2014 Short Track Super Series Champion Andy Bachetti Scores Third Consecutive Top-Five Finish Saturday in the ‘Hard Clay Open’ at Middletown; Continues Strong Finishes to Start 2016
Story By: MATT NOLES / RACERSGUIDE.COM Photos By: DAVE DALESANDRO & MATT NOLES / RACERSGUIDE.COM
SPRAKERS, NY- April 5, 2016- Consistency is nothing more than the result of pure determination and hard work. It’s the culmination of continuous planning, learning and determination.
Thus far into the 2016 season, 2014 Short Track Super Series Fueled By VP champion Andy Bachetti has proven that he possesses all of the aforementioned character traits plus a few more using words to describe would be inadequate.
After garnering a strong third place finish in the Melvin L. Joseph Memorial and a second place finish in the Deron Rust Memorial at the Georgetown Speedway in Georgetown, Delaware, Bachetti put on a show this past Saturday night coming from the back of the field to finish fourth in the Hard Clay Open at the Orange County Fair Speedway in Middletown, New York.
Though charging through a field of fire-breathing modifieds can be impressive on its own, what’s even more astonishing is that the ‘Wild Child’ completed this feat in only three laps after pitting for a flat right-rear tire on lap-47 of the 50-lap event. “We had to run hard through traffic to stay with Hearn and Friesen early on,” stated Bachetti post-race on Saturday night. “It definitely hurt us and we needed to manage our tires a bit better but what could we do? With the pace Hearn was setting, damned if you do and damned if you don’t I guess.”
The late-race restarts prior his lap-47 pit stop didn’t help the Sheffield, Massachusetts natives tire woes either. “The tire was going soft long before it went down so those late-race cautions definitely hurt us,” continued Bachetti. “I was getting tighter and tighter every restart so I knew that we were losing the tire but I guess that’s why they call this place the ‘hard clay.’”
Bachetti, who is well-known for his driving prowess in high-pressure situations, used a combination of testicular fortitude and advantageous late-race restarts to drive his familiar No. 4 small-block modified from the back of the stout field of modifieds to the top-five in only three circuits around the historic Middletown, New York oval.
“We had such a great racecar tonight so that helped,” Bachetti said. “But we also had a fresh tire while everyone else was conserving and we could drive around the top and that was definitely a plus for us. I’d much rather have won the race but that’s the way it goes. I wouldn’t say we had a winning car but we definitely had a piece that could have finished second or third tonight.”
Bachetti was quick to shy away from the spotlight and made certain that the accolades for another impressive outing went to those who deserved them. “I just can’t say enough about my sponsors,” said Bachetti. “Mike Garrity [Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming] does so much for me and I can’t say enough about him or his company. He makes this possible, my father makes this all possible and my crew guys as well. Without all of them making things happen I can’t even imagine racing this whole series or any of our regular tracks.”
The amount of work that went into his program during the offseason is already beginning to pay dividends for the Lebanon Valley Speedway [West Lebanon, New York] and I-88 Speedway [Afton, New York] regular. “It’s the whole package and right now I feel real good with the racecar,” stated Bachetti. “Our Billy the Kid motors are real good and those guys are on top of their game and I have confidence in the car with what I’m able to do with it. We’re definitely headed in the right direction and we’re ready to get our big-block stuff going.”
Bachetti will continue to take his talents on the road over the coming weeks while he patiently awaits the season openers at his home speedways in upstate New York. “We’re going to come back down here on April 9th with our big-block,” concluded Bachetti. “Then we’ll go to Bridgeport on the 17th for Brett Deyo’s South Jersey Shootout and then it’s onto the weekly grind.”
Bachetti, who has 17 total track championships to his credit and 147 career wins behind the wheel of a northeast dirt modified, will be competing weekly at the I-88 Speedway on Friday nights and the Lebanon Valley Speedway on Saturday nights in 2016. For more information, you can visit www.andybachetti.com or follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AndyBachettiMotorsports/.
Matt Noles is a contributing writer to Racer’s Guide and Speedway Illustrated. He currently resides in Sprakers, New York.
