement in racing has to be his 1990 triumph at the Chili Bowl in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Johnny bested all of the top guns in the nation on that weekend and the win raised the Heydenreich name to a new level with the victory. Johnny also registered a third place finish in the 1989 version of the Chili Bowl. Johnny is a past winner of the 1998 Pike Peaks USAC event, was a past winner of the Hut Hundred at Terre Haute and was third in the last Syracuse Salt City 100 for the USAC cars at the Moody Mile. Johnny also registered two titles in the Outlaw All Star Midget series that was promoted by Ed Darrell at the Grandview Speedway. Johhny has ranked among the top Sliver Crown drivers on dirt since the new millenium. Johnny also gathered in a third place in the final points of the now defunct PRA racing group in 2007.
Promoters Gary and Donna Palmer, who are successfully celebrating their tenth year of successful ownership and promotion of the Accord facility, are looking forward to the annual appearance of the ARDC warriors. The energetic promotional team brought back the ARDC organization back to the speedway in 2008 after a 22 year lapse. Drew Heistand, the York, Pennsylvania policeman, comes into the event seeking a three-peat as he has captured the first two races at Accord since their return to the speedway. Heistand is seeking to claim his first championship title with the group in 2010 and currently rests in the runnerup role behind six time winner in 2010 Steve Buckwalter. Buckwalter, “The Royersford Rocket”, comes into the event not only with the wins and the point lead, but Buckwalter made the trip to Indiana during Indiana Midget weeks and defeated the stars and cars of USAC at the Gas City Speedway. “Flyin” Ryan Smith is sitting in third place in the current points and is coming off two visits to victory lane in Jerry Steward’s hot rod, the first at Bridgeport and the second last week at the famed Williams Grove Speedway.
The supporting cast of the ARDC traveling group is rock solid with driving talent. Defending Champion Frank Polimeda got off to a slow start in defense of his 2009 title but has gained momentum in recent weeks and will be a player when the green flags drops on the event. Bruce Buckwalter Jr, Brett Arndt, rookie Alex Bright, Steve Lenig, PJ Garguilo, Nick Wean, Chris Zrinski, Tracy Readinger, Dave Shirk, Parker Evans and Justin Grosz will all be a part of the strong contingent coming in to do battle at the Accord speedplant.
Many notables are always in attendance for the event with the ACOT Oldtimers for this annual appearance event. Longtime car owner John Givens is expected to attend as is the first two Grand Marshals of the event, the legendary racer Jimmy Maguire and Hall of Fame car owner Ken Brenn Sr as well as former ARDC club president Ron Lauer. Former Modified competitiors the legendary Red Coffin and steady Johnny Bate will also be in attendance.
Racing every Friday night from April through September. July 16th finds the good folks at B Millen & Son Recycling as the headline sponsor for the evening and all five divisions in action plus the return of the ARDC Midgets back to the speedway for their annual show of the season. Midget driving great Johnny Heydenreich will serve as the Grand Marshal for the event and will also be in competition on this night. (Special Event Pricing will be in place for the event) Pit Gates open at 4:30; Spectator Gates open at 5:00; Hot Laps are at 6:30 and the racing begins at 7 PM.  Regular show admission is Adults $12.00 (12+) Children $3.00 (11+ under) Indoor Seating $20.00; Family four pack special: 2 Adults + 2 Children and $20.00 in Food Vouchers for $40.00 (a savings of $10.00)
Midweek Madness hits again on Wednesday evening July14th and runs through September 1st with MWM Supernationals set for Saturday night September 18th. For more information regarding the great racing action found at the Accord Speedway, call the speedway hotline at: 845 626 3478 or log-on to their newly designed and well documented website at: http://www.accordspeedway.com
We are easy to find at 299 Whitfield Road, two miles off Route 209. At the Accord Speedway…………………………….
ATrail Of Dirt Leads Right To Our Door