ATQMRA Racing Banquet
December 10, 2011
ATQMRA December 10, 2011 Banquet
By EARL KRAUSE
Area Auto Racing News
HORSHAM, PA — With Williamson's Restaurant & Banquet Hall in Horsham serving as the elegant setting, members and guests of the American Three-Quarter Midget Racing Association (ATQMRA) celebrated their 2011 season and honored their top racers on December 10.
In the spotlight was the championship team of driver Ryan Tidman and his No. 1B car owners Lenny & Donna Boyd.
While it was the second ATQMRA title for Tidman, with his first coming in 2008; it marked the initial club car owner championship for Lenny Boyd and his wife Donna. In 1988 Lenny himself was the ATQMRA driver champion. And, back in 1964, his father Audie was the ATQMRA's car owner titlist. That year, Joe Kidd had wheeled Audie's mount to the club driver championship.
Lenny Boyd has also been a many-time winner as a driver in the ARDC Midgets (and that club's 1977 champion); and has many victories behind the wheel in pavement Modifieds at N.J.'s Flemington Speedway and Wall Stadium. This was the first year that Tidman drove for the Boyds.
During his championship speech at the banquet, Tidman thanked Lenny and Donna Boyd "for the incredible opportunity" to race their car; and presented them and the No. 1B team with a large "thank you" plaque for their dedication to his racing career.
On his way to the overall 2011 ATQMRA championship, Tidman, an engineering college student from Levittown, Pa., won two features at Mahoning and one at Mountain.
Highly-regarded as a "natural" behind the wheel, Tidman was consistently one of the fastest and most consistent drivers at each event.
The 2011 Car Owner Champion Award was presented to Boyd by ATQMRA Vintage Series president Gary Mondschein, who spoke of Lenny's grace, dedication and commitment to excellence.
Lenny and Donna Boyd also received the "Janice Brice Memorial Award", which was presented by Janice's husband Bill Brice. Janice, a devoted member of the ATQMRA and the racing family, passed away from a sudden illness last January.
Both Tidman and the Boyds were also presented with championship photos of the No. 1B from AARN photographer Jim Smith.
Named as ATQMRA Rookie of the Year was Buddy Sload of Glenmore, Pa. He drove his white Sload Family Racing No. 53 to a career-first feature victory at Wall in July's prestigious "Tony Romit Memorial", won again at Wall in August and finished sixth in overall points.
Gary Mondschein's Dimension Design racing component fabrication business awarded Dimension Design gift certificates to the Boyd No. 1B team and to driver Jeff Kot "Hard Luck & Dedication".
Mondschein also presented Buddy Sload with the "ATQMRA Celebrity Roast Rookie of the Year Bonus", through Dimension Design, in the form of a $100 gift certificate for that business.
Second through fifth in the overall ATQMRA driver standings for 2011 were Matt Janisch, Alison Cumens, Robin Johnston and Matt Roselli.
Completing the top-ten in points were Sload, Austin Fehr, Jeff Kot, Frank Fischer and 2010 driving champion Ian Cumens. Cumens ran a limited TQ schedule this year, while also driving in the NEMA Midgets.
In car owner points, behind the title No. 1B of the Boyds was Blu Metz (No. 48 of Matt Janisch), Andrea Cumens (No. 39 of daughter Alison Cumens), Pete Duchak (No. 13, for Robin Johnston) and Mike Roselli Sr. (No. 98, for son Matt Roselli).
Sixth through tenth in points for the car owners were Sload (No. 53), Micky Soto (No. 01), Denny Reider (No. 73, for Austin Fehr), Fischer (No. 26) and Colin Martin (No. 36, for Jon Gambuti).
For 2011, the ATQMRA also maintained separate "Track Points" during regular appearances at Pa.'s Mahoning Valley and Mountain Speedways; and Wall Stadium in New Jersey.
The Wall TQ point fund was sponsored by Bill Brice and Bob Emmons.
Tidman was also the ATQMRA champion at Mahoning and Wall, while Janisch earned the title at Mountain. Finishing second in points at those tracks were Matt Roselli (Mahoning), Austin Fehr (Mountain) and 2009 overall ATQMRA champion Alison Cumens (Wall).
Third in individual ATQMRA track points were Sload (Mahoning), Jeff Kot (Mountain) and Roselli (Wall).
Along with Tidman and Sload, feature winners on the tour for 2011 included Robin Johnston (three at Wall, including the year-end Turkey Derby), Roselli (twice at Mahoning), Janisch twice at Mountain), and single winners Austin Fehr (Mountain), Jon Gambuti (Seekonk, Mass.), A. Cumens (Oswego "inner" oval) and Joe Payne Jr. (Wall).
Mike Roselli Sr. has been re-elected as the 2012 president of the ATQMRA. Also on the board are Buddy Sload Jr. (vice-president), Andrea Cumens (secretary), Lenny Boyd (treasurer and assistant tech director), Pete Duchak (car owner representative), Matt Roselli (driver representative), Bill Brice (race director), Joe Stochel (assistant race director), Blu Metz (member at large/publicity) and Micky Soto (pit registrar).
The opening invocation at the banquet was presented by Wall Stadium chaplain Bob Menschner of Racing with Jesus Ministries; with Pocono Raceway/Wall Stadium announcer Earl Krause of Area Auto Racing News the Master of Ceremonies. The 2011 ATQMRA yearbook was designed and produced by Jeff Kot's Typhoon Digital Studio.
The ATQMRA's 2011 sponsors included Corky Stockham and the National Parts Peddler, Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic, Don Ling and Ling Trucking, Colin Martin (Spitfire Racing), Bill Brice (Brice's NAPA Auto Parts) and Gary Mondschein (Dimension Design). Special thanks are also extended to loyal TQ-Midget fans Robert Noll and Debbie Orach, for their continued support of the ATQMRA and its history.
In advance of another solid and exciting "outdoor" season of ATQMRA TQ-Midget racing in the Northeast, the organization will continue to be a strong supporter and participant at the Indoor Race Series this winter at Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall (Feb. 3-4) and Providence, R.I.'s Dunkin' Donuts Center (March 10-11).