Delaware's Ricky Elliott Was Untouchable For The Fifth South East Dirt Series
Delmar, DE.....June 8, I made my first road trip of the season last night for the grand re-opening of the Bridgeport Speedway in New Jersey, which was also hosting the fifth South East Dirt Series event. Ricky Elliott of Seaford, DE was untouchable by anyone last night as he claimed his fourth win of 2004, and added to his total of twenty-seven career wins at the Bridgeport Speedway. It was the first South East Dirt Series victory for Elliott, and his first time to compete in this series this year. Elliott held off some of the big gun drivers to maintain that lead from the first lap to the fortieth.
I made my way to the track for the first time this year and actually my first revisit in about two years. Shame on me! But remember I’m down here on the end of the road in Delaware to keep you completely informed on all the hot action down here too. The facility has done a fantastic job on remodeling the grounds so far. So a big yahoo to Jay, Dave, and Brain and all the staff and efforts for doing such a grand job for the sport. Things looked great on the spectators’ side, and of coarse I had to check out the bathrooms. You know how we girls are, that is an important factor, and I must say it passed with flying colors.
I know when I did an interview with Dave at the Motorsports Show in January, his intentions were to promote and make the Bridgeport Speedway a family orientated night of entertainment for all. I was sure his hearts was in it then and even more so now that it has slowly unfolded. Once the grounds have had all the improvements they aim to do, the focus will be even more on making it a family night out. It was my first time seeing the tracked being worked up; I always felt the track was a very hard textured clay track compared to DIS in DE.
Once the track was disked up and laid there wet and lumpy, the cars took to the track to run it in. The cars started on the outside and worked on into the inside groove. I was told that the track was wetter than usual, and it was very fast. I am not use to that seeing, as my track is pretty much disk and smoothed out before the cars take to the track. I was amazed a little at how it just smashed down and became flat and pliable. Hey that’s why we call it clay I guess; but it was just different to see this track worked up as I had not seen that there before. Anyway, all the guys at the track have done a hard fast pace job getting it ready to roll for the 2004 season. Now let’s get into a little action.
Over fifty cars made their way to compete in the South East Modified Dirt Series forty lap event with a purse of $4,000. Four heats were held with five cars out of each taken in an eight-lap heat. Jimmy Chester 44c, Ricky Elliott 85, Steve Bottcher 35, and Kenny Brightbill 19 all won their heats. Two consi’s were held only two cars taken out of those heats with Wade Hendrickson 2, and Jack Johnson 12A winning them. A dash for cash was held with the first two cars out of each heat and the first two cars consi’s to determine the first ten spots of the feature, Jimmy Chester would take home that win.
There were a lot of big name guys that did not qualify for the twenty-four qualifying spots not counting any provisional. Matt Papiez 93M had an engine or a mechanical problem that could not be fixed before the feature letting Kyle Strickler 16 the first Alt to be in the feature. Strickler’s night did not go as he planned when he had the left front wheel fly off landing him with a twenty-first finish, but at least he may have helped with his points some. Before the feature Strickler was fourth in the South East Series points and seventh in the Bridgeport points. Strickler use to run at DIS before he became of age to run in NJ; as a few young drivers do until they reach the age to run in New Jersey tracks. Another driver just making the change from DIS to Bridgeport was Jesse Hill 99H, who will be running in the Sportsman class. Good luck to him in his new adventure, last night was his first time at Bridgeport. His night may have been quite as he wanted either, but he will get the hand of it, if not I would not mind him returning to DE at all.
At least my NEED FOR SPEED, once again, was fed especially after the last minute rain that shot down my chance last Saturday night. Even though so many others also covered this event I had to add on some of it myself though. Everything was such chalked, full, fast paced action I found myself not breathing during laps sort to speak, in other words I noticed I took a breath when there was a caution and not when the cars were racing. You know what I mean when there’s a lot of action on a track; if you’re a race fan like me.
Ricky Elliott told me after the win that, “The car was a little tight in the heats, and more so in the dash. So we changed the left rear shock. This was the same car and set up we had at Charlotte when we won, only a different motor.” In victory circle Elliott commented that he wanted to thank all the fans for coming tonight for the Wingate Classic. Elliott said, “George Wingate was a friend of mine and he will be missed in this sport. I drove for Jay James some years ago, and with all the changes made here, I hope this will make it a premier track someday.” Elliott driving the Jake Marine TEO, Tony Feil engine with a Taco carburetor, said he car was just so good all night, that he just drove it hard without tires being a factor in the feature tonight with the track so wet.
If you could have seen Elliott drive that car, you know what I mean, if you were not there let me tell you that he was surely untouchable. Elliott started second but took the lead at the drop of the green, when he took off on the first lap; he just shot out front. Brightbill brought out the first caution with a flat rear tire and I took a breath. On the restart, Elliott once again just shot out front. It was like he had a propelled force, and gained so much position he was about to lap cars when another caution flew. I think there were about a total of eight cautions, and each time Elliott would propel as he did every time before. When Elliott went down the front stretch into turn one that car just swayed to the side all the way through the turns on a dime. It did not matter where Elliott drove the car, to the inside or to the outside, she went. Elliott just drove the hell out of that car and made it look easy. He may have started up front you might say, but if you were there, you know how dialed in that car was. It must have been a fun wild rush driving a car that hooked up.
After Strickler brought out the caution with the missing wheel there were twenty-two cars restarting. The top five on the restart were Elliott, Chester, Horton, Hendrickson, and Cozze. I noticed Chester who was running second had a little smoke showing, and it was hardly a lap or two more when it let go. Horton got a good run after a caution and placed third after starting seventh, and was running second at half way when his car jumped out of gear and he had to stop. Mike Isles hard a hard hit with the front stretch wall when something broke and he came to a stop. Mike was okay though, little shaken up; the crew still did not know what had broken on the car at the end of the night.
Whenever a caution was out, another strong contender was out. Rather it be SE points leader Jeff Strunk, or Bottcher, D. Howard, Johnson, or even Hearn, “Delaware's Mr. Excitement” was untouchable. I say "Delaware's Mr. Excitement" because some of his DE fans tell me that's the way he races to them and he was just that tonight, exciting. Each time I wondered if Elliott’s car would still stay as powerful, and the answer was yes. A lot of good cars just had problems, and only handful of cars remained at the end, I’d say about ten were left on the track. No one could catch him, reach him or yet pass him, or even get the chance to; Elliott ran a flawless race with a flawless car. The top five were Elliott, Pauch, McCreadie, Cozze and Keith Hoffman. See ya next time, at the track!
Bonnie Nibblett